Evidence of meeting #87 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was shared.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
As a senior government official responsible for protection and Internet security, you're surely familiar with the entire Canadian network and all the related security measures.
When it comes to the security of our electricity systems, including our nuclear, coal or hydroelectric systems, are we ready to respond to threats of massive global cyberattacks?
President, Shared Services Canada
This issue is not Shared Services Canada's responsibility. The issue is Public Safety Canada's responsibility and falls under its mandate.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Okay, that's fine.
I have one last question for you.
You conducted consultations online using a portal, and you received 2,500 suggestions for how to improve your services and find new solutions for persistent issues. What are the persistent issues, exactly?
NDP
Liberal
Ramez Ayoub Liberal Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, gentlemen.
From what I understand, one of the proposed changes is to improve the process for placing orders involving smaller amounts. This would be done in each department. In the past year and a half or so, 24,000 orders have been placed. Currently, each department carries out a selection process or determines its own needs, then passes over the orders so that you can follow up on them.
Do you think changing the process will result in any savings for your department? Will jobs be relocated, and will people do other things?
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Shared Services Canada
We are just beginning the analysis of the opportunities that will be available to us. The preliminary surveys identified that, by redirecting departments to existing standing offers, that alone would allow us to redeploy three full-time personnel to other procurement endeavours. That's strictly using existing standing offers, not other supply arrangements and other opportunities that may be available to us down the line.
Liberal
Ramez Ayoub Liberal Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Have you implemented or planned to implement a way to identify orders and to make the purchase price lower than the cost of doing business directly with Shared Services Canada?
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Shared Services Canada
Sure. We operate with three methods of supply: contracts, including task authorizations; standing offers, which are situations in which a vendor will commit to a certain price point over a period of time for specified goods and services; or supply arrangements, which provide a broader framework where there isn't quite the level of specificity of understanding of detail at the outset. Therefore, this vehicle provides an opportunity for solicitations directly by the requesting department to the suppliers, but within a framework that's already been devised.
In both the cases of the standing offers and the supply arrangements, there are no existing contracts. Neither party is bound or is—
Liberal
Ramez Ayoub Liberal Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
I want to clarify my question. I have only a few minutes.
Earlier, keyboards were discussed. For example, if a keyboard costs $10 somewhere and you can provide it for $5, I suppose there's a process that requires people to purchase the $5 keyboard through your department. Is there one?
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Shared Services Canada
The concept would be that Shared Services would establish, in one instance, a standing offer, known price points, known articles, or known services from which departments could then avail themselves and contract for those various articles or services. In the case of standing offers, the price points are predetermined and they are deemed to be acceptable to Shared Services. Where there is less specificity on the requirement and where supply arrangements are contemplated, there would be a solicitation, but within the framework that Shared Services would have established.
Liberal
Ramez Ayoub Liberal Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
In the departments, has a maximum contract duration been established? Is a department required to not accept a contract for a period of over one year, two years, three years or five years, for example?
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Shared Services Canada
If it's a standing offer, you're simply calling up for goods and services. If it's a supply arrangement—perhaps there is a service supply, for example—the terms of the supply arrangement will dictate the maximum duration over which that could take place, and that may fluctuate.
Liberal
Ramez Ayoub Liberal Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Is there a shared desire to change the legislation? Where did this request come from? Who took the initiative to ask for the changes?
Liberal
President, Shared Services Canada
It came from Shared Services Canada. Changes in responsibilities were made in 2015. Since then, we've wanted the legislation changed.
NDP
The Vice-Chair NDP Erin Weir
I understand there may be some other questions on the government side and I did allow the Conservatives an extra minute, so go ahead, Ms. Shanahan.
Liberal
Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC
I just want to clarify this, because I can understand.... When I was a banker taking in loan applications, it was just as much work to do a loan for $1,500 as it was for $150,000 or $1.5 million. Well, maybe it was a little more work for the latter. However, it certainly was the same type of work, so I can understand that the desire to reduce that workload for ordinary purchases and to be more nimble in response to the special needs of departments is very important. Can we understand then that the application of these changes to the existing legislation will indeed reduce the workload, because right now, is the workload really double what it should be and we'll be able to reduce it?
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer, Shared Services Canada
Thank you for that question.
We will reduce the workload in this sense. Departments currently package their transactions and send them to a single choke point, where they have to be entered into the system to be called up from a supply arrangement or a standing offer. That step of moving the requisition to Shared Services would be skipped. A department would be able to go directly to the vendor on supply arrangements or standing offers that have been set-up in the first instance by Shared Services.