REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OPPORTUNITY: PROGRAM: Request for Proposals: Program Evaluation Internationally Trained Lawyers Program (ITLP) ORGANIZATION: University of Toronto Faculty of Law LOCATION: University of Toronto Faculty of Law, St. George Campus, Toronto POSTING DATE: February 18, 2011 CLOSING: March 4, 2011 A. ITLP Program Overview In 2009, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law received three-year funding from the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (Ontario) to develop and run a 10-month program for internationally trained lawyers seeking to practise law in Ontario. The three-year grant included one year of program development, and two consecutive years of program delivery. We have completed the program development year and we are currently completing the first year of the program delivery (the second year of the grant period). Throughout 2009/10, the program development phase, U of T Faculty of Law developed the curriculum, hired/trained staff, established the administrative infrastructure and broadly marketed the program. In April/May 2010, the U of T Faculty of Law launched the Internationally Trained Lawyers Program (ITLP), a 10-month intensive academic and skillstraining program for foreign-trained lawyers, and admitted its first cohort of 47 students (see Appendix I for more information about the ITLP). This first cohort, comprised of lawyers from 21 countries, will complete the program on March 25 th, 2011. The second cohort of up to 95 internationally trained lawyers will begin in May 2011. Admission to the ITLP is by application only, and is competitive. The ITLP is not required by either the national accrediting body (National Committee of Accreditation NCA), nor by the Ontario licensing body (Law Society of Upper Canada LSUC) in order to practise law in Ontario (see Appendix II for additional information about the process of becoming licensed to practise law in Canada). Rather, it is a voluntary "bridging" program to assist internationally trained lawyers with reaching those two requirements and ultimately gaining full time employment in the legal field. In addition to receiving financial support from the provincial government, the ITLP has also received programmatic support from a number of legal organizations, including: the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA), the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC), Toronto Regional Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC), and over 40 legal employers including law firms, government legal departments, legal clinics and in-house counsel offices in Toronto. These partnerships are important to the continued success of the ITLP.
Page 2 B. Purpose and Scope of the Program Evaluation The ITLP requires by June 15, 2011 a Program Evaluation of the first two years of the Internationally Trained Lawyers Program, including the program development year (April 2009- March 2010) and the first year of the program delivery (April 2010-March 2011). The Purpose of the Program Evaluation is to assess and measure the quality, impact and achievements of the Internationally Trained Lawyers Program following the first two years of its existence based on our pre-established objectives and pre-defined benchmarks/measurements of success. The Program Evaluation should focus on the ITLP results and the extent to which we have achieved our pre-determined program goals and measurements of success for the first two years of the ITLP. The goals for the first two years of the ITLP, including the start-up year (program development) and the first year of program operations include: Develop infrastructure (including staffing, office set-up, resources, committee structure, marketing and recruitment strategies, curriculum and operating policies and processes) within which to create and administer the ITLP; Develop and implement a strategic plan to market the program to candidates and stakeholders; Design, develop and run an Academic curriculum to support internationally trained lawyers in their preparations for writing NCA exams; Design, develop and run Workplace Culture and Communication courses that provide students with important leadership and communication skills required in the workplace; Design, develop and run Career-related courses, including workshops on resume writing, interview skills, networking, etc, as well as offer individual counseling, mentorship, and provide a workplace internship for each student in the program; Recruit and admit up to 90 top candidates into the first year of the ITLP; Ensure high level of attendance and completion rates at the end of the first year; Monitor pass rates of any students writing NCA exams; and Maintain and develop stakeholder relations for the recruitment of the second ITLP cohort and administration of the program. The third year of the ITLP will necessarily not be included in this Program Evaluation. At the conclusion of the third year of the ITLP, we will re-evaluate the program on some of the above goals, as well as on the following additional goals: increasing the pass rates on NCA Equivalency exams; increasing the numbers of internationally trained lawyers who secure articling job interviews and jobs; increasing the numbers of internationally trained lawyers who register for the LSUC licensing process; and increasing the numbers of internationally trained lawyers who pass the LSUC licensing exams.
Page 3 We do not expect that the current Program Evaluation can include an assessment of these additional goals. However, it may be helpful to know that these are the longer term goals and it may be possible to include some assessment of whether the ITLP has experienced some early benchmarks for success in these areas. For example, there are some early results of our students writing NCA exams and securing articling positions which should be part of the Evaluation Report. So while meaningful statistics and results cannot be collected and assessed at this early stage, we do anticipate that the Program Evaluation will touch upon these areas. As well as establishing overall goals for the program, at the outset we developed a number of specific benchmarks/measurements for success for the first cohort (first year of program delivery) in order to be able to assess whether we had met and achieved our goals. These measurements for success included: 90% of students will rate their experience in the program has having been good or very good; 90% of career hosts will rate their experience in the program has having been good or very good; 90% of students will complete the program or a majority of the program; 75% of students will pass the NCA exams that they choose to write while in the program; 100% of partner organizations (LSUC, TRIEC, NCA, etc) will rate their experience with the program as positive; and 20% increase in the enrollment of students in the program for year 2. In addition, the Evaluation Report should include an analysis of any weaknesses or gaps in the ITLP arising from our goals and specifically arising from opportunities that exist to improve upon and expand the ITLP. Specifically, during the past two years we have identified several programmatic gaps that exist that if developed and offered would further support the overall goals of the ITLP. These programmatic gaps include: industry-specific language testing at the intake stage of the program to allow us to better evaluate and assess potential students in the program and therefore tailor their training; industry-specific language training as part of the program delivery to better prepare our students for their work internships and their long term career goals; more intensive legal research and writing training to support work internships; intensive industry-specific computer and technology training; academic preparation and support for the LSUC licensing examinations (our academic support currently ends at the NCA stage and does not support LSUC exams); and the development of alumni programming and resources for our ITLP graduates, specifically in the career services area. Therefore, as we move into our third and final year of our government funding, we anticipate that the Evaluation Report will be helpful to the ITLP and the Faculty of Law to support plans to continue to develop and expand the ITLP to better service our clientele.
Page 4 C. Requirements of the Program Evaluation The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit and select the most qualified partner who will work with the Assistant Dean Professional Legal Education and the ITLP Director to conduct a program evaluation of the ITLP for the first two years of the grant funded period (2009-2011). More specifically, the requirements of the Program Evaluation are as follows: Prepare a detailed project plan, including an evaluation design and methodology; Understand the ITLP goals for the first two years; Review and evaluate data collected by the ITLP (see Appendix III for current available sources of information and data); Collect additional data as agreed upon in advance by the Assistant Dean Professional Legal Education and Director of the ITLP and recommend strategies for ongoing collection of such data, including but not limited to surveys, focus groups and individual interviews with students/partners/instructors/others; Measure, analyze and interpret existing and additional data to measure the overall success of our first two years of the ITLP; Assess the overall program achievements (identify and evaluate what has been achieved) including students progress, and the program's overall strengths, Identify any programmatic weaknesses and suggest potential opportunities for growth and improvement of the program based on the weaknesses; and Provide a comprehensive analytical Program Evaluation Report, including an Executive Summary, to the Assistant Dean Professional Legal Education and the ITLP Director by June 15, 2011. The Program Evaluation Report will be submitted to the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration by the Assistant Dean and Director as part of our funding obligations, and may be circulated more broadly to partners and members of the legal profession including other immigrant bridging program communities. D. Qualifications The successful candidate will have professional experience with program evaluations preferably in educational bridge programming/immigrant community programming; and have strong understanding of the legal profession and the process for becoming a lawyer in Ontario. E. Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Any information, other than information in the public domain, shall be considered as Confidential Information in this request for proposal. Each recipient is entrusted to maintain its confidentiality in the same manner that is used to protect his/her own proprietary materials. Information provided by each recipient will be held in confidence and will be used for the sole purpose of evaluating a potential business relationship with that recipient. Confidential Information includes personal information, which is information about an identifiable
Page 5 individual, exclusive of the name, title and business address or telephone number of an employee of an organization. The ITLP and each recipient agree to comply with all applicable privacy laws, which include, without limitation, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. All data, documentation, information, materials and intellectual property conceived, developed, created, or contributed to pursuant to the completion of the project in this request for proposal shall be owned exclusively by the ITLP. F. Proposal Guidelines Award of the contract will be based upon the most responsive firm whose offer will be the most advantageous to the ITLP in terms of cost and functionality. Proposals will be evaluated based on previous experience on similar projects, quality of previous work, time to completion and price. The proposal should be within a budget of no more than $25,000 overall (including all taxes and incidentals), and must include: Evaluator(s) names / backgrounds / areas of expertise Description of program evaluation experience, with particular emphasis on bridge program evaluations, if available Timeframe for activities Detailed and itemized budget Key deliverables 2-3 References (include name/contact/date and synopsis of evaluation project) Firms submitting proposals shall be responsible for any and all costs and/or expenses associated with preparing such proposals. All proposals must be submitted in hard copy and delivered (2 copies) to Jane Kidner, Assistant Dean Professional Legal Education, and Gina Alexandris ITLP Director, at the ITLP offices by 4:30 pm local time, Friday, March 4, 2011. Jane Kidner Assistant Dean, Professional Legal Education University of Toronto Faculty of Law 3 rd Floor, 655 Spadina Avenue Toronto ON M5S 2H9 Email: j.kidner@utoronto.ca Tel: 416-978-6702 Fax: 416-978-6580 Gina Alexandris Director, Internationally Trained Lawyers Program University of Toronto Faculty of Law 3rd Floor, 655 Spadina Avenue Toronto, ON M5S 2H9 Email: gina.alexandris@utoronto.ca Tel: 416-978-8152 Fax: 416-978-6580
Page 6 Appendix I: Detailed Description of the Internationally Trained Lawyers Program (ITLP) The ITLP operates at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in Toronto, Ontario, with administrative offices on the 3 rd floor of 655 Spadina Avenue. The first year of the program operations provided intensive full-time academic courses during the summer session (May to August); part-time intensive courses and workshops in cultural fluency and career skills during the fall and winter sessions from September to November and January to March 2011. In addition, participants were placed in 5 month unpaid internships within legal employers in Ontario. Academic Courses - The ITLP offers intensive academic courses to assist internationally trained lawyers in understanding Canadian law and preparing to write the NCA Challenge Exams. In 2010-11 we offered courses in the following areas, which match the key areas identified by the NCA for its Challenge Exams: Administrative Law Constitutional Law Criminal law Professional Responsibility Foundations of Canadian Law These courses were offered from May August, with a review offered to ITLP students between November and January. The summer session required full-time attendance in classes on weekdays. While no grades were assigned at the end of each course, attendance and active participation were mandatory, and each student had the option to participate in a practice examination in one of the five courses. In addition, upon review of student needs, the ITLP introduced study sessions lead by practitioners in the following additional subjects: Torts; Contracts; Property; and Evidence. Cultural Fluency and Workplace Specific Language Training As well as academic instruction and training, the ITLP begins to address the additional gap of cultural fluency. We provided intensive sessions, through our contract with the UofT School of Continuing Studies, in Workplace Culture and Communication in the summer and continue to offer bi-weekly cultural fluency group sessions in the fall/winter terms. These sessions cover a variety of relevant topics, both generally for newcomer Canadians, and specifically for ITLs. Out of necessity, many of the early sessions revolved around study skills and general language and communications. In addition to the regular sessions, we have provided concrete opportunities for our students to incorporate and practise the various elements covered in the sessions, including receptions with members of the legal profession and with members of the judiciary, an internship "resume and interview" process and speaking opportunities at our Open House and Information sessions. Where necessary, we have provided a few ITLP students with a limited number of hours of individualized specialized language and communication sessions.
Page 7 Career Services including Job Search Skills and Training Finally, the ITLP has taken steps to address the very real problem of the lack of workplace experience through career related sessions, including the regulation of the legal profession; practice areas; resume and cover letter preparation; interviewing skills and techniques; job search skills and networking. This portion of the program was offered over the summer and fall. In addition to regular individual career counselling meetings with a dedicated Career Advisor to discuss short and long-term career plans and goals, the ITLP has brought experts from the profession to group sessions. We have had representatives from the NCA, from the LSUC and from many different practice areas in law. Many of our ITLP students have been connected to mentors in the profession to provide them additional guidance and advice. For all ITLP students, we have offered a few introductory sessions in legal research and writing, which is critical to professional growth and development in the law. Furthermore, the ITLP has negotiated legal workplace internships of up to 5 months for our students, in one of a number of law firms, legal clinics, corporate counsel offices or government offices. Short-term Workplace Internships and Mentorship Opportunities The ITLP developed opportunities to provide ITLP students with both mentoring and 5- month unpaid work placement internships in a legal workplace setting. Work placements were secured on a modified match basis and required participation in a resume and interview process.
Page 8 Appendix II: The Process of Becoming a Lawyer In Canada The process for ITLs to become fully accredited and licensed to practise in Canada is very lengthy, costly and complicated. Below is a chart that summarizes the typical requirements for ITLs as "Stage I" (Accreditation of international credentials through the NCA) and "Stage II" (Licensing through the LSUC). The focus of the current ITLP is primarily to support ITLs during Stage I, with some minimal introduction to Stage II. STAGE I: Accreditation Process (NCA) Apply to the NCA for a review of previous academic and work experience; the process requires the ITL to obtain documentation from law schools in their home jurisdiction and may take several months. Study for the NCA Challenge examinations and/or apply to Canadian law schools; Successfully write NCA examinations (offered 4 times per year). This takes 2-4 years, depending on number of challenge exams assigned. Obtain Certificate of Accreditation by the NCA. AT THIS STAGE, ITL IS EQUIVALENT TO A CANADIAN LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE HOLDING A CANADIAN LAW DEGREE STAGE II: Licensing Process (LSUC) ITLs must receive a Certificate of Accreditation by the NCA before they can proceed to this Stage: Search for and apply to articling (ie 10-month apprenticeship with a licensed lawyer) positions, a mandatory component of the LSUC Licensing Process; Apply to the LSUC's Lawyer Licensing Process ; Study for the two fullday licensing examinations, the Barrister and Solicitor Examinations; Successfully write the two Licensing examinations, as well as complete a Professional Responsibility course. Complete the 10 month articling term, subject to any waiver or reduction. CALL TO THE ONTARIO BAR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PROECESS TO BECOME A LAWYER IN ONTARIO Look for and obtain permanent employment in law; Continue engaging in life-long learning through LSUC's new annual Continuing Profesional Development (CPD) requirement.
Page 9 Appendix III: Current Data Available Collected by the ITLP The sources of quantitative and qualitative data presently collected and available from the ITLP include: Individual Course Binders and Materials; Student evaluations from Orientation activities; Student evaluations from academic courses (including regular Summer program, additional course offerings, and NCA Review Program); Student evaluations on cultural fluency program; Student evaluations on Career Development program; Regular student Journal assignment submissions; Bi-weekly student Internship Reports; Monthly Internship Host Reports; Consultant's (Park Vandal & Associates) "Goals Surveys: Student Progress" (surveys of students at mid-point of program and at end of program); Consultant's (Park Vandal & Associates) "Goals Surveys: Student Progress" (evaluations of students by Internship Hosts at end of program); Consultant's (Park Vandal & Associates) " ITLP Leadership Benchmarking Initiative" reports and results; Student-submitted NCA Examination Results; Course Attendance lists; and ITLP Marketing Plan and Activities Report, including media articles and award nominations. Professional Leadership Benchmarking Data: As part of our collection of data on the success of the program in relation to professional and leadership preparation, we engaged the services of Park Vandal & Associates to administer a survey to students and the Internship Hosts. Following the survey, Park Vandal has also developed a leadership benchmark profile of current legal professionals, who participated in the ITLP. The resulting profile was used as a benchmark for students to identify leadership and communication strengths and areas requiring further development.