The views and recommendations contained on this page are those of the participants at the OSME consultations. These opinions are not necessarily those of the Government of Canada.
| Theme |
Concern |
Suggestion |
| 1. Access |
A. Flexibility |
i.Promote flexibility linked to performance
ii.Rotating or random invitations to bid on contracts
|
| B. Criteria for awarding contracts |
iii.Consider more than just price, value for money should be paramount
iv.Erect a meaningful prequalification system
v.Ensure adherence to criteria; no "bait and switch"
|
| C. Limited scope for input into policy formation |
vi.SMEs must participate on the commodity councils
vii.Set up an advisory group
|
| D. MERX is poor system for tendering contracts |
viii.Create a user group to advise on improvements
ix.Create an improved search/filter function
|
| E. Ensure that SO business is not concentrated in the hands of a very few |
x.Ensure subcontracting does not become the norm
xi.Create targets for the distribution of business; audit the results
xii.Provide education programmes for SMEs
|
| F. Difficulty of attaining security clearance |
xiii.Create a standard, portable security clearance for professional services
|
| 2. Regional |
F. Stipulating national requirements favours large firms |
xiv.Keep regional SOs
xv.Sub-divide larger regions
xvi.Form consortia to service the whole region
|
| G. Government spending is not balanced |
xvii.Ensure that the standing offers provide the best possible price
xviii.Create a policy for the more equal distribution of government spending
xix.Maintain a regional breakdown
|
| 3. Complexity |
H. Procurement policies and practice do not match |
xx.Improve the training of and communication to procurement officers
xxi.Ensure consistent application of the rules to suppliers
|
| I. RFPs are unnecessarily complex and have inappropriate criteria |
xxii.Simplify contracting language
xxiii.Ensure all information is available
xxiv.RFP requirements should increase as the contract amount increases
|
| J. Communication is poor within government and with suppliers |
xxv.Enlist SME input into commodity councils
xxvi.Increase feedback on non-awards
xxvii. Provide a clear appeals process
|
| K. Procurement system is slow and risk averse ("fear factor") |
xxviii.Focus on clear outcomes rather than rules
xxix.Build a simple, standard two-step process for call-ups based on qualification and value-based criteria
|
| 4. Socio-economic benefits |
L. Gap between what the government does elsewhere and procurement |
xxx.Use procurement as a tool for economic development
|
