Government Operations committee  We're not a product development organization. We're a service delivery firm. The key for our firm is transparency within our own organization and with the organizations we deal with. That means transparency with the consultants we deal with and with the clients. We try to keep

Government Operations committee  I am in the same boat. It's outside our realm. I haven't had any direct experience with IRAP. Basically, my opinion is to put the money behind OSME. I would like to see an increased voice there.

Government Operations committee  I think there's that misconception that it's easier to deal with one organization than with several. I think that is a misconception. There are many examples of projects that have gone astray because they've been sourced to one large entity and they get out of control very quick

Government Operations committee  From a cost perspective, I can say that SMEs do a fantastic job of keeping costs extremely low. We're hands-on with our clients in the sense that we have good, solid, direct relationships with our clients and the people who work with us. I have never worked for a large entity,

Government Operations committee  No. We're hoping for the opposite. We're hoping for a greater voice under Industry. My business tends to be fairly flat in structure, but in most organizations there are a president, directors, managers, and people who work for them. If you're always questioning the people at th

Government Operations committee  We were making this recommendation because we feel that OSME under PWGSC would have to go up to bat against their colleagues in procurement. Under Industry, I think there would be a separation of that colleague environment; they wouldn't have to go to bat against their boss. Obvi

Government Operations committee  Exactly.

Government Operations committee  Unfortunately, some procurement officers see SMEs as difficult to work with. They like to work with one organization. In our experience--Jeff and our colleagues at CABiNET--we often come up against references that basically forbid us from going forward to respond to these RFPs. I

Government Operations committee  Mr. Chair, my name is Cathy McCallion, and I also own a small business here in the Ottawa region. I also hope to have my company continue to grow, prosper, and do more for our country. We are known for the quality of our work, and our team quickly gains respect from our clients

Government Operations committee  Thank you. My colleague is going to begin.