VicHealth is seeking responses to a Request for Tender (RFT) for the development and delivery of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) services, aligned with systems change and collective impact methodologies, to document and capture the impact of the Local Food Partnerships Grant.

Please note that only Victorian universities are eligible to apply. Please refer to the Tender Document for further details on the institutions who are eligible.

The Tenderer’s response (RFT PART D) must be completed in the format specified and uploaded via the VicHealth Stakeholder Portal (https://vichealth.my.site.com/).

The Opportunity

The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) is a pioneer in health promotion. Founded in 1987 as the world’s first health promotion foundation, we enable people and communities to increase control over and improve their health. Our primary focus is promoting good health and preventing chronic disease, by reducing and eliminating the barriers to healthy lives and futures.

VicHealth’s 10-year Strategy has a vision to transform Victoria’s health outcomes and evolve our approach from tackling individuals’ behaviours and determinants of health, to reshaping systems for a healthier, fairer Victoria, with a focus on three key systems: neighbourhood and built systems, food systems, and commercial and economic systems.

VicHealth invites you to respond to this Request for Tender (RFT) (Reference number: PRD-01893) for the development and delivery of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) services, aligned with systems change and collective impact methodologies, to document and capture the impact of the Local Food Partnerships Grant (the Services).

VicHealth’s specific requirements in relation to the Goods and/or Services are set out in RFT Part B of this RFT (Specification).

In issuing this RFT, VicHealth seeks a Tenderer who is:

a) A Victorian-based University

b) able to provide the Goods and/or Services required by VicHealth in the manner set out in Part B Specification;

c) able to demonstrate a commitment and ability to working in collaboration with VicHealth over the term of any agreed contractual period to continuously seek improvements in value, efficiency and productivity in connection with the provision of the Goods and/or Services; and

d) prepared to work with VicHealth to continue to identify opportunities for improvement in the quality and level of service provided to VicHealth,

e) for the mutual benefit of both VicHealth and the Tenderer. Selection of the successful respondent to the RFT will be based on the consideration of:

• Expertise of evaluation team to deliver the proposed evaluation.

• Strength of the proposed monitoring, evaluation and strategic learning methodology.

• Capability in collective impact methodologies and evaluations, and systems change within Victorian food systems

• Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement and capacity building

• Cultural competence and equity approach, including working with First Peoples and multicultural communities.

RFT PART B – SPECIFICATION

VicHealth Request for Tender (RFT) for Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) services for VicHealth’s Local Food Partnerships Grant aligned with systems change and collective impact methodologies

Scope and outcomes

The scope of this evaluation is to develop and deliver monitoring, evaluation and strategic learning (MEL) services for the Grant aligned with systems change and collective impact methodologies. The purpose and intended outcomes of the evaluation are to:

•  Enable regular learning from timely feedback throughout the Grant delivery period by outlining key lessons learned throughout the Grant and providing actionable insights to funded partnerships and VicHealth to inform ongoing strategic decision-making as the Grant progresses.

•  Evaluate the impact of the individual partnerships on their local areas/regions.

•  Evaluate the impact of the Grant overall

• Understand how food systems have shifted, and the contribution of the Grant and VicHealth’s backbone activities towards any system shifts.

The evaluator will work closely with the VicHealth Food Systems and Research and Impact teams to effectively integrate the Grant’s MEL approach into VicHealth’s backbone support provided to funded partnerships, and measure impact through various relevant and agreed upon qualitative and quantitative data metrics. Additional relevant information such as a theory of change and overview of the backbone activities will be provided to the evaluator as background information.

The evaluation will achieve the intended outcomes listed above by:

• Enabling VicHealth and the partnerships to obtain timely evidence of progress towards the Grant’s outcomes, through ‘real-time’ sense-making and collective learning

• Enabling the collection and analysis of data to monitor key activities and assess outcomes at both local and regional levels, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the Grant’s overall impact.

• Promoting continuous improvement, accountability, and alignment of efforts across the partnerships

• Identifying impacts, barriers and opportunities for the work of the partnerships, and providing other relevant and actionable information in an ongoing manner for VicHealth and the partnerships to inform their strategies and decision-making as the Grant progresses.

• Developing stories of impact, such as system shifts and case studies, aligned with systems approaches to understanding impact and VicHealth’s Impact and Evaluation Framework.

• Apply culturally safe, respectful, and inclusive approaches when engaging with community members, VicHealth staff, and external stakeholders, ensuring all interactions are appropriate, meaningful, and responsive to diverse cultural contexts.

Briefings

VicHealth Local Food Partnerships Evaluation RFT - Information Session

A briefing session will be held on 7 May 2025 10:00 am.

Notes: RSVP link to register for the briefing https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/99545aad-2e8c-4051-aa73-55df75f23f6e@7a928964-2e45-446d-b627-6e3a00389297

Registration closes on 7 May 2025 10:00 am