Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I will begin by acknowledging that I am appearing here today on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.
We welcome the tabling of the Auditor General's report on the development of the ArriveCAN app, and we look forward to our discussion today.
I’m joined today by my colleagues Wojo Zielonka, chief financial officer; Dominic Laporte, assistant deputy minister of procurement; and Catherine Poulin, assistant deputy minister of departmental oversight.
Speaking as one of the key senior officials responsible for procurement, I want to acknowledge the complexity of the federal procurement system and recognize the immediate need to make improvements, particularly when we require professional services. The Auditor General’s report makes one recommendation that implicates PSPC—namely, that PSPC and CBSA should ensure that tasks and deliverables are clearly defined in contracts and related task authorizations. This is particularly key for PSPC, as it speaks to the division of responsibilities between PSPC and client departments.
Public Services and Procurement Canada, or PSPC, is the government's central purchasing agent, ensuring departments and agencies have the goods and services necessary to deliver on their various mandates.
In this role, PSPC establishes and administers central procurement tools, such as standing offers and supply arrangements, which client departments and agencies can then access directly.
We know there are concerns as to how the procurement instruments associated with ArriveCAN were used.
I can tell this committee that we have already introduced several new control measures that start to address the observations of the Auditor General’s report and also build on the procurement ombud’s report.
In November 2023, PSPC wrote to all departments, including CBSA, suspending all delegated authorities to authorize professional services-based task authorizations. In early December 2023, PSPC provided direction to its procurement officers to ensure that task authorizations include a focus on clear tasks and deliverables. Federal departments must now formally agree to a set of terms and conditions to access select professional services methods of supply.
Key changes also include the use of new contract provisions to increase costing and subcontractor transparency and provide important clarifications on the role of departments when using these instruments. The intent is to improve consistency in practices. PSPC is also updating its guidance to aid departments in procuring effectively and responsibly when using procurement instruments under their own authorities.
The Auditor General's report, along with the Procurement Ombud's review, underscores the need to strengthen specific areas of our procurement processes related to professional services.
We will continue building upon the actions we've taken so far and focus on a path forward to improve training, the procurement process and practices in order to optimize outcomes for Canadians.
Thank you.