ShiftFlow · 2026.05

Pursuit Briefs

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ShiftFlow Innovation and Design · May 11, 2026

Pursuit Briefs.

Mount Pearl, Miramichi, and the Southeast Regional Service Commission. Three live RFPs in Atlantic Canada public-sector strategic planning, with overlapping submission windows and ~$600K–$650K in combined potential contract value. Each pursuit has its own win theme and its own team shape. This brief walks you through what we're chasing, where we stand, and what we're asking.

The strategic frame

Sequence
Mount Pearl ships first on May 14. Miramichi's drafting sprint follows immediately after, with submission June 3. SERSC gets the longest runway and the deepest team, with submission June 12.
Posture
Senior-led, NB-rooted, named teams with no substitution. Bilingual delivery where the RFP requires. Local partners for Indigenous engagement are needed. ShiftFlow's actual story carries the heaviest weight on SERSC.

The three pursuits

Hours shown below are estimates — final scope and commitment land in personal asks.

1 of 3 · Most Urgent · RFP 26-014 · Due Thu May 14, 2:30 PM NLT · $130K–$180K est

City of Mount Pearl, Newfoundland & Labrador

5-year Corporate Strategic Plan (2027–2031), replacing the "Building Tomorrow" plan that's ending. Quality-focused evaluation: methodology 30 / experience 30 / innovation 5 / cost 35.
"Implementation reality, not aspiration."
Where we stand: Outline and section templates drafted. Writing sprint underway. Three business days to submission. What remains: section fills, team bios, past performance curation, cost build.
Estimated delivery timeline (if awarded)
June 23 – December 1, 2026. Four phases — initiation, research & engagement, strategy development, finalization. All deliverables due December 1. Total ~6.5 months.
Roles & time commitment
  • Co-Lead, Strategy & Engagement Confirmed Nick Scott · principal cadence across the ~7-month engagement
  • Co-Lead, Engagement Confirmed Jason Doiron · co-leadership across the engagement
  • Senior Advisor, Municipal Governance Proposed ~80–100 hrs over 7 months · methodology review, Council-facing language, named credential
  • Senior Consultant Proposed ~150–200 hrs over 7 months · substantive engagement contribution, methodology & facilitation
  • Research & Analysis Lead Open ~5 months · environmental scan, evidence synthesis, "What We Heard" report
  • Project Manager Open ~50% FTE · 7 months · steering, reporting, decision-tracking
Documents
2 of 3 · RFP 26-035 · Due Wed Jun 3, 11:00 AM AT · $90K under $100K cap

City of Miramichi, New Brunswick

4-year Municipal Strategic Plan. Bilingual delivery (English + French). Engagement that's credible to Acadian, Anglophone, and Mi'kmaq communities at once — Esgenoôpetitj, Eel Ground, and Metepenagiag adjacent. 90% qualitative scoring; 10% price.
"Built in New Brunswick. Built for Miramichi."
Where we stand: Strong fit. Pursuit team forming; associate responses due Wed May 13. Drafting kickoff Thu May 14 (immediately after Mount Pearl ships).
Estimated delivery timeline (if awarded)
June 15 – November 6, 2026. Four phases — discovery, engagement, draft & presentation, final & implementation. Two hard interior dates: September 4 (priorities summary for the 2027 budget cycle) and November 6 (final delivery). Total ~5 months.
Roles & time commitment
  • Co-Lead, Engagement Confirmed Nick Scott · principal cadence across delivery
  • Co-Lead, Bilingual Engagement Confirmed Jason Doiron · co-leadership, FR/EN
  • Senior Advisor, Municipal Governance Proposed ~30–50 hrs over 5 months · methodology review, Council-craft lens, named credential
  • Senior Consultant Proposed ~65–75 hrs over 5 months · substantive municipal engagement contribution
  • Research & Writing Lead Confirmed Lewis Muirhead · drives evidence synthesis and plan drafting
  • Municipal Lead Confirmed Jerry Koh · municipal-craft contribution, regional context
  • Indigenous Engagement Partner Open Named partner for engagement with Esgenoôpetitj, Eel Ground, Metepenagiag
Documents
3 of 3 · Strategic prize · ED 2027-2032 (SELIP) · Due Fri Jun 12, 14:00 AT · $380K before HST

Southeast Regional Service Commission, New Brunswick

Holistic Place-Based Regional Immigration Strategy 2027–2032 (with 2035 vision), supporting the Southeast Local Immigration Partnership (SELIP). Twelve member municipalities. Bilingual delivery with newcomer-engagement cultural fluency. Mi'kmaq and Wolastoqiyik engagement.
"We have already built this in New Brunswick."
Where we stand: Strong fit. Projected score 78–88 out of 100. Pursuit team forming. The mandatory bilingual senior threshold is now closed by Jason Doiron as Senior Bilingual Co-Lead. Direct prior work in this ecosystem: NB Economic Immigration Lab (NouLAB, 2017–2020) with named references. Nick from Riverview, one of the 12 SERSC municipalities.
Estimated delivery timeline (if awarded)
Likely start September–October 2026 (post-award). Core delivery 12–18 months. Four phases — research & benchmarking, systems analysis & consultation, strategic action plan, final strategy & governance. Strategy horizon 2027–2032 with 2035 vision; optional advisory through 2032.
Roles & time commitment
  • Co-Lead, Methodology & Systems Confirmed Nick Scott · ~280–340 hrs · principal cadence; NouLAB & networked-governance lineage
  • Senior Bilingual Co-Lead Confirmed Jason Doiron · ~250–300 hrs · closes the mandatory bilingual threshold
  • Research & Benchmarking Lead Confirmed Lewis Muirhead · ~220–280 hrs · comparable LIP and regional immigration-strategy research
  • Senior Advisor, Municipal Governance Proposed ~40–60 hrs phased across 12–18 months · governance review, municipal-feasibility lens, named senior on team
  • Senior Consultant Proposed ~80–120 hrs phased across all four phases · substantive municipal-feasibility & governance contribution
  • Bilingual Writer & Editor Open ~280–360 hrs · FR/EN, newcomer-engagement cultural fluency
  • Visual & Brand Lead Open ~120–160 hrs · plan visual design and brand-consistent outputs
  • Acadian or Indigenous Advisor Open ~50–80 hrs · optional but recommended for Mi'kmaq / Wolastoqiyik engagement design
Documents

What we're looking for

We're filling specific named roles per bid. If you've indicated interest, you'll receive a personal ask in the next one to three days with the role and time commitment scoped to your contribution. If you'd like to be in the mix and haven't heard from us, reply directly.

SERSC · Mandatory
Senior Bilingual Co-Lead
Bilingual senior named on the proposal; co-leads regional immigration strategy delivery alongside Nick. Mandatory RFP threshold.
Miramichi + SERSC
Indigenous Engagement Partner
Named partner approach for Mi'kmaq (and Wolastoqiyik for SERSC) engagement design and delivery. Existing relationships preferred.
All three
Senior Advisors / Consultants
Methodology review, Council-facing language, governance review, named credentials. Senior municipal-leadership experience is high-leverage on Mount Pearl and Miramichi.
Miramichi + SERSC
Research and Writing Lead
Drives discovery, evidence synthesis, and plan drafting. Public-sector strategic planning depth required.
Miramichi + SERSC
Bilingual Writer and Editor
Writes and edits in both EN and FR. Cultural fluency across newcomer, Acadian, and Anglophone audiences.
All three
Subject-matter contributors
Immigration, municipal governance, organizational change, evaluation and M&E, networked governance. Specific contributions named in personal asks.

Timeline at a glance

Wed May 13
Pursuit-team responses due (Miramichi + SERSC combined invite)
Thu May 14, 2:30 PM NLT
Mount Pearl submission · drafting sprint begins for Miramichi the same day
Mon May 26
SERSC enquiry deadline · final clarifying questions to Francesco Calazzo
Wed Jun 3, 11:00 AM AT
Miramichi submission · SERSC drafting sprint enters final two weeks
Fri Jun 12, 14:00 AT
SERSC submission · pursuit window closes

What I'm asking from you

If a personal ask is already in your inbox, reply with yes / no / let's-talk by the date I named (within 24 hours for Mount Pearl, within three days for the other two, sooner is better in either case).

If you'd like to be considered for a role on any of the three and haven't yet received a personal ask, reply to this with which pursuit interests you, what role shape fits, your bilingual capacity (especially relevant for SERSC), and one prior project I can reference.

Direct: nick@shiftandflow.ca.