Preface
The policies, authorities and guidelines contained in the Government
Contracts Regulations and in the "Contracting" volume of the Treasury
Board Manual, which apply to all government contracting activities, require
procurement to be conducted in a manner that will meet operational requirements
in the most cost-effective manner and provide equal opportunity to tender.
The government has determined that its procurement activities should also be
consistent with and supportive of such national objectives as industrial and
regional development, aboriginal economic development, the environment and other
approved socio-economic objectives.
To ensure that maximum benefit to Canada is achieved, therefore, the
government has confirmed that all major federal procurements will continue to be
reviewed for industrial and regional development opportunities. The government
has also recognized that, in certain instances, special provisions may be
necessary to develop regional economies and the Canadian industrial base, as
well as to support other national objectives.
The purpose of this procurement review policy is to provide an updated
statement of the government's procurement policy objectives, to incorporate into
the Treasury Board's procurement management policies recent government
initiatives in procurement planning, and to ensure that procurement policy and
processes support the achievement of the government's objectives. More
particularly, this chapter:
- clarifies responsibilities for the development, implementation and
monitoring of the government's procurement review policy and processes, as well
as for the review and approval of individual procurement strategies;
- establishes a framework for the analysis and evaluation of proposals to use
procurement as an instrument for industrial or regional development, that will:
- promote the use of procurement in a selective, judicious and
cost-effective manner and
- ensure that adequate information on the financial and socio-economic
implications of procurement strategies are available to decision-making
authorities; and
- modifies the present process for the review of individual procurements to
ensure that the strategic direction given by ministers through the Canadian
Annual Procurement Strategy (CAPS) process is effectively implemented and that
procurement decisions are reviewed and analyzed in a manner that will optimize
the achievement of all procurement objectives.
Some of the more important elements of the revised process are:
- annual plans containing basic information on upcoming procurements (over
$2M), to be submitted by operating departments to a Procurement Strategy
Committee;
- review of plans to identify those procurements, generally over $20M, for
which consideration by a procurement review committee (PRC) is needed;
- early notification to the Procurement Review Secretariat of procurements
not in the plan, with individual review at the request of any committee member;
- statement of expected benefits and monitoring plan to be prepared by the
member requesting PRC review;
- analysis of costs (including downstream costs) and risks where the
operating department considers them significant (a detailed analysis of costs
and benefits is not required where all parties agree that national objectives
can be achieved with no material increase in cost or risk to the operating
department);
- Treasury Board approval of procurement strategies prior to release of the
request for proposals where costs or risks are at issue, or where it is proposed
to assign evaluation points to national objectives benefits; and
- monitoring and reporting.
A simplified chart of the process is attached as an annex to Appendix C.
Policy objective
The objective of the government's procurement review policy is to enhance the
use of procurement in support of industrial and regional development and other
national objectives in a manner that is fully consistent with the government's
approved procurement objectives, and with Canada's international commitments
within the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or other trade rights and obligations. The
government's approved procurement objectives are in descending order of
priority:
- the pre-eminence of operational requirements, competition, fairness and
accessibility as major policy cornerstones of the federal procurement process;
- long-term industrial and regional development; and
- other national objectives.
Policy statement
The government has confirmed that all procurements in excess of
$2 million must be reviewed for potential regional and industrial benefits.
To ensure that this review is carried out in an efficient and cost-effective
manner, and in recognition of the diverse interests involved, Treasury Board has
established an interdepartmental procurement review process applying to all such
procurements.
The major elements of the process, which is described in Appendix C,
are:
- departmental short-range acquisition plans covering all goods and services
contracts over $2M;
- two levels of committees:
- Procurement Strategy Committee (PSC): a senior
interdepartmental committee chaired by Public Works and Government Services
Canada (PWCSC), that will review departmental plans, identify individual or
aggregated procurements requiring individual review, and provide general
guidance to the review committees;
- review committees: to review and recommend procurement
strategies for individual procurements, or groups of procurements, normally
only for those procurements exceeding $20M, in accordance with the Procurement
Strategy Committee's general direction;
The terms of reference and the membership of these committees may be found in
Appendix B; and
- an evaluation framework against which proposals to use procurement in
support of industrial and regional development and, to the extent practical,
other national objectives must be assessed (Appendix A).
Competition is and must remain the cornerstone of the government procurement
process. It is the most efficient way of achieving both the primary and
secondary goals of procurement: it gives each bidder the incentive to bring
forward its best solution to the operational problem, at a competitive price, as
well as to respond more effectively to requirements in support of other national
objectives. Moreover, competition ensures that all qualified suppliers are
afforded access to government contracts.
Procurement initiatives in support of regional industrial development must,
to the greatest extent possible, focus on assisting Canadian firms in becoming
competitive in domestic and world marketplaces; procurement is not intended to
be used to create or sustain dependent government suppliers.
Application
This policy applies to all departments and agencies listed in
Schedules I and II of the Financial Administration Act, and to
branches of the Public Service designated as departments for the purposes of the
Act. It applies to all acquisitions of goods and services from the private
sector, whether or not they form part of a capital project or are financed from
capital or operations and maintenance (O&M) funds with the following
exceptions:
- procurements in support of foreign aid undertaken by or on behalf of the
Canadian International Development Agency;
- procurement undertaken by the Canadian Commercial Corporation on behalf of
entities not subject to this policy; and
- contracts related to the acquisition, modification and routine maintenance
of real property.
The mandatory procurement review requirements of this policy do not apply to
procurements requiring a special degree of security by or on behalf of:
- the Communications Security Establishment of the Department of National
Defence;
- the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, for the purpose of pursuing
security investigations; and
- the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, for the purpose of pursuing criminal
investigations.
Notwithstanding this exemption, the above organizations must apply the
principles of the policy where appropriate, consistent with the security
requirements of their procurements.
In cases of emergency, as defined in the "Contracting" volume of
the Treasury Board Manual, departments may enter into contract without
submitting the procurement to review pursuant to this policy. Such action should
be noted in any subsequent submission or report to Treasury Board or Treasury
Board Secretariat, and should also be reported to the Procurement Review
Secretariat.
Policy requirements
1. All government procurements exceeding $2M must be reviewed for potential
opportunities to support industrial and regional development and other national
objectives (e.g., the environment employment and equity programs) in accordance
with the process described in Appendix C. The primary mechanism for this
review will be inclusion in the annual plan required under subsection 2.
2. Operating departments must, before initiating discussions with potential
suppliers that could raise expectations as to the government's procurement
strategy:
- provide their short-range acquisition plans, covering all procurements over
$2M, to the Procurement Strategy Committee, in response to an annual request to
be issued by the committee;
- provide to the Procurement Review Secretariat at the earliest opportunity
details of upcoming requirements not included in the most recent Short Range
Acquisition Plan (SRAP), as well as changes to information included in the plan;
and
- form a senior project advisory committee for all departmental procurements
over $100M (including services) that are not part of a major Crown project.
3. Any proposal to take specific procurement action to support other national
objectives must include a statement of the benefits sought, for evaluation and
monitoring purposes, together with an assessment of the feasibility of achieving
the benefits. The factors set out in Section 2 of Appendix A may be
used as a framework for such a statement.
4. Where an operating department demonstrates that a proposed procurement
strategy in support of national objectives involves increased cost or risk, the
proposal must be supported by an assessment of the potential benefits, costs and
risks associated with the strategy, as compared to a procurement strategy more
exclusively related to the operating department's requirements. The source of
funding for any extra costs must also be identified. Requirements for this
assessment are set out in more detail in Appendix A.
5. Any proposal described in subsection 4 above, involving expenditures
above delegated departmental contracting or project approval levels, must be
approved by the Treasury Board prior to the issuance of a request for proposals.
6. Where it is proposed that industrial and regional benefits packages are to
be evaluated and assigned relative ratings or scores, TB authority must be
sought before the issuance of a request for proposals regardless of delegated
levels.
7. Where the procurement strategies proposed for significant projects require
Cabinet approval, sponsoring departments must consult with the Treasury Board
Secretariat (TBS) in preparing the submission to Cabinet. These consultations
must include the analysis of any socio-economic initiatives, specified in
subsections 3 and 4 above, and the views of TBS must be specifically
included in the submission to Cabinet.
8. Submissions to the Treasury Board or the Cabinet for project approvals
must include a section on socio-economic considerations, the recommendation of
the procurement review committee or the senior project advisory Committee, where
applicable, and a summary of the analysis required in Appendix A.
9. Where it is proposed to seek socio-economic benefits through a competitive
process, the objectives and the evaluation criteria for contractor selection
must be clearly spelled out in the request for proposals, and industry must be
made aware of those objectives as early in the process as possible. This should
enable industry to respond more effectively to those objectives, and will
maximize the transparency of the government's procurement process. Consultations
must be carried out in a manner that ensures that all potential suppliers are
treated fairly and equitably. A decision to direct a contract or to limit
competition must be taken, and made known, sufficiently early in the process to
prevent unnecessary (and costly) effort on the part of firms who may
subsequently be left out. Further guidance on the issuance of requests for
proposals may be found in the "Contracting" volume of the Treasury
Board Manual.
Responsibilities
Treasury Board
The Treasury Board is responsible for the government's overall procurement
policy and process, and for establishing a policy framework that permits
procurement to be managed in a manner that will promote the achievement of all
procurement objectives. The cost-effective use of funds is of particular concern
to TB Ministers. The Treasury Board is also responsible for approving proposals
to undertake capital projects and to enter into contracts above the dollar
levels delegated to departments.
Treasury Board Secretariat
The Treasury Board Secretariat is responsible for reviewing proposed
procurement strategies requiring Cabinet or Treasury Board approval, for
consistency with TB policy requirements, particularly the requirement for
assessment of proposed socio-economic initiatives described in Appendix A,
and for monitoring the Canadian Annual Procurement Strategy process in the
context of the Treasury Board's mandate.
Industry Canada
Industry Canada is responsible for the coordination and management of the
Canadian Annual Procurement Strategy, the process by which the government
determines its overall strategy for the use of procurement in support of
industrial and regional development.
Public Works and Government Services
Canada
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is responsible for
developing procurement strategies for consideration by the Procurement Strategy
Committee and the review committees, and for implementing procurement
strategies, within the framework of its clients' needs, its legislative mandate
and government policy. Supply and services Canada will chair the Procurement
Strategy Committee specified in this policy, and will operate and maintain the
Procurement Review Secretariat.
Industry Canada, regional departments and
agencies and other policy departments
Industry Canada, the regional departments and agencies and other policy
departments are responsible, within their mandates, for identifying procurements
offering potential benefits in support of their programs, providing a rationale
or statement of benefits expected when requesting individual procurement review
or a specific procurement strategy, and for the evaluation of bidders' proposals
for benefits relevant to their mandates.
Operating departments
Operating departments are responsible for the achievement of their approved
project and procurement objectives, and for incorporating the government's
socio-economic decisions into their procurement and project management
activities.
Monitoring
The Treasury Board Secretariat plans to evaluate this policy on a regular
basis. TBS will assess, in conjunction with affected departments, its
effectiveness and impact on departmental operations and performance. Evaluation
approaches will include: reviews of documents on departmental monitoring
information, internal audits, program evaluations and other reports; interviews
and focus groups with key departmental representatives involved with the
implementation of the policy and with experts in the field; and other evaluation
strategies when appropriate.
The Procurement Strategy Committee will play a major role in the evaluation
of this policy. All departments and agencies involved in the process are
encouraged to forward comments, both positive and negative, on their experiences
with it and recommendations for improvement to the Strategy Committee or to the
Procurement Review Secretariat for review and inclusion in reports to the
committee's members and to Treasury Board. Reports to the Treasury Board should
normally be made annually, and at least every three years.
Industry Canada, in concert with the regional departments and agencies and
other interested parties, is responsible for the evaluation of the effectiveness
of procurement in support of industrial and regional development. For other
national objectives, evaluation of the effectiveness of the procurement lever is
the responsibility of department responsible for the policy being supported.
Results of such evaluations should be reported to the Procurement Strategy
Committee and included in any reports made to TB.
Monitoring the achievement of the benefits being sought in individual
procurement strategies is the responsibility of the department whose program
will be supported by those benefits.
References
Authority
This policy is issued under Section 7 of the Financial
Administration Act.
Treasury Board Publications
"Contracting" volume of the Treasury Board Manual
Long-term Capital Plans Policy, Chapter 1-1 of this volume
Project Approval Policy, Chapter 2-1 of this volume
Project Management Policy, Chapter 2-2 of this volume
Policy on the Management of Major Crown Projects, Chapter 2-3 of this
volume
Cancellation
This policy replaces Chapter 305 of the Administrative Policy Manual.
Enquiries
Enquiries concerning the interpretation of this policy should be addressed to
the Executive Director, Procurement and Project Management Policy Directorate,
Comptrollership Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat.
Appendix A -
Analysis of Proposals for Procurement Strategies in Support of National
Objectives
1. Introduction
1.1 Given the scarcity of government resources, it is essential that all the
potential benefits of the procurement function be identified and realized to the
extent possible. It is equally important that procurement be used in the most
efficient manner possible, and that all anticipated benefits, both operational
and those in support of other national objectives, be attainable at justifiable
levels of cost and risk. When optional procurement strategies are to be
considered, they must be supported by sufficient information to enable the
government to make informed decisions.
1.2 Use of procurement to support other national objectives may sometimes
involve additional costs, directly through higher procurement costs, or
indirectly, through increased risk, delay, or higher downstream costs. It is
recognized that the benefits expected from a procurement strategy and their
associated costs can be very difficult to quantify. Nevertheless, proposals to
take specific procurement actions to support socio-economic goals must be
supported by an analysis of both the potential costs and benefits, as described
below.
1.3 The factors set out in this section have been developed primarily to
assist in identifying those procurement strategies that offer the best
opportunities for achieving regional and industrial benefits. Proposals to
promote other national objectives should be supported by a similar analysis,
drawing on the principles of this Appendix to the extent practicable. The
Procurement Strategy Committee may provide special guidelines for other areas as
appropriate.
1.4 Any recommendation to adopt a procurement strategy other than one which
would best serve the primary procurement objectives of operational requirements,
accessibility and fairness must address the extent to which the proposal meets
each of the factors described in Section 2 below. As well, it must be
supported by an assessment of the cost implications (Section 3) where the
operating department, or others affected, can demonstrate that the proposal will
entail significant costs or risks for the achievement of the operational
objective or to the carrying out of departmental programs. It is recognized that
not all proposed procurement actions will rank high against all the factors;
guidance on the relative weight to be given to the factors may be provided by
Ministers, either through the CAPS process or by other means, and may vary from
case to case or by sector. The strategy committee may also provide guidance on
the weighting of the factors and the depth of analysis required for particular
procurements or groups of procurements.
2. Factors for consideration
2.1 Consistency with the government's approved national objectives
(a) Industrial and regional development: the government's
industrial and regional benefits policy stresses long-term economic benefits and
support of the competitiveness of Canadian businesses. More specific objectives
may be determined through the CAPS process and communicated to the PRCs and
senior project advisory committees by the Procurement Strategy Committee. They
indicate the priorities selected by the government for the use of procurement in
support of industrial and regional development. It must be demonstrated how the
industrial and regional development objectives of a proposed procurement
strategy relate to these priorities, and to the approved industrial
benefits policy.
(b) Other national objectives: the proposed procurement
strategy must be consistent with other policies and requirements affecting
procurement. These include, but are not restricted to, Canada's international
trade obligations, foreign policy considerations, the impact on the environment,
Employment and Immigration's labour force development strategy, employment
equity, and conflict of interest guidelines. Further information on these
objectives can be found in the "Contracting" volume of the Treasury
Board Manual.
2.2 Industrial capacity and commercial viability
(a) The extent to which the procurement option proposed will enhance
the growth of, or strengthen, an industrial sector: procurement should
not be used to create or support more capacity in a given sector than can
reasonably be expected to be supported by the marketplace. However, where excess
capacity does exist, the decision as to what will be eliminated should be left
to the marketplace to the greatest extent possible.
(b) Enhanced regional capacity: the extent to which the
proposed procurement action could contribute to the enhancement of growth of the
supplier base in one or more of the regions for which the government has
established special policies or programs in support of regional development.
(c) Aboriginal economic development: the extent to which the
proposed procurement action is likely to contribute to the growth or enhancement
of aboriginal businesses and communities consistent with the government's
objectives under the Canadian Aboriginal Economic Development Strategy (CAEDS).
(d) The degree to which the proposed procurement action is likely to
lead to increased investment in the development of Canadian industry,
either to build on or protect existing strengths, or to pursue new
opportunities.
(e) International competitiveness: wherever possible,
procurement actions taken for socio-economic reasons should promote the
international competitiveness of the firm receiving the preferential treatment.
The firm must be able to demonstrate through its history, business and marketing
plans, etc., that it has the capability or potential capability to effectively
exploit the assistance to be offered.
(f) The extent to which the benefits expected to be achieved from the
proposed procurement strategy are likely to last beyond the life of the
procurement itself: there can be a temptation to award contracts to
solve an immediate problem, such as impending layoffs or bankruptcy, without
addressing the basic problems affecting the company or industry concerned. The
contract award then sets a precedent for further assistance.
When the government is the sole or primary customer for a product, decisions
to create or maintain a single-source Canadian capability must take into
consideration the long-term costs that can arise from a continuing
non-competitive situation. Once such a source is established and develops
entrenched interests, it can be extremely difficult to withdraw support. There
should be over riding strategic reasons (e.g., defence considerations) to
establish a firm that will remain essentially dependent on government purchases.
This is particularly important where government purchases are not large enough
to provide the economies of scale necessary to compete internationally.
2.3 Defence industrial base
The extent to which the proposed procurement strategy contributes to the
development or maintenance of the defence industrial base, particularly with
respect to the development and manufacture of identified strategic materials.
2.4 Other factors
(a) Incrementality: it should be possible to provide an
assessment as to whether the potential benefit might arise without government
support through procurement. This is particularly so where it is proposed to
award a contract to provide cash flow at a critical point, or to provide
development funds. Proposals for subcontracting in accordance with government
objectives (e.g., small or regional businesses) can also be used by firms to
extract financial advantage from actions they would have taken in any case.
(b) Trade policy: the assessment must include a detailed
analysis of the international trade impact.
(c) Risk assessment: the analysis must include an assessment
of the likelihood of achieving the proposed industrial or regional development
objectives. This assessment should identify the various factors affecting the
outcome and the impact of failure on the firm or sector involved.
3. Cost-effective use of funds
3.1 Any recommendation to adopt a procurement strategy that, in the opinion
of the operating department, will result in increased cost or risk, either
directly or indirectly, must be supported by:
(a) an estimate of the incremental cost over the option that meets the
primary procurement objectives (that is, operational requirements, accessibility
and fairness), in the most cost-effective manner, and in the context of approved
government policies. In addition to costs directly associated with the
procurement, this estimate must include any implications for downstream costs,
such as increased operating costs, training and the stocking of spares; and
(b) an estimate of the risks inherent in the project, and the impact of the
proposed procurement strategy on those risks, particularly the likelihood of the
supplier's being unable to perform the work within agreed upon costs or
schedule, and the adverse impact of any such failure on the operating
department's program and on the firm's long-term viability. The risks associated
specifically with the proposed procurement strategy must be identified
separately from other risks affecting the procurement.
Appendix B -
Strategy and Review Committees
1. Strategy committee
The Procurement Strategy Committee, chaired by PWGSC, will provide a link
between the government's industrial and regional benefits policy, direction on
other national objectives, and their implementation through individual
procurements. The committee will base its general direction to review committees
on inputs from the CAPS process, other relevant Cabinet direction, and from
departments that set policy.
1.1 Terms of reference
The Procurement Strategy Committee will:
(a) identify those acquisitions or groups of acquisitions that will
require consideration by a review committee. This determination will be based
largely on analysis of departmental acquisition plans, information on
procurements received outside the plan, and on industry sector information
provided by Industry Canada and the regional departments and agencies;
Note:
Individual review committees will not normally be held for procurements below
$20M. Individual reviews will not be held for procurements that are subject to
international agreements such as the GATT or NAFTA.
(b) examine the means by which national procurement objectives can
be achieved through the procurement process, including aggregation or
desegregation of requirements and for funding arrangements extra cost;
(c) advise deputy heads of those procurements that require
individual procurement review and of any socio-economic objectives applicable to
their operations.
(d) provide guidance to review committees on:
- procurement objectives and criteria to be taken into account in the
planning of individual procurements;
- the use of evaluation criteria for industrial and regional benefits; and
Note:
because of the cost and time involved, for both industry and government, use
of relative weighting for industrial and regional benefits proposals should be
restricted to procurements over $50M except in special circumstances.
- the conduct of analyses required in Appendix A.
1.2 Exemptions
The committee may decide, subject to any conditions deemed appropriate, to
exempt particular classes of procurement (by type or dollar value) from the
requirement for procurement review, including the requirement to be reported in
the annual plan.
1.3 Participating departments
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Human Resources Development Canada
Environment
External Affairs
Federal Office of Regional Development (Quebec)
Finance
Fisheries and Oceans
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Industry
National Defence
National Research Council of Canada
Public Works and Government Services Canada (Chair)
Transport Canada
Treasury Board (Secretariat)
Western Economic Diversification.
2. Procurement review committees
2.1 Terms of reference
The procurement review committees will:
(a) conduct the review of the socio-economic aspects of individual or
aggregated procurements identified by the Procurement Strategy Committee, as
early as possible in the requirements planning stage;
(b) recommend to the operating and contracting departments appropriate
procurement strategies and other initiatives available to support government
objectives in individual acquisitions;
(c) ensure that all recommendations to seek benefits in support of national
objectives through procurement are supported by an analysis of the proposal as
described in Appendix A;
(d) propose methods of funding any extra costs where significant; and
(e) where industrial and regional benefits or other national objectives form
part of the bid evaluation, receive briefings on the results of bid evaluations,
where the committee considers it to be appropriate to do so.
2.2 Participating departments
Procurement review committees will be chaired by the contracting authority.
The chairperson will call for representation from other departments as the
situation demands, and in accordance with any guidance provided by the
Procurement Strategy Committee.
3. Senior project advisory committees
3.1 The role and functions of these committees in the planning and
implementation of projects over $100 million are set out in the Treasury
Board policy on Major Crown Projects. The requirements of this appendix are to
be read in the context of that policy.
3.2 The senior project advisory committee (SPAC) will carry out the
procurement review functions of the PRC for the project, including all
significant associated procurements handled through the project office.
3.3 The SPACs must, in making their recommendations to the project manager,
consider any specific direction given by Cabinet with respect to the project
under consideration, in addition to the general guidance provided by the
Procurement Strategy Committee. The committee's recommendations may take the
form of either a separate record of review, or the information required
(Section 3 of Appendix C) may be incorporated into the minutes of the
committee.
3.4 These recommendations must be included in subsequent submissions to
Cabinet or TB for approval, as detailed in Policy Requirement 4.7.
4. Standing review committees
4.1 A number of committees now exist for the review of specialized areas of
procurement, such as repair and overhaul and ammunition. These committees may
also, subject to the direction and guidance of the Procurement Strategy
Committee, perform the functions of a procurement review committee, as described
in Section 2 above.
5. Procurement review secretariat
5.1 PWGSC in cooperation with the other contracting authorities, will provide
a central secretariat to support the Procurement Strategy Committee and to
assist the chair of the PRCs and other review committees in coordinating and
managing the decision-making process of the committees. The functions of the
Secretariat include:
(a) coordinating the analysis of departmental acquisition plans to assist the
Procurement Strategy Committee in its deliberations;
(b) providing a link between the Procurement Strategy Committee and other
review committees, such as the senior project advisory committees or the
Advisory Committee on Repair and Overhaul;
(c) coordinating the development of information, supporting data and
background material for cases to be considered by procurement review committees;
(d) monitoring the results of the advice and recommendations of review
committees; and
(e) maintaining a record of decisions and precedents.
Appendix C -
Procurement Review Process
1. Review process
1.1 The successful implementation of the process laid out in this appendix is
highly dependent on the cooperation and goodwill of all concerned. The process
is intended to be carried out with a view to the efficient use of time and
resources; the formality of the proceedings and the level of detail of
supporting documentation should be tailored to the size and complexity of the
procurement at issue. Particular care must be taken to ensure that the process
is carried out in a timely manner, to avoid unnecessary and costly delays in the
procurement process that could harm the ability of the operating departments to
carry out their objectives. By the same token, operating departments must
provide early notification and sufficient information to enable the policy
departments to carry out their mandated objectives.
A simplified flow chart of the procurement review process is attached as an
annex to this appendix.
1.2 The Procurement Strategy Committee will determine, based primarily on an
analysis of departmental acquisition plans, those procurements to be subject to
procurement review on a case-by-case basis, and will notify departments
accordingly, within six weeks after departmental plans are received,
subject to sufficient information being available to allow an informed decision.
For procurements under $20M, a decision to hold a PRC must be supported by an
explanation as to why individual review is desirable. No PRC is required for a
procurement included in a departmental plan that has not been identified for
review by the Procurement Strategy Committee.
1.3 Where procurements were not included in departmental plans, operating
departments will notify the Procurement Review Secretariat as soon as it becomes
aware of the new procurement. Any member of the Procurement Strategy Committee
may request a PRC for procurements not included in the plan, or for a
procurement that was previously reviewed but not identified, but in respect of
which new information has become available. In both these circumstances, the
Procurement Strategy Committee will then determine whether or not a PRC review
should take place and so inform the contracting authority and the operating
department.
1.4 Upon receipt of a request for consideration of a procurement case, the
Procurement Review Secretariat will identify a chairperson for the case, who
will schedule a meeting date, identify the composition of the committee and have
background material prepared for the case under consideration.
1.5 The background material must include, to the greatest extent possible,
the following:
(a) an operating department package that will, for example, contain a
description of the requirement, and the intended use, quantity required,
purchasing time frame, operational imperatives, estimated contracting value,
follow-on potential, etc.;
(b) a statement from Industry Canada relating the procurement to the approved
industrial benefits policy or other relevant ministerial direction, together
with background data on the relevant industry or suppliers;
(c) optional procurement strategies, prepared by PWGSC, that will meet
operational requirements, fairness and accessibility, and other national
objectives, where appropriate;
(d) inputs from regional and policy departments and agencies, as appropriate,
relating the procurement to their program objectives, including a statement of
potential benefits and a plan for monitoring the achievement of the expected
benefits; and
(e) relevant Procurement Strategy Committee guidance.
1.6 In their deliberations, the procurement review committees will be guided
by:
(a) procurement objectives and strategic guidance provided through CAPS and
the Procurement Strategy Committee;
(b) relevant precedents and specific procurement policy direction promulgated
by Cabinet, Treasury Board or other authorities;
(c) the requirements of Appendix A; and
(d) the terms of any present or future international agreements affecting
government procurement, including the Defence Production and Defence Development
Sharing Arrangements.
2. Industry participation
2.1 When appropriate, any of the committees involved in the review process
may invite representatives from industry to participate in the consultation
process, to bring their expertise to bear respecting possible industrial benefit
opportunities. This representation may be drawn from broadly based national
associations, from individual firms possessing a particular expertise, or from
industry consultants. Care must be exercised to ensure that this industrial
participation is carried out in a way that will not create any conflict of
interest or jeopardize national security or commercial confidentiality. In order
to avoid this possibility, industry representatives will not participate in the
committee's/final considerations and decisions.
3. Record of review
3.1 Output from the committee shall be in the form of general direction and
guidance expressed as specifically as possible, given the information available
at the time. This advice will be contained in a record of review/which
eventually will be included in the Treasury Board submission for program or
project approval and will be forwarded to the Ministers for consideration and
approval in principle of the procurement course recommended. The record of
review will accompany any subsequent internal government procurement
documentation.
3.2 The record of review will contain the views and recommendations of the
committee, a description of the industrial and regional or other benefits to be
sought, considerations of incremental costs and funding options, and any
relevant international considerations. In addition, it should contain an
assessment of the risks associated with the achievement of national objectives,
and of any impact the recommended procurement strategy might have on the risk of
achieving the performance, time and cost objectives of the operating department,
as well as a plan for monitoring the achievement of the expected benefits. The
record of review must also include the separate views of any committee members
not in accord with the committee's conclusions and recommendations.
4. Approval and implementation
4.1 Where the acquisition involves expenditures that are above the client
department's delegated project approval level, approval in principle of the
procurement method proposed will normally be obtained from the Treasury Board as
part of the project approval. Otherwise, policy requirement 4.5 will apply.
Supporting documentation for the procurement strategy will include a copy of the
record of review, a summary of the analysis prescribed in Appendix A, where
applicable, and the views of any department(s) that are at variance with the
strategy proposed. Where the procurement has been exempted from review, the
submission should so state, and give the basis for the exemption.
4.2 The contracting authority will process all contracting documentation in
accordance with existing policies, guidelines and procedures, taking into
account the advice provided by the procurement review committee. Particular care
must be taken to clearly identify socio-economic considerations in the bid
solicitation documentation, to ensure that contractors have a clear
understanding of the evaluation criteria. The contracting authority will obtain
advice, as required, from the appropriate members of the PRC. Results of the
contracting action will be reported back to the Procurement Review Secretariat,
as part of its reporting and monitoring functions, and may be requested from the
Secretariat by any member.
4.3 Requests to Treasury Board for approval to enter into a contract will
contain a section dealing with socio-economic considerations, including any
funding implications. If the procurement strategy has not received Treasury
Board approval through a program or project submission, the submission should
include the supporting documentation described in subsection 4.1 above.
4.4 When the request to enter into contract does not conform to the
recommendations of the PRC, the contracting authority will provide PRC members
with an explanation of the contracting decision, before carrying it out. If a
Treasury Board project or contract approval is required, the reasons for
deviating from the PRC recommendation must be included in the submission.
Annexe A: Procurement Review Process (Procurements over $2M)
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