Job Details: Sligo Social Services: Request for Tender - Homeless Research Project


Irish Future
Talbot Street
Dublin 1
irishfuture.ie
Sligo Social Services: Request for Tender - Homeless Research Project
REQUEST FOR TENDER FOR HOMELESS RESEARCH PROJECT

OVERVIEW

Sligo Social Service Council is a leading non-profit organisation in
the North-West working with a wide variety of service users. Founded
in **Apply on the website**, the organisation has
a?long-standing?track record of providing services to socially
excluded and vulnerable groups. We provide a range of services to
children and families, older people and to people out-of-home or at
risk of becoming homeless.

All our services respond to a broad range of needs and
issues?which?cause difficulties?in?people?s?lives. Sligo Social
Services?have been working in partnership with Sligo County Council
and the HSE to provide Homeless Services in Sligo for over **Apply on
the website** years. Throughout this time Sligo Social Services have
responded to identified needs and has developed its range of services
and interventions to the point that we now offer an integrated service
with the service user at the centre of the service provision.

SLIGO SOCIAL SERVICES IS CURRENTLY INVITING TENDERS FROM SUITABLY
QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO CONDUCT RESEARCH INTO HOMELESSNESS IN SLIGO.

OBJECTIVE

To deliver high quality independent research which identifies the
emergent issues in homelessness and the key lessons for preventing and
reducing homelessness in Sligo. It will consider the policy and
service responses in place and how these can be developed to ensure
that the needs of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
are met.

Consideration will be given to how measures introduced in response to
COVID **Apply on the website** have impacted on homelessness; both on
individuals who were homeless and associated services. It will look at
what if any impact the removal of the COVID **Apply on the website**
temporary measures has or may have, identifying what can be learned
from the response to homelessness during the pandemic and how this
could be used in the longer?term to meet the needs of people who are
homeless in Sligo.

BACKGROUND

Sligo Social Services is the primary provider of homeless services in
Sligo and commenced providing Housing First in the Northwest at the
outset of COVID **Apply on the website**. Our Services include.

* Emergency Accommodation
* Short-term Temporary Accommodation
* Substance Misuse Service
* Housing Liaison
* Housing First

We are an active member of the Sligo Homeless Action Team and
the?Northwest?Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.?Sligo Social
Services has a close working relationship with various agencies and
services who are involved with homelessness in Sligo.

The absence of up to date, relevant research in homelessness in the
region is a significant barrier to ensuring the most appropriate and
effective service responses are provided to meet the needs of people
who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The last Homeless Action Plan for the Northwest Region ended in
**Apply on the website**. This was the first and last plan homeless
plan in the region. Gaps in service provision and recommendations for
future service development have not been identified for many years,
with the result that it is unclear whether services continue to be fit
for purpose and what gaps there are in service provision in the area.
COVID **Apply on the website** has introduced new challenges. We would
hope that this research will give voice to the needs of people who are
homeless and influence the decisions made regarding how their needs
might be best met in the longer term. It will provide an opportunity
to create a dialogue regarding homeless in the Northwest and how
statutory and voluntary organisations can respond to homelessness in
Sligo.

Sligo Social Services are seeking tender proposals from suitably
qualified tenderers who wish to be considered to provide the research
service outlined below. Tenderers should have a strong track record of
providing the required research services and have the required
knowledge of homelessness, housing policy and service responses in
Ireland as well as sociological research skills.

RESEARCH PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

The successful tenderer is required to provide a research report into
homelessness in Sligo and the overall effectiveness of the policy and
service responses available to support people who are homeless in the
area.

At a minimum the following issues should be addressed in the research:

* Profiles and identifies the pathways into homelessness of
individuals and families in Sligo
* Identifies what is working well and identify any areas of
refinement in service delivery and/or development
* Explore the impact of COVD **Apply on the website** and the
responses to the pandemic on homelessness in Ireland
* Explore the national and international evidence base for service
delivery approach(es) and models in relation to homelessness.

We are proposing a mixed methods approach including consultation with
service users, key stakeholders, staff and experts.

FORMAT OF TENDERS

Selection of a researcher or research team to carry out the evaluation
will be made at the discretion of Sligo Social Services. Applicants
should submit a tender document which addresses the points listed
below in the order given. The tender document should be no more than
3,**Apply on the website** words (excluding CVs, which should be added
as appendices). Please find the information headings to be addressed
in the tender document below.

GENERAL INFORMATION

* Name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the
applicant, who should be the principal investigator or leader of the
research team.
* Name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the person
who will act as administrative contact, if not the same as the
applicant.
* Name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of any third
parties, partners or collaborators involved in the tender, along with
a description of their role or the element of the contract that they
will fulfil.
* Confirmation of acceptance by the applicant and any third parties
of the conditions of the tendering process as set out.
* A copy of the applicant?s Tax Clearance certificate, or, in the
case of a non-resident applicant, a statement from the Revenue
Commissioners confirming suitability on tax grounds.

PREVIOUS RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

* Outline of the qualifications and relevant professional experience
of each member of the evaluation team. Please add a summary CV of each
member of the research team as an appendix to the tender document.
Each CV must not exceed two A4 pages.
* Please describe how the team?s expertise and competencies relate
to the area of work described in the tender, substantiated with
evidence such as published work if possible.
* Provide evidence to demonstrate the team?s knowledge of current
relevant national and international policy and practice.
* Outline your understanding of data protection legislation
including Sligo Social Services to data access requests, sharing of
information etc.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

* Outline how the research would be tackled. This should start with a
**Apply on the website**-word overview of your proposed approach, and
then outline your approach to the following areas:

* Formulation of research questions.
* Identification of key stakeholders, staff and experts who should
be consulted for this research.
* Methods to be used to investigate research questions.
* Types of data to be gathered.
* Instruments to be used to gather data.
* Methods for analysis of data.
* Ethical issues to be addressed before, during and after the
research process.

TIMETABLE

* Proposal for a calendar/timetable of activities from start to
finish.

Schedule of costs

* Quote costs in euro (?).
* The value of the tender should not exceed ?**Apply on the
website**,**Apply on the website** exclusive of VAT.
* The budget must show the total costs of the research project,
including any expenditure to third parties, collaborators, or
subcontractors.

* Use the following as main headings for the breakdown of costs,
subdivided as required.

* Salaries (include details for each person involved and note their
role or position in relation to the project).
* Data collection and processing costs, including IT.
* Administration (explain the basis of apportionment of costs).
* Overheads (give details of cost headings for overheads and explain
the basis of apportionment of costs).
* Other costs appropriate to a project of this nature (which must be
specified and defined).

REQUESTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR CLARIFICATION

Requests for further information or clarification of any aspect of
this process or expectations for this evaluation can be made by email
to **Apply on the website**. To ensure equitable treatment of
prospective tenderers, where such additional information or
clarification is provided, Sligo Social Services will seek to make
relevant information available to all. Therefore, please provide a
contact email address with your tender to facilitate this
information-sharing.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

OWNERSHIP

Sligo Social Services will remain the sole owner of all end-products
including, but not limited to, research data, reports, manuals or
other documentation, programmes, information, etc., irrespective of
whether the project is completed. The contractor?s work shall be
acknowledged by Sligo Social Services in materials produced and
disseminated based on work completed under this contract. Proposals
for scholarly/academic publishing under the name(s) of the
researcher(s) arising from this research can be discussed with Sligo
Social Services, as owner of the data and other products of the
research and may be agreed to subject to prior approval in writing
from Sligo Social Services.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Any registered interest involving the contractor and Sligo Social
Services, their staff or relatives must be fully disclosed in the
response to this Invitation to Tender or should be communicated to
Sligo Social Services immediately upon such information becoming known
to the contractor. In any case, such information must be made
available prior to the award of the contract. The terms "Registered
Interest" and "Relative" shall be interpreted as per Section 2 of the
Ethics in Public Office Act **Apply on the website**. Failure to
disclose a conflict of interest may disqualify a tenderer or
invalidate an award of contract, depending on when the conflict of
interest comes to light.

GARDA CLEARANCE

All researchers who may be required to work directly with children and
families throughout this research process will be subject to Garda
clearance. If any such researcher has been living or working outside
Ireland in the past three years, Sligo Social Services may also
require equivalent clearance.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Information supplied in respect of this tender may be disclosed by
Sligo Social Services under the terms of the Freedom of Information
Act, unless it is exempt from Disclosure under that Act (e.g.,
personal information or commercially sensitive information where the
public interest in non-disclosure outweighs the public interest in
disclosure). Tenderers are invited to indicate if they consider any
information supplied to be sensitive. Under Section **Apply on the
website** of the Act, any tenderer must be consulted by Sligo Social
Services before any decision to disclose such information.

CHANGES TO INVITATION TO TENDER

Sligo Social Services reserves the right to update or alter the
information contained in this document at any time, but not later than
seven days before the closing date for the receipt of tenders.
Participating tenderers will be informed as the need arises. There is
no obligation on Sligo Social Services to accept the lowest cost or
any tender, and it may be decided, following the review of the
tenders, not to proceed or to proceed with a new invitation to tender
or an amended version of the proposed research.

SUBMISSION OF TENDERS

Tenders should be submitted by email attachment as a single PDF or
Microsoft Word document (with researcher CVs as appendices) to **Apply
on the website**.

The deadline for the receipt of tenders is close of business on
January **Apply on the website**th, **Apply on the website**. The
tendering organisation is fully responsible for safe timely delivery
of the tender. Incomplete tenders, tenders that do not follow the
format prescribed above, or tenders received after the closing date
will not be considered.

ASSESSMENT OF TENDERS AND SELECTION OF RESEARCHER(S)

All tenders will be evaluated against set criteria as outlined below:

* Overall alignment with research brief.
* Experience of conducting similar research studies, preferably
using mixed methods.
* Knowledge and experience of the subject area, specifically
research with families and children, homelessness and interventions
offered to families and children.
* Budget and value for money.
* Proposed timeframe and evidence of ability to meet deadlines.
* Capacity for project management, administration, and to develop
and maintain relationships with the various stakeholders.
* Ethics and ethos.

Sligo Social Services reserves the right to seek additional
information and/or interview tenderers in connection with its
assessment of their tenders. The principal investigator and other key
members of the research team should be available to attend the
interview. Sligo Social Services will not be held liable for any costs
incurred by tenderers in relation to the tender submission or the
assessment/interview process. Sligo Social Services reserves the right
not to award the contract if no tender is found to be suitable.
REQUEST FOR TENDER FOR HOMELESS RESEARCH PROJECT

OVERVIEW

Sligo Social Service Council is a leading non-profit organisation in
the North-West working with a wide variety of service users. Founded
in **Apply on the website**, the organisation has
a?long-standing?track record of providing services to socially
excluded and vulnerable groups. We provide a range of services to
children and families, older people and to people out-of-home or at
risk of becoming homeless.

All our services respond to a broad range of needs and
issues?which?cause difficulties?in?people?s?lives. Sligo Social
Services?have been working in partnership with Sligo County Council
and the HSE to provide Homeless Services in Sligo for over **Apply on
the website** years. Throughout this time Sligo Social Services have
responded to identified needs and has developed its range of services
and interventions to the point that we now offer an integrated service
with the service user at the centre of the service provision.

SLIGO SOCIAL SERVICES IS CURRENTLY INVITING TENDERS FROM SUITABLY
QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO CONDUCT RESEARCH INTO HOMELESSNESS IN SLIGO.

OBJECTIVE

To deliver high quality independent research which identifies the
emergent issues in homelessness and the key lessons for preventing and
reducing homelessness in Sligo. It will consider the policy and
service responses in place and how these can be developed to ensure
that the needs of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
are met.

Consideration will be given to how measures introduced in response to
COVID **Apply on the website** have impacted on homelessness; both on
individuals who were homeless and associated services. It will look at
what if any impact the removal of the COVID **Apply on the website**
temporary measures has or may have, identifying what can be learned
from the response to homelessness during the pandemic and how this
could be used in the longer?term to meet the needs of people who are
homeless in Sligo.

BACKGROUND

Sligo Social Services is the primary provider of homeless services in
Sligo and commenced providing Housing First in the Northwest at the
outset of COVID **Apply on the website**. Our Services include.

* Emergency Accommodation
* Short-term Temporary Accommodation
* Substance Misuse Service
* Housing Liaison
* Housing First

We are an active member of the Sligo Homeless Action Team and
the?Northwest?Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum.?Sligo Social
Services has a close working relationship with various agencies and
services who are involved with homelessness in Sligo.

The absence of up to date, relevant research in homelessness in the
region is a significant barrier to ensuring the most appropriate and
effective service responses are provided to meet the needs of people
who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The last Homeless Action Plan for the Northwest Region ended in
**Apply on the website**. This was the first and last plan homeless
plan in the region. Gaps in service provision and recommendations for
future service development have not been identified for many years,
with the result that it is unclear whether services continue to be fit
for purpose and what gaps there are in service provision in the area.
COVID **Apply on the website** has introduced new challenges. We would
hope that this research will give voice to the needs of people who are
homeless and influence the decisions made regarding how their needs
might be best met in the longer term. It will provide an opportunity
to create a dialogue regarding homeless in the Northwest and how
statutory and voluntary organisations can respond to homelessness in
Sligo.

Sligo Social Services are seeking tender proposals from suitably
qualified tenderers who wish to be considered to provide the research
service outlined below. Tenderers should have a strong track record of
providing the required research services and have the required
knowledge of homelessness, housing policy and service responses in
Ireland as well as sociological research skills.

RESEARCH PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

The successful tenderer is required to provide a research report into
homelessness in Sligo and the overall effectiveness of the policy and
service responses available to support people who are homeless in the
area.

At a minimum the following issues should be addressed in the research:

* Profiles and identifies the pathways into homelessness of
individuals and families in Sligo
* Identifies what is working well and identify any areas of
refinement in service delivery and/or development
* Explore the impact of COVD **Apply on the website** and the
responses to the pandemic on homelessness in Ireland
* Explore the national and international evidence base for service
delivery approach(es) and models in relation to homelessness.

We are proposing a mixed methods approach including consultation with
service users, key stakeholders, staff and experts.

FORMAT OF TENDERS

Selection of a researcher or research team to carry out the evaluation
will be made at the discretion of Sligo Social Services. Applicants
should submit a tender document which addresses the points listed
below in the order given. The tender document should be no more than
3,**Apply on the website** words (excluding CVs, which should be added
as appendices). Please find the information headings to be addressed
in the tender document below.

GENERAL INFORMATION

* Name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the
applicant, who should be the principal investigator or leader of the
research team.
* Name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the person
who will act as administrative contact, if not the same as the
applicant.
* Name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of any third
parties, partners or collaborators involved in the tender, along with
a description of their role or the element of the contract that they
will fulfil.
* Confirmation of acceptance by the applicant and any third parties
of the conditions of the tendering process as set out.
* A copy of the applicant?s Tax Clearance certificate, or, in the
case of a non-resident applicant, a statement from the Revenue
Commissioners confirming suitability on tax grounds.

PREVIOUS RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

* Outline of the qualifications and relevant professional experience
of each member of the evaluation team. Please add a summary CV of each
member of the research team as an appendix to the tender document.
Each CV must not exceed two A4 pages.
* Please describe how the team?s expertise and competencies relate
to the area of work described in the tender, substantiated with
evidence such as published work if possible.
* Provide evidence to demonstrate the team?s knowledge of current
relevant national and international policy and practice.
* Outline your understanding of data protection legislation
including Sligo Social Services to data access requests, sharing of
information etc.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

* Outline how the research would be tackled. This should start with a
**Apply on the website**-word overview of your proposed approach, and
then outline your approach to the following areas:

* Formulation of research questions.
* Identification of key stakeholders, staff and experts who should
be consulted for this research.
* Methods to be used to investigate research questions.
* Types of data to be gathered.
* Instruments to be used to gather data.
* Methods for analysis of data.
* Ethical issues to be addressed before, during and after the
research process.

TIMETABLE

* Proposal for a calendar/timetable of activities from start to
finish.

Schedule of costs

* Quote costs in euro (?).
* The value of the tender should not exceed ?**Apply on the
website**,**Apply on the website** exclusive of VAT.
* The budget must show the total costs of the research project,
including any expenditure to third parties, collaborators, or
subcontractors.

* Use the following as main headings for the breakdown of costs,
subdivided as required.

* Salaries (include details for each person involved and note their
role or position in relation to the project).
* Data collection and processing costs, including IT.
* Administration (explain the basis of apportionment of costs).
* Overheads (give details of cost headings for overheads and explain
the basis of apportionment of costs).
* Other costs appropriate to a project of this nature (which must be
specified and defined).

REQUESTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR CLARIFICATION

Requests for further information or clarification of any aspect of
this process or expectations for this evaluation can be made by email
to **Apply on the website**. To ensure equitable treatment of
prospective tenderers, where such additional information or
clarification is provided, Sligo Social Services will seek to make
relevant information available to all. Therefore, please provide a
contact email address with your tender to facilitate this
information-sharing.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

OWNERSHIP

Sligo Social Services will remain the sole owner of all end-products
including, but not limited to, research data, reports, manuals or
other documentation, programmes, information, etc., irrespective of
whether the project is completed. The contractor?s work shall be
acknowledged by Sligo Social Services in materials produced and
disseminated based on work completed under this contract. Proposals
for scholarly/academic publishing under the name(s) of the
researcher(s) arising from this research can be discussed with Sligo
Social Services, as owner of the data and other products of the
research and may be agreed to subject to prior approval in writing
from Sligo Social Services.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Any registered interest involving the contractor and Sligo Social
Services, their staff or relatives must be fully disclosed in the
response to this Invitation to Tender or should be communicated to
Sligo Social Services immediately upon such information becoming known
to the contractor. In any case, such information must be made
available prior to the award of the contract. The terms "Registered
Interest" and "Relative" shall be interpreted as per Section 2 of the
Ethics in Public Office Act **Apply on the website**. Failure to
disclose a conflict of interest may disqualify a tenderer or
invalidate an award of contract, depending on when the conflict of
interest comes to light.

GARDA CLEARANCE

All researchers who may be required to work directly with children and
families throughout this research process will be subject to Garda
clearance. If any such researcher has been living or working outside
Ireland in the past three years, Sligo Social Services may also
require equivalent clearance.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

Information supplied in respect of this tender may be disclosed by
Sligo Social Services under the terms of the Freedom of Information
Act, unless it is exempt from Disclosure under that Act (e.g.,
personal information or commercially sensitive information where the
public interest in non-disclosure outweighs the public interest in
disclosure). Tenderers are invited to indicate if they consider any
information supplied to be sensitive. Under Section **Apply on the
website** of the Act, any tenderer must be consulted by Sligo Social
Services before any decision to disclose such information.

CHANGES TO INVITATION TO TENDER

Sligo Social Services reserves the right to update or alter the
information contained in this document at any time, but not later than
seven days before the closing date for the receipt of tenders.
Participating tenderers will be informed as the need arises. There is
no obligation on Sligo Social Services to accept the lowest cost or
any tender, and it may be decided, following the review of the
tenders, not to proceed or to proceed with a new invitation to tender
or an amended version of the proposed research.

SUBMISSION OF TENDERS

Tenders should be submitted by email attachment as a single PDF or
Microsoft Word document (with researcher CVs as appendices) to **Apply
on the website**.

The deadline for the receipt of tenders is close of business on
January **Apply on the website**th, **Apply on the website**. The
tendering organisation is fully responsible for safe timely delivery
of the tender. Incomplete tenders, tenders that do not follow the
format prescribed above, or tenders received after the closing date
will not be considered.

ASSESSMENT OF TENDERS AND SELECTION OF RESEARCHER(S)

All tenders will be evaluated against set criteria as outlined below:

* Overall alignment with research brief.
* Experience of conducting similar research studies, preferably
using mixed methods.
* Knowledge and experience of the subject area, specifically
research with families and children, homelessness and interventions
offered to families and children.
* Budget and value for money.
* Proposed timeframe and evidence of ability to meet deadlines.
* Capacity for project management, administration, and to develop
and maintain relationships with the various stakeholders.
* Ethics and ethos.

Sligo Social Services reserves the right to seek additional
information and/or interview tenderers in connection with its
assessment of their tenders. The principal investigator and other key
members of the research team should be available to attend the
interview. Sligo Social Services will not be held liable for any costs
incurred by tenderers in relation to the tender submission or the
assessment/interview process. Sligo Social Services reserves the right
not to award the contract if no tender is found to be suitable.


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