Research & Advisory Services

The WCB is inviting your firm to submit a Proposal for the following: The WCB requires high-quality objective, data-driven research and advisory services, including benchmarking. Objectives The objectives of this RFP are to: a. Obtain access to high-quality, independent research and advisory services. b. Support strategic planning and decision-making through evidence-based insights and recommendations. c. Access industry-leading tools, benchmarks, templates, and best practices. d. Facilitate engagement with recognized subject matter experts. e. Enable participation in relevant conferences, webinars, and peer networking opportunities. f. Obtain timely insight into emerging trends, technologies, risks, and market developments Requirements The WCB requires subscription-based Research and Advisory Services including but not limited to the categories and topics listed below: Information Technology • Enterprise architecture • Cloud strategy and migration • Cybersecurity • Identity, and access management • Disaster Recovery • IT Risk Management • Technology risk and resilience • Infrastructure & Operations • Application Services • IT operating models and service delivery • Business continuity management and resiliency • Application modernization • AI and GenAI strategy and use cases • Machine learning and generative AI • IT service management • Vendor management • Procurement and sourcing • Emerging technologies • Digital modernization and transformation • Monitoring and enterprise logging solutions Data & Business Intelligence • Enterprise data strategy • Enterprise data management • Data governance and stewardship • Data quality management • Master data management • Data architecture and integration • Data platforms and analytics • Business intelligence and reporting • Decision support • Artificial Intelligence and Responsible AI • AI governance • Digital product management • Service design and modernization • Data ethics and privacy • Digital maturity assessments • Benchmarking and capability roadmaps Human Resources (HR) • HR strategy • HR operating models • Workforce planning and optimization • Talent management • Succession planning • Recruitment and retention • Labour market intelligence and benchmarking • Learning and development • HR technology and digital solutions • Future of work trends • AI adoption and workforce enablement • HR governance, policy and compliance • Organizational change management General Requirements Each Proponent's proposed subscription-based service shall include at a minimum the following: a. Subject Matter Expert and Analyst Access Access to full-time industry analysts who are subject matter experts in the topics, initiatives and priorities relevant to WCB, including, at a minimum, those identified in Clause 6 above. Such analysts and subject matter experts shall: i. be available for an unlimited number of virtual consultations and documents review; ii. Be available for consultations of at least thirty (30) minutes per booked call; iii. Provide analysts calls at no additional charge, with calls bookable through efficient and accessible channels and processes; and iv. Be available for consultation within five (5) business days of a request. b. On-Demand Expert Advisory Services Access to on-demand expert advisory services to contextualize findings, validate assumptions, and support leadership in applying research and insights to organizational challenges and priorities. c. Executive-Level Subscription Access At least one CIO/CTO executive-level subscription licence providing unrestricted access to all available research, advisory services, analyst consultations, benchmarking tools, templates, reports, industry insights, and digital platform resources offered by the Proponent(s). This licence must not be restricted to Information Technology category content and should include cross-functional access to finance, human resources, data and business intelligence, artificial intelligence, corporate strategy, governance, risk, procurement, vendor management, insurance, workers compensation, prevention, and other relevant industry or business domains as required by WCB. The Proponent(s) shall clearly disclose in its Proposal any limitations, exclusions, usage or volume restrictions, or additional fees applicable to the subscription. d. Electronic Research Platform Access to a comprehensive, self-service electronic research platform containing downloadable research materials and resources, including articles, reports, templates, blueprints, white papers, and guides. The platform shall i. Provide access to a minimum of 5,000 research articles, including white papers, articles, research reports, market analysis, templates, webinars, workshops and other research-oriented documents published within the last three (3) years; and ii. Include advanced search and AI-enabled decision-support capabilities including natural language search, research synthesis, report generation, workflow orchestration, autonomous research assistance, benchmarking support, explainability, source attribution, governance, security, privacy and human oversight. e. Emerging Trends and Industry Insights Access to timely and relevant research, insights, and analysis on emerging technology developments, market events, and evolving industry trends relevant to the WCB’s priorities and service categories. f. Vendor and Product Analysis Tools Access to relevant tools that support efficient vendor/product analysis and requirements definition, including benchmarking, environmental scans and editable templates, toolkits and/or blueprints published by the Proponent within the past twelve (12) months. g. Research Frameworks and Benchmarking's Instruments Overview of the proposed Services, including three (3) recent and relevant examples of similar size and scope of the proposed Research and Advisory services being offered. This should include the proposed online platform, breadth of toolkits, structured frameworks, surveys, and benchmarking instruments that facilitate objective assessment of organizational maturity, capabilities, and gaps within defined categories/topics (including but not limited to IT, Data & Business Intelligence, and Human Resources). h. Pricing Intelligence Access to relevant pricing intelligence that is not contingent upon the disclosure of pricing information by the WCB to facilitate benchmarking and support effective contract negotiations. i. Senior and Executive Advisory Access Unrestricted access to senior and executive-level advisors for strategic guidance and advisory services, with consultations bookable through efficient and accessible channels and processes. j. Conferences and Peer Networking Access to industry conferences and an online peer networking platform at no additional charge. k. Engagement Support Access to the Proponent’s engagement partner(s) to address research support, online database/portal navigation, consultations, schedule SME calls, provide assistance with conference coordination and provide usage reports and updates as required. The Proponent(s) shall also be capable of summarizing research findings and inquiry interactions, including synthesizing references for specific topics and providing concise summaries of analyst communications. l. Subscription Reassignment Ability for subscriptions to be re-assigned between WCB staff members at no additional charge if needed. m. Additional Services and Tools Access to additional related services, resources, and tools that may be required by WCB and are within the scope of the Services. Experience Requirements The Proponent shall demonstrate in its Proposal that it meets, at a minimum, the following experience and qualification requirements: a. A Minimum of ten (10) years of experience providing research and advisory services including IT, Data & Business Intelligence, HR and Finance domains; b. Demonstrated experience providing research and advisory services to large enterprises, public sector organizations, or organizations of comparable size and complexity to WCB; c. Established research capabilities across major technology domains including AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, digital transformation, data and analytics, enterprise applications, and sourcing; d. Access to qualified analysts and subject matter experts with a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant industry experience; e. Demonstrated experience providing executive advisory services, technology strategy reviews, vendor assessments, benchmarking services, and contract advisory support; f. A proven track record of producing objective and independent industry research analysis, and market assessments; g. Client satisfaction and retention metrics, or other relevant evidence demonstrating successful service delivery; and h. At least three (3) references from comparable clients for which the Proponent has provided services similar in nature and scope to the Services contemplated under this RFP within the preceding five (5) years. The successful proponent(s) shall meet or exceed the applicable service levels below throughout the term of the Agreement. The successful proponent(s) shall track and report its performance against the applicable service levels and present the results as part of quarterly business reviews: Service Levels Account management and governance Metric / Target Quarterly business reviews / Minimum one (1) per quarter Annual roadmap strategy reviews / Minimum two (2) per contract year Account manager response time / Within one (1) business day New user provisioned / Within one (1) business day of receiving a request from WCB Live consultation and advisory services Metric / Target Inquiry acknowledgment / Within one (1) business day Scheduling of live consultations and/or advisory services / Within five (5) business days Initial analyst response / Within two (2) business days Document Reviews / Within five (5) business days Complex research request response / Within five (5) business days Escalated inquiries / Within one (1) business day Executive Analyst consultation Analyst Session Satisfaction / Within ten (10) business days ≥4.2/5 average CSAT ≥4.2/5 average CSAT Written Session Summaries / Delivered within two (2) business days following the session Executive Advisory Summaries / Delivered within three (3) business days following the session Online research platform Metric / Target Platform availability / 99.5% monthly uptime (excl. maintenance) Scheduled maintenance / Minimum 72 hours advance notice Support Request Response / Within four (4) business hours Frequency of new content / Minimum 5 new research documents per month, per domain Content Currency / At least 80% of applicable research content published or updated within the preceding twelve (12) months, with content relating to Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity published or updated within the preceding six (6) months The Proponent(s) shall certify that, within the preceding twenty-four months, they have not produced or published any Sponsorship Research. For the purposes of this RFP, “Sponsored Research” means any research report, white paper, or similar publication commissioned, funded, or otherwise sponsored by an information technology vendor or service provider, whether published through the Proponent’s online research platform or separately. The WCB may, at its discretion, contact Short-Listed Vendors to request virtual demonstrations of the solution(s) proposed, seek clarification on the information contained in the Vendor's Proposal, and conduct in-person interviews of resource personnel prior to awarding the Contract The Services shall normally be performed during Business Hours. However, the WCB may request some of the Services to be performed outside Business Hours from time to time, as deemed necessary, in the unfettered discretion of the WCB. The Contractor shall not be entitled to charge overtime rates unless specified in the Fee Schedule. The WCB requires the Successful Vendor to deploy quality and seasoned resources to provide the Services. The WCB shall reserve the right to terminate the Agreement if the respective Vendor proposes or field inadequately qualified resources in providing the Services, or such other reasons in the opinion of the WCB, acting reasonably. The Contractor will not be required to have and maintain workers compensation coverage for its workers who will be providing the Services, unless required pursuant to The Workers Compensation Act. The Services shall be provided from the Contractor's facilities located in Canada and onsite at the WCB's facilities, as applicable, unless otherwise agreed in writing. It is expected the Services will be required for an initial period of two (2) years with a preferred start date of November 1, 2026. The WCB shall have an irrevocable option to further extend the Services on the same terms and conditions and fees for one (1) additional period of up to one (1) year. The WCB makes no representation regarding the volume of goods and services required under the Contract. The WCB reserves the right to contract with other parties for the same or similar goods and services as those provided by the Supplier and reserves the right to obtain the same or similar goods and services internally. The full scope of work for Other Optional Services cannot be determined by the parties at the time the Agreement is executed because it is anticipated the WCB's needs and priorities will evolve as different components of the Services are completed and further information is collected. The parties shall mutually agree upon the distinct scopes of work for the Services, including the total fees, deliverables, and completion dates for same, in writing, prior to commencing work on such new components.