Request for Proposals (RFP)
Request for Proposals to Provide Services
Creating a Municipal Civility & Anti-Harassment Strategy
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is issuing this request for proposals (RFP) for consultancy services to develop a Municipal Civility and Anti-Harassment Strategy. This comprehensive strategy will enable AMO to support municipally elected officials and staff with the tools, resources, and education to foster civility and combat harassment.
AMO is Ontario’s most influential policy and advocacy organization. We represent Ontario’s 444 municipalities and their councils. The political environment that Ontario’s municipal officials operate in has changed and continues to change. AMO is seeking an organization that will help us take a leadership role to addressing and hopefully turn around incivility, harassment and threatening behaviour and language that is increasingly prevalent in municipal politics and service delivery in Ontario. Our ideal proponent is a forward-thinking, innovative, and committed organization that will provide AMO with the thinking, tools and resources to assist us and Ontario’s municipal leaders in solutions to address this growing concern.
For more information download the RFP.
Key Dates:
RFP issued: February 20, 2025
Questions/clarifications due for response: March 6, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET
REVISED: Responses to questions circulated and posted: March 18, 2025, 4:00 p.m. (at latest)
REVISED: Full RFP submissions due: March 27, 2025, 4:00 p.m. ET
Inquiries: Please direct your inquiries to membershipRFP@amo.on.ca
AMO RFP
Clarifying Questions
AMO received 12 questions.
Q1.
Does AMO have a budget in mind for this project?
A.
Our budget for this project is up to $150,000
Q2.
Is the 15-page submission requirement inclusive of both Part A and Part B (understanding that these are to be two separate documents)?
A.
Yes.
Q3.
Does AMO have preferences for how the contracted organization should engage stakeholders, both external and internal? Ex: virtual vs in-person, both official languages?
A.
No, we do not have a preference on engagement other than it be representative. As a provincial organization we are not required to conduct business in French.
Q4.
P.4 - Strategy Development, is one of the deliverables a proposed evaluation framework to accompany the strategy itself? (Recommend measurements to determine change and impact of strategies and tools)
A.
This would be a helpful consideration.
Q5.
Would you consider conducting a survey of all AMO members regarding the different options / analysis? Would this be valuable?
A.
Yes, this can be considered.
Q6.
Does AMO anticipate previewing the strategy with members at its 2025 Annual Meeting (August)?
A.
This is TBD
Q7.
How are reports of harassment currently managed at AMO i.e., how are they reported, managed, assigned and responded to within the current AMO system?
A.
This is not something we undertake. Reports of harassment are really police matters. We observe incidents in the media, social media etc and hear from our members.
Q8.
Are there models for engagement with this issue currently being explored?
A.
AMO as an association does not get involved in local or personal matters related to our member councils. We do provide support through policy, advocacy, education, access to services etc. The RFP is our effort to find ways to support our members on these matters. We do not have work outside of the Healthy Democracy project underway on this issue.
Q9.
Are there any ‘champions’ who are currently leading the work around this, and have they produced any publicly accessible material around this issue?
A.
I believe a google search would be able to provide this information. AMO is leading work on local healthy democracies of which this RFP is a part of.
Q10.
Is there a committee or working group attached to this issue, and have they produced any work that we could access?
A.
No
Q11.
I’m wondering if the expected timeline is possibly adjustable to be completed later on in the year.
A.
At this time, the timelines are as indicated in the RFP. Timing corresponds with our project deliverables as well as our upcoming municipal election in 2026.
Q12.
Does the applying organization have to be local?
A.
We do not have any parameters around the locale of organizations at this time.