Government Operations Committee on April 17th, 2018

[Alexander Jeglic]

I thank you for that. I appreciate the limitation. Ultimately, we are limited by the mandate; however, within the mandate, I think we still have a role to play in that simplification.

In terms of the documentation itself, what I've asked for from the department is for us just to be a consult party when programming changes are being contemplated. We've asked if we could be consulted in a front-footed type of manner so that we'd have an ability to effect change. That's what we've asked for. To date, the minister has been very receptive to that request.

In terms of simplification and what we can do at our end, I've suggested that this goes to correspondence, reports, presentations, and research. All of those things necessarily include some jargon because the jargon is used in the documentation that we ultimately report on. However, that being said, it's important that we speak to the constituencies we represent, which are the supply community and the government buy community, and we need to do so in a straightforward manner. I think that within the ombudsman's office we can be more straightforward and more direct in those communications.

In addition, we should look at our internal processes to make sure that we have the right number of people looking at the right issues at the right time. Again, I don't see fundamental change being needed. The office is 10 years old. It's actually a great time to look at it retrospectively, at the last decade. I think the members will agree that the office has done exceptional work in that limited time. My three predecessors have done exceptional work—

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I was going to comment on that. Your temporary predecessor, who was there for a long time, and his assistants did a phenomenal job, and I highly respect them. I hope some of them are still around.

[Alexander Jeglic]

Yes, except for Mr. Ieraci himself, who I would concur did a fantastic job, the remaining senior staff all remain in the office under my five-year tenure.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

That's great. I don't have anything else except to say again that, as you're aware, we're doing the small business study, and if you wish to send us a brief, send that and your thoughts ASAP, because we're in the final dying days of that study. We'd appreciate it.

[Alexander Jeglic]

Thank you very much.

[Kyle Peterson, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

By end of day today.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Yes, by 12:30.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

That's all I have. Again, congratulations. We look forward to working with you and we love what we're hearing so far.

[Alexander Jeglic]

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Kelly, do you have any questions?

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

No, I don't have any questions.

I would echo Mr. McCauley and congratulate you on your appointment. We look forward to seeing and hearing from you again.

[Alexander Jeglic]

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Masse, you have seven minutes.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair, and congratulations, sir.

You have a five-year appointment. I don't know how you operate in your personal goals for the workplace. In entering into the job, have you set any goals that you'd like to see at the end of five years? Could you share them?

[Alexander Jeglic]

I'm very much focused on a one-, three-, and five-year planning cycle within the five-year mandate. Year one is the strategic aspect: we need tangible deliverables to get us to the five-year marker. Your question is more “what do you expect to see at the end of that five years?”

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Yes.

[Alexander Jeglic]

I think the most tangible for year five is on the ADR side. Currently, we don't have a unit dedicated to a caseload with an expertise necessary for ADR purposes. My plan is to systematically create an increase in the number of ADRs. That's not to say that we're going to create new disputes that require ADR services. It's just a repositioning of how we offer those services within the current environment.

We're currently in the process of building enhanced expertise internally. Simultaneously, we're looking at a plan as to how we can make ADR services more available to a larger community. By year three we expect to see that enhanced caseload, and by year five we anticipate having a unit dedicated to ADR services. That's a tangible outcome from a five-year perspective.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

How do you think that will benefit staff morale? What is your expectation for the people you're going to drag along on this journey?

[Alexander Jeglic]

That's a fair question. To be honest, one of the things that I wanted to do upon taking on the new role was to meet one-on-one with the employees. I've had the chance to meet approximately 75% of the employees. In everything I'm hearing, there's a genuine excitement about the vision that I've laid out. The vision would be consistent with what I've spoken to today, which is simplification, increased transparency, knowledge deepening and sharing, and the ADR growth.

I think one of the most exciting areas is that knowledge deepening perspective, because oftentimes we're limited by the facts of the complaint, so we're not able to do a much broader research position paper, but here, if we develop knowledge deepening and sharing as a fundamental underpinning of how we deliver on our mandate, I think that removes some of the limitations that the facts before us bring. We can get more to the root of the issues that exist so that we can better understand some of those themes that predominate year after year, and then, when we are asked for a position paper on a study, for example, we'll be able to provide that position paper very quickly.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Very good.

I have just one other question, really, and it relates to how you can work with other departments to encourage them and to see their performances in terms of the government procurement that gets out through other government departments and agencies. I know that it isn't a direct responsibility, but indirectly we have so many Canadian businesses, especially small and medium-sized ones, that are in touch with other types of departments and agencies and may not know about or have the tools to coach or to provide the best expertise and advice as you discover it. Is anything going to be done along those lines?

I come from an area with an auto sector. We've transitioned a bit to aerospace, medical devices, and other things, but sometimes there's confusion among departments on what's available and what's out there, and that can affect everything.

[Alexander Jeglic]

Right, and in that regard, we do touch on a number of departments. We see ourselves very much as a resource. It's about connecting the dots.

If one department is unaware of practices that are available in terms of best practices at other departments, it's our responsibility to make sure that those two departments are speaking to one another. Obviously, PSPC would be a centre of excellence in terms of procurement practices; however, maybe not always best practices in terms of all issues. We would be aware of those through our connection to other departments, and we'd be able to connect those dots.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair. Those are my questions.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you, Mr. Masse.

Mr. Peterson, you have seven minutes.

[Kyle Peterson, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Thank you for being here. I'm going to follow up on my questions on the process. Being a lawyer myself and spending some time in litigation in the contract world as well, it's nice to see lawyers land on their feet. I always take pride in the fact that there's always hope for lawyers in our society.