Competition Bureau
Audit of Contracting Activities
Executive Summary
Audit and Evaluation Branch
May 2003
Executive Summary
Background
Following the contracting framework initiated by the Comptroller’s Branch in the year 2000, the Audit and Evaluation Branch was committed to perform a contracting audit annually on two branches of Industry Canada. This audit has focused on the contracting activities of the Competition Bureau.
Objective of the Audit
The objectives of the audit were to examine the contracting policies applied in the Competition Bureau to ensure that:
- The contracting principles of best value and open access are followed;
- Government Contract Regulations, Treasury Board Secretariat Contracting Policy, Treasury Board Contracting Directives, and Industry Canada’s own policies and procedures are complied with;
- The contracting process is fair and transparent; and
- Operational requirements and development needs are met.
Scope and Methodology
The period under review included contracts with start dates between April 1, 2001 and March 13, 2003. Five different types of contracts were examined including: call-ups against standing offers, service contracts, travel letters, contracts for temporary help, and purchase orders.
The focus of the audit was directed towards service contracts. Service contracts accounted for 38.5% of the total number of contracts signed during the audit period representing 51.1% of the total contract dollar value.
Audit procedures included: an analysis of the overall list of files for possible contract splitting and/or repeat contracting; an examination of contract files selected for audit; and discussions with the Competition Bureau personnel to further confirm contracting practices.
The audit was conducted during the months of March and April 2003.
Conclusion
For the most part contracting policies applied in the Competition Bureau are in compliance with Government Contract Regulations, Treasury Board Secretariat Contracting Policy and Directives, and Industry Canada Contracting Policies. Efforts are made by the different branches in the Competition Bureau to award contracts in relation to best value, open access, fairness, and transparency. Furthermore, operating requirements and development needs are met.
There are a number of additional findings and recommendations resulting from this audit that are included in Section 4 of this report that highlight specific areas for improvement.
Competition Bureau, Audit of Contracting Activities — Final Report
(PDF, 192KB, 14 pages)
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Date Created: 2004-01-15
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