Return to Written Question 9-13(4), asked by Mr. Henry to the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning reform review initiative.
In response to the written question from the honourable Member, later today I will be tabling the terms of reference for the contract with Med-Emerg International Incorporated to supply a draft strategic plan for the Department of Health and Social Services. The terms of reference were approved by a Steering Committee guiding the strategic planning process. This committee is comprised of myself, as Minister, the Chairs of the Baffin and Inuvik Regional Health Boards and the chair of the Northwest Territories Health Care Association.
The department needed to hire a highly qualified consultant for the job, one that had the technical resources and breadth of experience to accomplish a large job under some very tight time lines. There was an additional need to ensure that the consultant was fully objective and had no bias or vested interest in the current health and social services system. Because of the tight timeframe, we were unable to go to an open tender process.
In deciding which consulting firm to use, the department did frist consider northern contractors. However, no northern consultant firms have the capacity, the available multi-disciplinary personnel or the breadth of experience necessary to complete this contract within the required time lines. Med-Emerg is able to bring together a large multi-disciplinary team that covers the full range of departmental programming and services, and is capable of performing the work required on a timely basis in order to complete the strategic plan by the end of the 1997/98 fiscal year.
Although a number of northern and southern firms were considered, as Med-Emerg was the only one that was able to obtain the range of expertise required in the time frame, they were the only company asked to submit a proposal.
The full value of the contract is $701,750. This includes $501,750 for professional fees and $200,000 for expenses, including extensive travel for consultation with regional boards and front-line employees.
Besides department staff, staff of all the health boards as well as professional groups and other partners in services delivery are very involved in this review, ensuring substantial northern input. It is also important to note that this review is only an initial phase in our strategic planning process. It will be followed by extensive public consultation across the NWT, scheduled to take place during the spring, summer and fall.