Invitation to Tender

Invitation to Tender for the Development of a Social Prescribing Evaluation Toolkit

Project Background

NIEL has been investigating and building the case as to how the environment sector and our wider natural heritage delivers health outcomes. In 2015, this led to the annual conference, and publishing of the conference report showcasing a range of case studies, ‘Delivering Health through the Environment’. Since then, NIEL, guided by the Green Recovery Health Working Group, has been advocating for the environment in supporting human health and wellbeing, and seeking further collaboration and integration of health, voluntary, community and environment sectors to expand the provision of Nature Based Treatments and Social Prescribing.

Evidence on the interplay between mental health and the environment has grown significantly, with the clear link between engaging with outdoors and mental health and wellbeing having been shown in NI. The COVID–19 crisis has added an even more urgent need for win–win solutions to both environmental and health challenges.

Many NIEL members are well placed to implement or become delivery partners for projects and interventions that can address these dual challenges. However, NIEL recognises that barriers exist for members wishing to do so. The development of a Social Prescribing Evaluation Toolkit aims to address these barriers:

  • To ensure that members have the monitoring and evaluation tools to measure intervention impact and to provide robust, reliable evidence.
  • To ensure that staff resource within member organisations have necessary skills to utilise the monitoring and evaluation tools available.
  • To ensure members can demonstrate to potential funders that they have a tested monitoring and evaluation methodology built into project design when submitting funding applications.
  • To strengthen the environment sector’s standing as pivotal in helping to meet people’s basic psychological need for nature connectedness as a key pathway to mental health and wellbeing.
  • To strengthen the environment sector’s standing as pivotal in helping to improve people’s physical activity levels as a key pathway to mental health and wellbeing.
  • To demonstrate the sector’s ability to deliver interventions to increase pro–nature, conservation behaviours.

NIEL has secured in year funding from DAERA and wishes to tender for a suitably qualified organisation to develop a Social Prescribing Evaluation Toolkit for use by NIEL members.

 

Project Specification

Successful project delivery will require the following activities:

  • Research of relevant existing monitoring schemes – including : DAERA EEI, NCI and DEFRA/Natural England MENE
  • Survey design, stakeholder engagement and analysis – to ensure toolkit will meet member need
  • Development and design of evaluation tool kit – Must be provided in readily accessible, widely available format(s).
  • Roll out to NIEL members through online training / webinar.
  • Note that NIEL can carry out direct communications through database of NIEL members. NIEL can host via Zoom and collaborate on delivery.

 

Criteria for Appointment

Submissions will be evaluated in accordance with following criteria:

Criteria Commentary Weighting

Value for Money Your submission should include a detailed breakdown of costs; this must include the proposed number of days work, and the daily fee rates. 50%

Methodology Tenderers must describe the methodology they will use to carry out the project with specific reference to both the tasks and the processes and approach to be followed. 25%

Previous experience & understanding of brief: Evidence of skills/experience including brief portfolio of relevant work is required; information/CVs on those who will be delivering the project = 25%

Timeframe: Ability to complete work within the agreed timeframe= Pass/Fail

Failure to include all of the above may lead to disqualification.

 

Timeframe and Reporting

The project should be completed by 31st March 2022, with the following milestones anticipated:

  • Project initiation – January 2022
  • Agreed project plan – Mid January 2022
  • Survey design, stakeholder engagement and analysis – February 2022
  • Research of relevant existing monitoring – February 2022
  • Development and design of evaluation tool kit – March 2022

The project will be overseen by NI Environment Link, reporting to the Green Recovery Health Working Group. The tenderer will be required to report to the appointed contract manager in NIEL.

 

Budget

A maximum sum of £9,500 including expenses (exc VAT) is available for this contract. Tenderers should price accordingly to gain a competitive advantage. Tenderers received over this amount will not be considered.

 

Proposal Submissions

All submissions must be sent via email to Jill Eagleson – jill@nienvironmentlink.org

For further queries contact Jill by email.

The deadline for queries is 10th January 2022.

Please submit your proposal by 12 noon on 17th January 2022. Late submissions will not be accepted.

 

NIEL–Social–Prescribing–Evaluation–Tool–Tender.docx

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