Greater Victoria Housing Society
Expression of Interest – Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Audit
May 2023
Who We Are:
Greater Victoria Housing Society (GVHS) is an award-winning registered charity and not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality, secure, and affordable rental housing for low to moderate income households in the Capital Region. Known for excellent service, we contribute to healthy, thriving, and livable communities. GVHS currently owns and operates close to 1,000 units of affordable rental housing across 18 properties serving 1,300 residents. We serve seniors, families, persons with diverse abilities, and working singles and couples. https://greatervichousing.org/
Scope of Work:
The Greater Victoria Housing Society sees the need for and benefit of an independent view of the organization as a whole, in relation to inclusion, diversity, equality, and accessibility (IDEA) activities. The purpose of the IDEA audit is to provide the Society with a baseline from which we can select strategies and measure progress going forward. The audit should be able to guide us in our allocation of resources and choice of IDEA strategies, so that the Society gains the full advantages that come from embracing diversity and inclusion.
Given this, the major tasks (and deliverables) which fall within the scope of this Request include:
- Conduct an IDEA audit that examines best practices, the Society’s current governance and practices with an IDEA lens at both the governance and operational level. The proposal should clearly identify the process and deliverables from this phase. The findings will be collected and reported to the Board of Directors and the IDEA Steering Committee composed of staff.
- Based on the outcomes of the IDEA audit, provide specific and actionable recommendations to guide the organization including but not limited to:
- Recommend Board recruitment and hiring practices consistent with a commitment to IDEA.
- Specific policy, practice, operations and governance changes the Society should consider.
- Recommendations for strategies or actions moving forward to advance this work and maintain the type of organization we want to be. Include timelines and costs where appropriate.
- Any additional recommendation or deliverables the Consultant feels would be beneficial.
The consultant is requested to provide a detailed breakdown of activities, including anticipated deliverables and engagement with the Society’s staff and board as well as cost-breakdowns for the project.
Budget:
We request proponents to scope out a budget for this work based on their expertise and experience while keeping in mind the non-profit nature of the organization and our work in the community to provide affordable rental housing for low-to-moderate income households.
Timelines:
While the Society realizes that any timelines must be realistic, we would like to have this work completed as soon as practicable so that we can determine and implement strategies going forward. Ideally, we would like the work in the proposal to begin in Summer 2023 to line up with strategic planning work in the Fall.
The proposal must include timelines for each of the major tasks (i.e., start and end dates).
Vendor Selection Timelines:
The vendor selection process for this opportunity will unfold relatively briskly while allowing for dialogue with potential vendors as well as appropriate internal deliberation. Vendor selection timelines are as follows:
| Opportunity posted on GVHS website | May 26 2023 |
| Deadline for IDEA consultants to proposal | June 23 2023 |
| Review of proposals by the Society | June 23 – July 7 2023 |
| Offer to preferred IDEA consultant | July 2023 |
| Communication to unsuccessful IDEA consultants | July 2023 |
Requested Proposal:
Proposals submitted in response to this request must include:
- a proposed work plan outlining deliverables, major tasks and milestones to achieve the deliverables identified above, with costing for each major task and the project as a whole;
- concise information on the expertise/knowledge of the vendor, which could include descriptions of the consultant’s previous completed projects and their outcomes related to IDEA work in the non-profit sector;
- biographical information detailing the qualifications and experience of the consultant(s) who will be doing the work;
- a primary contact person(s) and contact information for the proposal; and
- a confirmation the consultant can complete the deliverable within the parameters of the budget.
