Request for Proposal (RFP)

Organizational Development and Governance Expert (Contractor)

Organization: Thunderbird Collective
Location: anywhere in Canada

1. RFP Overview

RFP Title: Organizational Development and Governance Structure

Issue Date: July 10, 2026

Submission Deadline: 12:00 pm Pacific on August 7, 2026

Submission Contact: Stephanie Paul, Program Manager, program.manager@thunderbirdcollective.ca

2. Organizational Background

The Thunderbird Collective (TC) is an emerging national organization that provides leadership and guidance in advancing Indigenous led approach to fire stewardship across Canada. The Collective supports communities and practitioners through engagement, knowledge sharing and collaborative program initiatives.

The organization is currently incubated with Indigenous Leadership Initiative (ILI) and Centre for Northern Conservation (CNC). It operates as a project administered by CNC. While ILI provides in-kind operational support and shared services to support the organization’s two-person staff structure.

Since its inception, the initiative has evolved in scope, complexity and governance structure, progressing to a ten-member committee and four working groups guiding the work today. The organization is supported through federal funding. To move forward, TC now requires its own governance framework, policies, and accountability mechanisms that support independent operations and long-term sustainability. An assessment is required for governance readiness, identify gaps and determine the governance documents, policies and structures necessary to support the transition to an independent legal entity.

3. Purpose/Objectives

The Thunderbird Collective seeks to retain a qualified contractor(s) to provide organizational development and governance advisory services that will strengthen the organization’s effectiveness, clarity, decision-making, and capacity. The objectives of this engagement are to:

• Review Thunderbird Collective’s existing Terms of Reference (TOR) and current governance framework and organizational structure.
• Evaluate and compare options organizational structure options (e.g. federal not-for profit, charitable organization, provincial society or other appropriate legal entities).
• Identify gaps and areas for improvement in current governance structures.
• Develop and recommended governance framework and organizational design to support effective decision-making and governance alignment.

4. Scope of Work

The contractor will deliver a comprehensive governance review and development process. The scope includes but not limited to, the following:

A. Governance Assessment and Gap Analysis

• Assess current governance framework (TOR) and practices, organizational structures and decision-making processes.
• Assess alignment with current organizational needs and future legal entity requirements.
• Identify and assess alternative organizational models, including a comparative review of their strengths, limitations, risk and suitability.
• Identify governance, legal, and operational risks and propose mitigation strategies.
• Identify gaps, risks, and opportunities relative to the requirements of an independent legal entity and potential governance models.

B. Governance Framework Development

• Develop a recommended governance structure, including roles, responsibilities, accountability mechanisms, and decision-making authorities.
• Define board composition, committee structures, reporting relationships, and governance processes for a legal entity.
• Design the organizational structure required to support the preferred governance model, including linkages between Steering Committee, Secretariat, and Working Groups.
• Provide a detailed organizational design, including governance flow, decision-making pathway and operational structure.

C. Jurisdictional and Entity Options Analysis

• Review jurisdictional and legal entity options relevant to the Thunderbird Collective, including incorporation and governance structure appropriate for an Indigenous-led organization.
• Assess the advantage, limitations, risks and implications of each jurisdictional and entity options, including legal authority, accountability and operational flexibility.
• Review governance models of comparable national organizations, Indigenous federally funded organizations to identify best practices.
• Identify governance approaches based on Thunderbird Collective’s mandate, strategic direction and environment.

D. Final Report and Presentation

• Prepare a final report summarizing assessment governance models, organizational structural alternatives and of jurisdictional and entity options.
• Present to the Steering Committee and/or designated leadership group a preferred governance and operational design framework.

5. Deliverables

Key Deliverables

i. Comparative assessment of organizational models
ii. Recommendation of preferred organizational structure
iii. Governance framework and organizational design
iv. Jurisdiction requirements and entity options analysis

6. Budget Requirement

The Consultant is required to submit a detailed budget as part of the proposal, including professional fees (by deliverables), estimated hours/days. All costs must be provided in Canadian dollars (CAD), with applicable taxes listed separately.

The budget will be evaluated as part of the overall proposal assessment, including value for money, clarity and alignment with the proposed scope of work.

No budget ceiling or range has been established for this RFP. Proponents are expected to propose a realistic and defensible budged based on the scope of work.

7. Contractor Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in organizational development, public sector governance, and advisory services.
• Experience supporting boards, senior leadership, or government-related entities. Experience in non-profit board governance and board finance policy development using an Indigenous or community-informed lens.
• Strong facilitation, analysis, and report-writing capabilities.
• Relevant examples of comparable assignments and client references.
• Disclosure of intended us of technology and artificial intelligence for the project.

8. Proposal Requirements

Proponent information: cover letter and contractor profile, legal name, proof of legal entity status in Canada.

Technical Proposal:

• Proposed approach and methodology
• Team composition with key personnel qualifications (relevant experience and qualifications)
• Workplan and schedule
• Key findings
• Governance and organizational development recommendations
• Roadmap with priorities, roles and timelines
• Final report and presentation to leadership.
• Disclosure of intended use of technology and artificial intelligence for the project

9. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:  (Evaluation Criteria / Weighting (Score)

• Experience and Qualifications in Governance, Organizational Development, Indigenous Organizations – 25%
• Understanding of Project, Methodology and Governance Approach – 25%
• Approach to Engagement & Project Management – 20%
• Quality of Proposed Deliverables, Recommendations, Implementation and Overall Added Value – 15%
• Pricing and Value for Money – 15%
• TOTAL – 100%

10. Timeline

• RFP issue date: July 10, 2026
• Proposal submission deadline: August 7, 2026
• Anticipated award date: August 19, 2026
• Expected project start and completion dates: August 24, 2026 – December 14, 2026

11. Submission Instructions

• Submit proposals in English, by email, in PDF format
• Submission deadline: 12:00 pm Pacific Time on August 7, 2026
• Direct questions to: Stephanie Paul, Program Manager at program.manager@thunderbirdcollective.ca
• Late submissions may not be accepted
• The organization reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.

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