REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: Subject Matter Expert; Responding to Classroom Conflict among Adult Newcomer Learners

IN BRIEF

The Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) is seeking a subject matter expert(s) (SME) to create and deliver a professional development webinar. The training will focus on responding to classroom management conflict among adult newcomer learners.  

ABOUT AAISA

The Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) is a non-profit umbrella organization that has represented, supported, and advocated for Alberta’s settlement and integration sector since 1980. Collectively, AAISA member agencies offer services to newcomers in over 22 municipalities across the province. AAISA’s mandate is to build sector capacity to serve newcomers by providing access to relevant and meaningful professional development opportunities, engaging the sector on issue-based initiatives, and by undertaking research to build understanding of context and emerging needs.

More info about AAISA: www.aaisa.ca 

CONTEXT AND BROAD OBJECTIVES

Settlement practitioners and English-language instructors working with newcomer adult learners face unique classroom management challenges. Learners may be navigating precarious immigration statuses, settlement stressors, culture shock, language barriers, and impacts of displacement and trauma, while simultaneously adapting to a new society, seeking employment, and supporting their families.

Through recent site visitations, a recurring and urgent theme has emerged: the growing challenge of classroom conflict and management with newcomer adult learners. As Canada welcomes an increasing number of newcomers, including those fleeing conflict and persecution, learning environments may bring together individuals with differing lived experiences, historical perspectives, and unresolved trauma. Traditional classroom management approaches, such as punitive or authoritarian models, often fail to account for these complexities and may inadvertently re-traumatize learners to escalate conflict.

Funded by IRCC, this webinar will be grounded in restorative justice pedagogies; trauma-informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive principles. It will equip settlement practitioners and instructors with practical, culturally responsive classroom management strategies that recognize diverse language and literacy levels (e.g., CLB and literacy), promote psychological safety and inclusion, and support the prevention, de-escalation, and conflict resolution of conflict while fostering learning environments rooted in dignity, trust, and mutual respect.

The objectives of this course must include, but is not limited to, the following:  

• Identify how migration, trauma, and systemic oppression can shape newcomer learners’ classroom experiences, and adjust teaching approaches to promote psychological safety and reduce harm.
• Use adaptable classroom management strategies that support learner engagement across diverse language proficiency and literacy levels (e.g., CLB and literacy).
• Identify and implement routine school operations (e.g., fire drills, emergency procedures) in a trauma-informed way that reduces potential triggers and distress for learners.
• Examine how instructor power, role, biases can influence learner behaviour, while navigating conflicts with cultural humility and respect for learners’ lived experiences.
• Apply trauma-informed strategies to prevent, effectively de-escalate, and appropriately respond to challenging situations while maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment.

This course will be open to anyone but must be designed for settlement workers and service providers who are working in or with the immigrant and refugee-serving sector across Alberta.

SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of work of the project is as follows:

• Design, Development and Facilitation of professional development training session
• A development report that provides a summary of workshop and webinar description, learning objectives and outcomes, learning activities, and course structure.  
• A final report that will assist AAISA in shaping the future direction of its professional development work with settlement practitioners in Alberta’s settlement and integration sector, including reflection by the facilitator(s) on the proceedings of the workshops and activities and possible areas of improvement, and other relevant information.

TRAINING STRUCTURE

Webinars are developed according to AAISA’s settlement practitioner competency framework, representing best practices and describing a continuum of functions and activities within the settlement sector.

COMPONENTS

• A brief description of the webinar and intended outcomes
• Demonstration of how learner outcomes align with AAISA’s Settlement Practitioner Competency Framework
• Key tasks and activities, case studies, main content and additional resources, discussion questions and announcements for the LMS 
• Facilitator guide including notes to facilitators with instructions for delivery and materials required  
• Digital learning resources (electronic documents, Microsoft PowerPoint presentation slides, audio, video and other multimedia resources)
• List of resources and references 

DELIVERY TIMEFRAME

The development of the webinar should start in August 2026. It is expected that the webinar deliverables will be submitted by the SME in September 2026 with the delivery of the facilitated synchronous session completed no later than September 2026. The facilitated synchronous session may be online via zoom or any other video conferencing platform in a two-to-three-hour block, as to be agreed.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Proprietary right to all data, materials, documentation and products originated by and prepared pursuant to the contract shall belong exclusively to AAISA. The contractor will acknowledge and agree that any Product and/or Deliverable created shall be considered a “work made for hire” and all rights to said Product and/or Deliverable shall belong exclusively to AAISA. The contractor will be prohibited from disseminating products and information developed.

PROJECT DELIVERABLES

The SME (also known as the “consultant”) will be responsible for:

• Design and deliver one 2-3 hour webinar, including developing participant materials (e.g., slide deck, handouts, workbook).
• Providing a plan with a timeline for each project component and deliverable.
• Conducting a literature review and exploring current best practices to identify key areas of focus for the webinar.
• Provide a practical take-home toolkit consisting of all the materials covered in the webinar, including slide deck, that participants can use in their day-to-day practice.
• Incorporate interactive learning activities, such as reflection exercises, breakout discussions, and case studies, to encourage application of learning and participant engagement.
• Allow dedicated time for participant questions, discussions, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.
• Attend a virtual technology orientation session with AAISA’s Learning & Technology Coordinator on managing online sessions including breakout rooms, group discussions.

AAISA will be responsible for:

• Securing the online platform, advertising, and promoting course on social media, and handling registration, enrolment, and distribution of webinar materials.
• Schedule and host a virtual technology orientation session with the SME on managing online sessions including breakout rooms, group discussions, online engagement on AAISA’s LMS, etc.
• Providing the SME with the AAISA Competency Framework and other course preparation templates.

PROPOSAL

We require a detailed proposal with a cost estimate and projected timelines for the project that includes the above deliverables. PLEASE NOTE that the proposal is for a total of $3000 for all SMEs.

The proposal should include:

• Project design: proposed activities, cost estimates, and timeline for the various components (approach to learning/facilitation, learning goals, proposed modules, etc.) of the project
• Resume of the Project Leader responsible for the development and coordination of the project
• List of courses/workshops developed/delivered previously
• Two references of people whom you have developed/delivered course or workshops previously and their contact information

SELECTION CRITERIA & PROCESS.

The following are the criteria we will use in the selection process:

• Experience in, or knowledge of, English language instruction programs (ESL/EAL, LINC program, adult newcomer education).
• Knowledge and/or experience in the immigration, settlement and integration sector is considered an asset
• Demonstrated knowledge of trauma-informed practice, anti-oppressive approaches, and intercultural competence.
• Experience with conflict management, counselling, and/or conflict resolution.
• Demonstrable experience in facilitating learning and development workshops, trainings, courses with adult learners.
• Detailed plan and timeline (including projected costs for each component).
• Familiarity with online learning platforms preferred (e.g., Moodle, Blackboard, D2L etc.)
• Familiarity with online webinar platforms preferred (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.)  
• Compliance with deadline(s)
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal. Fluency in French would be an asset
• In your proposal, please identify the following information:
• • Learning goals and outcomes
  • Key focus questions
  • Main areas of awareness and attitude

The proposal will be reviewed in detail according to the above criteria. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to provide portfolios of their work or examples of previously designed and developed courses and/or workshops, as well as to participate in an interview. All applicants will be promptly notified when a selection has been made.

Both individual and collaborative proposals will be considered.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Please send an electronic submission on Collage including the following: letter of intent, resume, plan, examples of past work, and proposed fees. Please ensure that your name or your organization’s name appears in the file name.

Your electronic submission should be sent by August 10th, 2026 @ 5PM MDT.

If you would like to submit via email instead, please send your application to pd@aaisa.ca with the email title: “RFP Submission: Responding to Classroom Conflict Among Adult Newcomer Learners.”

Qualified applicants will be added to AAISA’s network for notification of future opportunities.

If you have any questions, please contact pd@aaisa.ca.

AAISA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we work to sustain anti-discrimination and anti- racism practices in our workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression, age, physical or mental health, religion or beliefs, or any other status protected by law. Harassment or discrimination is not tolerated at AAISA. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business need

PLEASE NOTE: AAISA is not obligated to accept the lowest cost proposal. In addition, AAISA need not accept any of the proposals. All decisions of AAISA shall be final and binding.