DoJ - Cost of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) NI

Concepts

• belfast
• research and development
• consultancy
• consultancy services

Location

Belfast

Description

The Department of Justice (DoJ) coordinates the Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality and Organised Crime Programme which is the Executive’s response to its commitment made under the Fresh Start agreement of November 2015 and the New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) document of 2020. It is reflected in the Programme for Government / Outcomes Delivery Plan and DoJ Corporate Plan for 2022-25. The Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality, and Organised Crime Programme is a collaborative, Executive-wide approach which has the outcome of ‘safer communities, resilient to paramilitarism, criminality and coercive control’. It was initially established in 2016 as a result of the Fresh Start Agreement as a means of implementing the Independent Panel’s Report on the Disbandment of Paramilitary Groups. So far, Programme data confirms the findings of other studies that point to significant levels of trauma in communities where paramilitary activity is prevalent, and among those who are receiving or seeking support from the Programme. For that reason, the Programme is seeking to be trauma informed in all that it does; this means giving due consideration to the impact that trauma has on victims of paramilitarism, as well as those who help and support them. To support this goal, and to better understand need to improve service delivery, the Programme seeks to understand the prevalence of trauma, with the target of establishing a comprehensive baseline of levels of adverse childhood experiences (ACES), childhood trauma and exposure to violence in Northern Ireland. To do so, the Programme wishes to engage a contractor to complete an action research requirement to generate data and produce an associated research report to evidence the prevalence of ACEs, childhood trauma and exposure to violence in Northern Ireland.

CPV Codes

• 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
• 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

Indicators

• Bids should cover the whole contract.
• Renewals are not available.
• Award on basis of price and quality.

Legal Justification

Client funding is timebound and all work must be completed by the end of financial year 2023-24 (no later than 31st March 2024). Accelerated procedure is being used to slightly reduce timescales in line with Regulation 27(5).

Other Information

Neither CPD nor the Department of Justice can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this contract. The estimated contract value is a broad estimate only, and includes additional quantum for unforeseen demand. The estimate is not deemed to be a condition of contract nor a guarantee of minimum demand or uptake. No compensation will be payable to a contractor should the actual demand be less than that stated. . . Contract monitoring: the successful Contractor(s) performance on the contract will be regularly monitored. Contractors not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a Contractor fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract. performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional misconduct and they may be issued with a notice of written warning and notice of unsatisfactory performance, and this contract may be terminated. The issue of a notice of written warning and notice of unsatisfactory. performance will result in the Contractor being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy for a period of up to 3 years from the date of issue of the notice.. . The Authority expressly reserves the rights: (i) not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this. notice; (ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition; (iii) to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the services covered by this notice; and (iv) to award contract(s) in stages. And under no circumstances will the Authority be liable for any costs incurred by Candidates.