Public Health Services Consultant
Position Description
Consultant services for the development of a Public Health Services model and supports for Pikangikum Health Authority
Reports To: Director of Health Transformation and Clinical Services
Location: Pikangikum ON
Contract Term: 9 months from start date(estimated start date, October 20, 2025
Date Posted: 18-September-2025
Closing Date for Questions: 26-September-2025
Response to Questions: 30-September-2025
Closing Date: 3-October-2025
Date of Award: 13-October-2025
Contact for questions and inquiries: keesic@outlook.com
Purpose
Pikangikum Health Authority (PHA) is invitinginterested proponents to submit a proposal for an Indigenous community-basedPublic Health Model and associated implementation protocols and tools.
Background
Pikangikum First Nation is a remote community located in northern Ontario with limited direct access to health care services. PFN is located on Pikangikum Lake, approximately 10 kilometres Northwest of Red Lake, and is home to over 4,000 community members and growing rapidly, with over 50% of the population under the age of 20. The community’s birth rate is the highest in Ontario with over 100 infants born each year. PFN is one of the largest FN communities in Canada, with the highest on-reserve population in Northern Ontario. Community health outcomes are strongly impacted by social determinants of health such as access to healthy food, adequate housing, running water, clean drinking water and adequate sanitation. These issues are compounded by systemic underfunding, and uncoordinated service delivery from multiple external organizations. There is evidence to support that PFN community members’ health outcomes compared to the rest of the province and country are significantly lower and often result in early death for community members, particularly infants and children.
The Pikangikum Health Authority (PHA) was established in 2012 to address the dire state of the community health system and find solutions to improve health outcomes by emphasizing preventative care and improving access to acute care. PHA is exercising their right to self-determination through transferring ISC nurses to the community. To support their broader health transformation strategy for a fully integrated model of healthcare, PHA requires a community owned and driven Public Health model.
Currently, public health services in Pikangikum are provided in a fragmented manner by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), Independent First Nations Alliance (IFNA), and Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA). There is no centralized governance or oversight to align these services with community needs or with the Ontario Public Health Standards and the Health Protection and Promotion Act. Public health areas, including child immunization, STBBI management, reproductive and women’s health, cancer screening, and outbreak response all suffer from inconsistent implementation methods and a lack of coordination.
To address this, the PHA is seeking an individual or team with expertise in public health programming to lead the development of a culturally safe, evidence-informed public health model for the community along with implementation tools and resources to find immediate solutions for improving coordination and maximizing existing resources.
Statement of Work
The Consultant will engage with the community and partners to lead the development of a culturally safe, evidence-informed public health model and implementation plan for the community. This will include immediate term implementation strategies that will be tested and evaluated through proof of concepts and collaborations with service delivery partners.
Activities/Deliverables
Public Health Model:
Community driven public health model that includes standards from which public health services will be implemented.
• Develop inventory of current public health services available to Pikangikum community members through an environmental scan of community and external services;
• Review current arrangements and service level agreements with external providers and where feasible, negotiate the redirection of resources to the community;
• Develop service level protocols with public health delivery partners for improving how public health services are managed and delivered in the community;
• Develop a public health model that is integrated into community health programming and primary and acute care;
• The model will include public health standards, training and orientation; and
• Develop a 3-year implementation plan, operational budget and key performance indicators.
Tools & Resources
The following tools and resources will be co-developed and/or adapted with community public health providers and piloted and tested for viability and practicality. Rapid evaluation and recommendations will be made for longer-term solutions.
• A communications and administrative protocol for the delivery of public health services from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), Independent First Nations Alliance (IFNA), the Sioux Lookout First Nations health Alliance (SLFNHA) and Ontario Health ;
• A process for scheduling and a shared calendar for public health nursing coverage;
• Public Health training and orientation plan in collaboration with ISC and SLFNHA including maintaining accurate records of training sessions and attendance logs;
• Support for public health nurses in the uptake of the Community Health Immunization Program (CHIP);
• Systems and processes for inventory management for public health supplies and promotional materials;
• Adaptation of public health educational materials to reflect local cultural relevance and community need; and
• Communications and outreach strategies to increase uptake of immunizations and other public health programs.
Community & Stakeholder Engagement
The above work will include stakeholder and community outreach and engagement, including, but not limited to:
- Pikangikum First Nation Leadership: Chief and Council, PHA Executive and Board of Directors, Pikangikum Education Authority, Early Years Program, and other departments as required
- Community members: Elders, youth, parents, grandparents and caregivers
- Community providers: nurses, physicians, community wellness workers, childcare providers, Well Baby workers, educators, child and family services workers, mental health providers, home and community care, and any other community providers identified
- Regional Service Delivery partners: Sioux Lookout First Nation Health Authority (SLFNHA), Independent First Nation Association (IFNA)
- Government Funders and Organizations: Indigenous Services Canada, Ontario Health Northwest, Ontario Public Health, Kiiwetinoong Healing Waters Ontario Health Team, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO), others as identified
Workshops, meetings and travel expectations:
- A virtual project kick-off meeting
- Up to two in-community visits that will include meetings with leadership and PHA Executive, provider workshop(s) and community engagement sessions (2 days minimum in community per visit)
- Attendance at up to 3 virtual and possibly one in person PHA/ISC quarterly meetings (typically held in Winnipeg)
- Minimum of monthly meetings with the PHA Health Transformation project team
- Virtual meetings with stakeholders as required to accomplish the above objectives
Qualifications
• Demonstrated experience in health consulting
• Experience in program design, development and implementation
• Experience in developing health frameworks
• Expertise in building partnerships and proposal development
• Knowledge of Indigenous models of health care and Public Health Standards in Ontario
• Experience working with remote First Nation communities, preferable in Northwestern Ontario
• Experience in strategy development
• Demonstrated project management and organizational skills
• Expert knowledge of Indigenous health and social issues, and respect for First Nations cultural protocols
• Must be able to travel to the community and occasionally to other locations
• Ability to speak or understand the local Indigenous language is an asset
Evaluation
PHA will use the following matrix to evaluate proposals:
- Value of 40%: Qualifications and experience of the consultant and/or team.
- Experience and qualifications of organization individuals and/or team.
- Completeness of team and ability to deliver on the full scope of the project within the given timeframe.
- First Nation relevant experience on similar projects, particularly in northern remote communities.
- Value of 40%: Approach to workplan and deliverables.
- Demonstrated clear understanding of the objectives of the project.
- Approach, methodology, workplan and timelines.
- Demonstrate communications and engagement with the First Nation.
- Clear articulation of the deliverables and transfer of knowledge.
- Value of 20%: Pricing.
- Overall pricing and alignment with workplan and deliverables.
PHA may request a virtual meeting and presentation to make a final decision.
Contact for questions and inquiries: keesic@outlook.com
