Status: closed

As of 2016, the B.C. Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act requires all public post-secondary institutions (PSIs) to implement policies to prevent and respond to sexual violence and misconduct. From 2017 to 2018, a government outreach campaign identified the need to increase access to quality training and resources that support implementation.

Access to sexualized violence and misconduct (SVM) resources is an issue for all PSIs, but it is a particular challenge for smaller and rural PSIs. Smaller PSIs tend to employ few (if any) staff with specialized training or experience in handling complex SVM incidents. They also tend to have infrequent need to conduct SVM investigations and have limited access to local professionals with extensive experience in managing them.

BCcampus is seeking proposals from teams (formal or informal) of subject matter experts to work collaboratively to address the need among rural PSIs for occasional guidance on the management and resolution of SVM incidents.

This is a pilot project that will continue for 12 months or until resources have been exhausted. This project will be led by BCcampus on behalf of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training.

Scope

On behalf of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training, BCcampus is soliciting expressions of interest for the provision of consultation and advisory services to assist eight rural B.C. public PSIs^[1] in conducting trauma-informed case management practices in response to incidents of sexualized violence and misconduct.

Prospective service providers must have the capacity to offer services on an on-call, as-needed basis by phone or online and be able to respond to requests for guidance within 24 hours of receipt.

This position will require navigating and working within institutional SVM policies, liaising with diverse groups of students and staff, working within the context of rural B.C., and providing on-call coaching, guidance, and support to ensure the highest administrative standards for each institution.

This expression of interest is to identify a diverse team of subject matter experts that will help ensure procedural fairness, transparency, and trauma-informed approaches for the proper management and resolution of disclosures and reports of SVM at each of the identified PSIs. Preference would be given to teams that reflect the diversity in the B.C. post-secondary sector.

It is anticipated that each institution may require up to five hours of support per year on SVM cases with a range of complexity. The demands of this position are fluid, so candidates must be flexible.

The following work falls outside the scope of this expression of interest:

Conducting formal sexualized violence and misconduct investigations
Providing legal advice (although candidates may have a legal background)

Deliverables

A successful candidate will have the capacity to:

Respond to requests for support within 24 hours of receipt
Support institutions via phone and online
Remain updated and informed on the SVM policies of all PSIs for which they are responsible and have awareness of how those policies intersect with other policies, collective agreements, and other relevant processes at those institutions
Provide expert coaching, advice, and guidance for the successful resolution of incidents of SVM, including but not limited to:
- Sexual assault and harassment
- Technology-facilitated sexual harassment, bullying, and intimidation
- Non-consensual sexual video and image sharing
- Stalking and cyberstalking
Liaise with diverse student and staff populations in an informed, sensitive, and respectful manner
Provide coaching for PSI staff in a variety of roles to ensure they proceed with incidents, including reports and disclosures from a transparent and trauma-informed approach while maintaining their institutional integrity
Provide expert coaching, advice, and guidance for the successful resolution of incidents of SVM that occur on and off campus, as well as online
Provide expert coaching, advice, and guidance for the successful resolution of incidents of SVM involving staff and/or faculty that occur on and off campus, as well as online
Project manage resources to ensure fair opportunity for each PSI to be informed and capitalize on the program (i.e., equitable division of resources)
Work within the unique procedural constraints of each PSI
Create a detailed report at the conclusion of the pilot to provide information and feedback to PSIs on how to move forward with this type of program

Timeline

The deliverables related to this expression of interest will continue to be offered for 12 months, or until the budget of $40,000 has been exhausted as part of this pilot project on behalf of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training. After this pilot program has concluded, each participating PSI will decide whether this project is valuable to install in their institution and continue funding from their own budget. BCcampus will no longer hold any stakes in this project past the point of the pilot’s conclusion.