Public Accounts committee  I think, again, that the information reflected in the RFP was the best information that was available to the team. This was looking at the business volumes. This is not, Mr. Chair, one person drawing up this process; this is very much a team. These are four individuals on a dedicated basis—

Public Accounts committee  Thank you for the opportunity to clarify, because it's a very important question. I responded to the question in terms of normally--let me be as clear as I can--why you would go to a 75-25 technical to price. I tried to outline some of the factors that would contribute to that.

Public Accounts committee  Mr. Chair, I'd like to be clear here—

Public Accounts committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is just a fundamental point of accountability in terms of getting the requirements for an RFP. In other words, when a requirement for any service or any good is shaped, we deal very closely with the program departments, which can look at what is needed in the current environment and what is needed going forward.

Public Accounts committee  That was Mr. Goodfellow.

Public Accounts committee  The request for proposal for 2004—?

Public Accounts committee  Yes. It's a public document. Absolutely.

Public Accounts committee  There would have been an interdepartmental team that was part—

Public Accounts committee  It would have been an individual who works for me.

Public Accounts committee  No, I need to correct that, Mr. Chair. The process of designing the RFP and the evaluation criteria is very much a team effort. You need to understand that those evaluation criteria are framed based on the program requirements.

Public Accounts committee  The estimates of the anticipated business volumes that were included in the RFP of 2004 were based on the best information that was available in working with the program departments. We worked closely with them, looking at what the anticipated requirements would be. There was a team from the departments, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and ourselves that put together these numbers.

Public Accounts committee  Public Works and Government Services has a mandate to do the contracts for the Government of Canada. It is common business practice for Public Works and Government Services, if contracts are satisfied, to take the necessary action to replace them.

Public Accounts committee  It is very common to have the same bidder come in during the second process. There was no requirement in this incidence to disqualify any bidders from the first process.

Public Accounts committee  You need to understand that in terms of the allegations and the perception of a conflict of interest, that was with respect to Public Works and Government Services. Unless there were well-founded grounds to disqualify suppliers from the process, it would be very normal.

Public Accounts committee  We'll make the documents available for the basis upon which the 75-25 split was derived. It was a function of looking at the importance of ensuring quality services, making sure that any service provider could meet the requirements in a very complex field. It looks at the impact on the National Defence and RCMP employees and their families.