Request for Proposals: External Engagement for the Assessment of Annual Cancer System Performance Indicators

Background

The Partnership’s System Performance Initiative leads the data collection and development of standardized performance indicators at the system level — this is, pan-Canadian metrics reported by jurisdiction and other high-level demographic categories. To achieve this, the System Performance Initiative works collaboratively with stakeholders across Canada to identify priority areas of the cancer control continuum, develop indicators that measure how well Canada is doing on these priorities, and collect standardized data and report it in knowledge products such as annual Cancer System Performance Reports.

To date, we have published 18 knowledge products including over 80 indicators. Of these, about 30 system performance indicators are reported on an annual basis and encompass the entire cancer control continuum—from prevention and screening, through to treatment and end-of-life care, including long-term outcomes. This data informs provincial cancer agencies, clinicians, policy-makers and researchers about the state of cancer control across the country, areas where progress has been made and opportunities for quality improvements. For more information on past System Performance reports and existing indicators, please visit systemperformance.ca.

Objectives/Purpose

The Partnership is seeking to procure the services of a Proponent to plan and execute consultations with external partners from across the country on the development of a new suite of cancer system performance indicators. The successful Proponent will support the Partnership’s System Performance team to:

• develop an innovative strategy for effective pan-Canadian partner engagement in all key milestones of the System Performance Indicator Refresh. The engagement will occur mostly online, with one face-to-face meeting with a representative sample of partners at the end of the project
• propose, supply, implement and manage online engagement tools/platforms required to effectively engage external partners over a span of approximately 4 to 5 months
• manage, guide and facilitate the execution of this engagement approach (and associated online tools/platforms) through all key steps of the Indicator Refresh

The ultimate goal of the external partner engagement is to identify and develop a new set of cancer system performance indicators that can be reported nationally and by jurisdiction. Detailed key milestones of the external partner engagement are provided under the heading “Project scope and deliverables” beginning on page 18 of the attached PDF.

Rationale for the system performance indicator refresh

An initial suite of 17 annual system performance indicators was created in 2009, following extensive consultations with partners and subject matter experts through a modified Delphi method. This set of indicators has evolved over time—some have been added, modified or replaced altogether—resulting in the current 30 indicators distributed across the cancer control continuum. Although individual metrics have been assessed on a case by case basis in the past 10 years, there is a pressing need to conduct a comprehensive and systematic assessment of these indicators as a consistent set.

With the launch of the new Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control (the Strategy) this year, it is crucial that system performance indicators align with national priorities highlighted in the Strategy, to ensure we are able to benchmark and monitor progress made over time. Therefore, the Partnership is conducting a refresh of its annual system performance indicators, which includes an assessment of existing metrics and development of new indicators that are relevant and related to priorities outlined in the Strategy.

It is fundamental that this new set includes actionable indicators. This means, indicators that point to areas of the cancer system that are ready for change and for which mechanisms to execute such change are well-known. Equally important is the buy-in from stakeholders across the country, so they promote the dissemination and use of this new suite of indicators among their networks and institutions once it is available.

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