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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Request for Proposals – I Can Do It, You Can Do It! (ICDI) Program Expansion

Vantage Human Resource Services, Inc. (Vantage) has been contracted to support the expansion and evaluation of the I Can Do It, You Can Do It! (ICDI) Program through September 2016. Vantage’s responsibilities under the provisions of this contract include:

  1. expanding and evaluating the ICDI program to 20 new sites that have the capability of recruiting 100 total participants including mentors (who are responsible volunteers age 18 or older) and mentees (who are individuals with disabilities) at each site;
  2. providing technical assistance and professional oversight to Advocate sites;
  3. making recommendations for program improvement;
  4. identifying the best and most promising practices for continued program expansion; and
  5. proposing strategies to enhance program implementation.

ICDI is a national program that was created to inspire all Americans, regardless of ability, to lead healthy lifestyles that include regular physical activity and good nutrition. Specifically developed to address the needs of children and adults with disabilities, ICDI provides tools and resources to schools and community organizations to help facilitate access and opportunities to engage individuals with disabilities in healthy, active behaviors where they live, learn, and play.

To assist with ICDI program expansion, Vantage has developed a Request for Proposals (RFP) to engage stakeholder organizations (K-12 schools and school districts, colleges and universities, and community-based entities) in ICDI implementation. Vantage will provide an incentive of up to $4,500.00 to at least 20 applicants who submit proposals and are selected to participate in the program from December 15, 2015 through August 31, 2016. 

We invite you to submit a proposal to become an Incentivized Advocate with the ICDI program. For information on proposal requirements, please refer to the attached RFP. We look forward to receiving your proposals by noon (EST) on Tuesday, November 17, 2015.

Sincerely,

Susan Schoenberg, ICDI Project Director
Dr. Tom Moran, ICDI Content Expert/Task Lead

Vantage Human Resource Services, Inc.
1050 17th St, NW, Suite 600 / Washington, DC 20036-5517

Request for Proposal (RFP)

The purpose of this RFP is to expand the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition’s (PCFSN) I Can Do It, You Can Do It! (ICDI) Program. This RFP provides the Background and Need, a Description of the Incentive Program, General Program Requirements, Pre- and Post-Wave Measurements, Specific Proposal Organization and Criteria, Period of Performance, and Evaluation Criteria for applicants. Organizations electing to submit questions and/or develop a proposal in response to this RFP are referred to hereafter as “Applicants.”

Vantage Human Resource Services, Inc. (Vantage) will host a Voluntary Conference Call for organizations interested in submitting a proposal on Thursday, November 5 at 1 p.m. (EST). The phone number for this call is (712) 432-1212, Access Code: 594-065-484#. The purpose of this conference call is to provide an informal forum to answer initial questions by Applicants regarding the RFP and to add context as needed. Applicants are not required to participate in this call in order to submit a proposal.

Formal questions concerning this RFP must be submitted via e-mail to Vantage at the following e-mail address: [email protected]. All questions must be received by Vantage no later than Friday, November 5, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. (EST).  Vantage will provide a consolidated list of questions and responses to all Applicants on Friday, November 6, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. (EST).

Applicants should submit proposals electronically, no later than noon (EST) on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, to the following email address: [email protected]. It is recommended that proposals are submitted in Portable Data File (PDF) format; however, the final decision on file format rests with the Applicant.

Background and Need

Currently, there are more than 56 million children and adults in the U.S with some level of disability. These individuals are less likely to engage in regular physical activity than people without disabilities. In addition, obesity rates for children with disabilities are approximately 38 percent higher than for children without disabilities. Obesity rates for adults with disabilities are approximately 57 percent higher than for adults without disabilities. Studies show that one-on-one mentoring through physical activity and healthy eating supports the development of social skills, improves positive self-esteem, and increases self-confidence.

The ICDI program is an innovative mentoring initiative that has been adopted and sustained by PCFSN to provide equal access and opportunities for children and adults with a wide range of disabilities to lead healthy, active lives. PCFSN partners with stakeholders to establish ICDI Advocate sites. Advocates will implement the ICDI program, facilitating healthy opportunities for individuals with disabilities, using a proven mentoring approach that is outlined in ICDI materials.

ICDI has four overarching goals:

  1. Increase or maintain participation in physical activity, sports, and/or recreation opportunities;
  2. Promote participation in new physical and/or recreational activities, such as learning a new activity or joining a team sport;
  3. Encourage the establishment of weekly healthy eating goals; and
  4. Foster positive self-esteem and self-confidence.

Description of the Incentive

Vantage will provide an incentive payment to organizations that meet the specific program expansion criteria and are selected to participate. This incentive will be issued in two payments. The initial payment of $2,250 will be made by Vantage to selected organizations upon completion of a subcontract package (which includes a signed subcontract agreement, completed Internal Revenue Service W-9 Request for Identification Number and Certification form, and a Vantage Direct Deposit Authorization Form) and submission of the application to become an official ICDI Advocate. The second incentive payment of $2,250 will be issued upon satisfactory completion of the first program wave of six to ten weeks and completion of the End of Wave interview. The target date for completing all subcontract packages, submission of the application to become an official ICDI Advocate, and distribution of the initial incentive payment is December 15, 2015. The maximum incentive during this period of performance (December 15, 2015 through August 31, 2016) is $4,500. No indirect costs are allowed to be deducted from this incentive payment.

Upon selection, each incentivized site will be required to participate in a mandatory Orientation and Training session (scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, 2015 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., EST). All sites participating in this program will receive technical assistance and programmatic support throughout the contract period. To be selected for the incentive program, organizations must have the following qualifications:

  • The ability to recruit at least 100 total participants including at least 65 mentors (who are responsible volunteers age 18 or older) and 35 mentees (who are individuals with disabilities). Any combination of mentors/mentees to get to 100 is acceptable, as long as there are at least 35 mentees.
  • The ability to leverage community partnerships, organizational resources, and mentors to operate two, six- to ten-week waves of ICDI between January 1 and August 31, 2016.
  • The ability to collect specific pre- and post-measures on physical activity, healthy eating and fitness for each participating mentee before and at the end of each wave.

Organizations that have previously received an incentive to participate in an ICDI program are not eligible to submit a proposal. All selected Applicants will be designated as Incentivized Advocates and shall be required to perform each of the following tasks for the duration of the contract:

  1. Complete and submit the form to become an ICDI Advocate (if the organization is not already an Advocate).
  2. Complete the standard subcontract package (including a signed subcontract agreement, completed Internal Revenue Service W-9 Request for Identification Number and Certification form, and a Vantage Direct Deposit Authorization Form), which will be provided by Vantage, prior to receiving the incentive.
  3. Review the ICDI Toolkit which includes the ICDI Program Manual; Orientation and Training Modules; and other program materials including fact sheets, promotional brochures, logos and a draft press release.
  4. Utilize the ICDI Toolkit and technical assistance from Vantage to conduct a mandatory orientation and training session for all involved staff, mentors, as well as mentees and their parent/caretaker(s), as appropriate.
  5. Appoint an ICDI Coordinator to manage and ensure proper processes at each program site for the duration of the contract.
  6. Recruit a total of at least 100 participants (mentors and mentees). The minimum acceptable combination of mentors and mentees is 65 mentors and 35 mentees. Any combination of mentors/mentees to get to 100 is acceptable, as long as there are at least 35 mentees.
  7. Implement two ICDI program waves of six to ten weeks in duration during the contract period (utilizing the ICDI Toolkit and technical assistance from Vantage). Each program wave must include physical fitness (sports and recreation) and healthy eating activities for mentees.
  8. Collect pre- and post-measures for all mentees before and after each program wave, as discussed below.
  9. Set and track mentees’ progress towards reaching individualized physical activity and healthy eating goals, set during the pre-measures session, using the President’s Challenge Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+).
  10. Recognize all ICDI participants (mentees, mentors, community partners and program staff) for their efforts and contributions to the ICDI program at the end of the second program wave, at a minimum.
  11. Reward mentees and mentors who tracked their physical activity and healthy eating goals with the PALA+ certificate.
  12. Complete and submit monthly reports to Vantage by email no later than the fifth of each month.
  13. Participate in an introductory Orientation and Training Webinar from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EST) on December 17, 2015.
  14. Participate in monthly conference calls with Vantage and other Advocates for the duration of the contract.
  15. Participate in a readiness review with the Technical Assistance team and two end-of-wave interviews with Vantage’s data collection and evaluation team.

General Program Requirements

As noted earlier, the ICDI program expansion is intended to establish the ICDI Program in 20 new sites. In order to be selected for program expansion and receive the incentive, applicants must submit a proposal of no more than 10 pages. When read in its entirety, proposals must clearly describe and/or demonstrate the following:

  1. Ability to establish and manage an ICDI program;
  2. The ability to recruit at least 100 total participants including at least 65 mentors (who are responsible volunteers age 18 or older) and 35 mentees (who are individuals with disabilities). Any combination of mentors/mentees to get to 100 is acceptable, as long as there are at least 35 mentees.
  3. Ability to leverage community partnerships, organizational resources and mentors to operate two, six- to ten-week waves of ICDI between January 1 and August 31, 2016;
  4. Ability to collect specific pre- and post-measures on physical activity, healthy eating and fitness for each participating mentee, before and at the end of each wave;
  5. Need for financial incentive for program implementation, including the requested incentive amount and how the incentive will be utilized to implement the program. Your requested budget should include a narrative and an estimate of expenditures by the categories listed in the attached spreadsheet.
  6. Organizational ability to sustain the ICDI program following the incentive period.

Pre- and Post-measurements

As a part of the ICDI program expansion, incentivized organizations will be required to collect pre- and post- measurement data for each mentee in each of the following categories: Physical Activity, Healthy Eating and Fitness. This data shall be collected for each mentee at least twice each program wave, including: once at the beginning and once at the end of each program wave. Measures shall be provided to Vantage.

Organizations must at minimum collect the following data at the beginning and end of each program wave for each mentee:

Physical Activity

  1. Type of physical activity or sports participation
  2. Average number of minutes and frequency of physical activity/sport participation each week (number of minutes of activity and how many times each week, i.e. 30 minutes, 3 times a week)

Healthy Eating

  1. Food items typically consumed on a weekly basis (mentees will list food items typically eaten each week in the following categories – Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, and Dairy)
  2. Beverage items typically consumed on a weekly basis (mentees will list beverage items typically consumed each week in the following categories – Water, Juice, Milk, Soda, Sports Drink, Coffee/Tea, Other)

Fitness

  1. Height, weight, and age
  2. Waist circumference

Specific Proposal Organization and Criteria

Applicants should organize proposals to broadly address the six general program requirements listed above. Vantage recommends that proposals include a two to three-page overview to address the general requirements followed by a description of the Applicant’s technical approach to address the eight specific criteria below. However, Applicants may organize proposals in a manner that best suits their unique situation and circumstances. Proposals may not exceed 10 pages excluding the cover page, table of contents, and resumes. Proposed budgets are excluded from the page limit. Proposals should be written in an efficient, economical manner. Elaborate proposals are not required.

Specific proposal requirements include the following:

1. Cover Page: The cover page must include the following:

  • Name of individual responsible for and authorized to sign the proposal
  • Name of organization
  • Organization’s Tax ID #
  • Organization address
  • Telephone (office and cellular)
  • E-mail address

2. Description of existing relevant programming, including how the current program(s) serves or plans to serve children and/or adults with disabilities through ICDI.

3. Your plan to implement ICDI for two, six- to ten-week waves between January 1 and August 31, 2016. At minimum, your plan should include the following:

  • Who: Describe your program participants, how many you will have, and their age groups. Include information on types of disabilities served if your program will be disability-specific.
  • What: Describe how you will assess the needs of participants and the activities that will be offered through your program. Illustrate what your program will ‘look like’ when implemented. Describe how you will incorporate PALA+ into your program. Address your plan and methods for collecting pre- and post-measures of physical activity, healthy eating, and fitness.
  • Where: Describe the facilities that will be used for your program and highlight if partnerships will be leveraged to support facilities.
  • When: Describe your timeline for implementing two ICDI program waves at your site between January 1 and August 1, 2015.
  • How: Illustrate your plan to recruit at least 100 total participants including at least 65 mentors (responsible volunteers age 18 or older) and at least 35 mentees (children and/or adults with disabilities). Describe your plans to recruit and train program staff and volunteers.

4. List and describe relevant community partnerships (current or to be established) and how they will impact the implementation of your ICDI program. Include the role partners will play to support the implementation of your program.

5. List and provide an overview of key personnel who will work on the project (i.e., anyone who will attend the Vantage orientation session; compile data, collect pre- and post-wave measurements, recruit participants; establish community partnerships; participate in monthly calls with Vantage, and/or submit required monthly reports). Please include specific job descriptions, educational background, and other relevant background that supports their role in your ICDI program.

6. Describe how you plan to sustain the ICDI program in your school or community following the conclusion of the incentive period on August 31, 2016.

7. Provide details about how the incentive (not to exceed $4,500) will be used to support program implementation. Provide a budget narrative, including the budget sheet with a completed spreadsheet (see Attachment 1) and a narrative for each category.

Period of Performance

The period of performance for this contract is from December 15, 2015 to August 31, 2016. Vantage plans to have each Incentivized Advocate on board by December 15, 2015, which is the anticipated date for completion of subcontract packages, submission of official ICDI applications, and receipt of the initial incentive payment. All Incentivized Advocates’ program waves, activities, reports, and interviews must be complete by August 31, 2016 in order to allow time for data collection and development of Vantage’s Final Report to PCFSN.

Evaluation Criteria

Applicant’s proposals will be evaluated according to the following five factors:

FACTOR 1 – Ability to establish and manage a health promotion program for children and/or adults with disabilities.

FACTOR 2 – Plan for the effective use of financial incentive payments.

FACTOR 3 – Ability to recruit participants and the availability of trained staff to supervise the program

FACTOR 4 – Ability to sustain the ICDI program after the incentive is depleted

FACTOR 5 – Plan to collect and report evaluation information to Vantage for the purpose of monitoring and assessment

Summary

Applicants shall submit one electronic copy of their proposal (maximum of 10 pages, minimum 11 point font) to [email protected], no later than noon (EST) on Tuesday, November 17, 2015. The subject line of the e-mail submission should be I Can Do It, You Can Do It! (ICDI) Program Expansion Proposal.

See Also: ICDI Budget Template (Excel)