Procurement

Procurement at Shared Services Canada

Enterprise IT Procurement (EITP) ensures that the goods and services supplied by vendors and offered to our customers provide the best value for their business needs, are of high quality and are delivered on time.

EITP enables Shared Services Canada (SSC) to follow a strategic sourcing and procurement plan through the centralization of contract administration and the acquisition of IT and other goods and services.

With careful attention to overall strategy and supporting technology, this directorate effectively manages long-term partnerships and ensures that supplied goods are of high quality, are procured at the best value and are provided in a timely fashion.

SSC has established:

• strong procurement governance and oversight focused on reviews of procurement activities to make sure rules, policies and laws are being followed

• a strong challenge function to validate technology decisions and make sure SSC negotiators have every possible advantage when negotiating large contracts
• strategies to maximize the consolidation of requirements for identical or similar equipment to drive better volume discounts
• agile procurement vehicles with pre-qualified vendors to increase procurement activity efficiency

SSC is dedicated to continually improving the way it procures goods and has made significant progress in reducing barriers to entry for small and medium-sized businesses and the inclusion of underrepresented socioeconomic communities.

SSC is committed to achieving the best value while obtaining the most secure and reliable information technology products and services for the Government of Canada and Canadians.

SSC conducts its procurement processes per the Government of Canada's Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments and the Directive on the Management of Procurement. Whenever possible, SSC uses competition to get the best value for Canadians.

Agile procurement

SSC is actively working with industry to make procurement simpler, faster and less administratively burdensome for businesses working with the federal government.

In 2019, SSC established the Centre of Expertise in Agile and Innovative Procurement, which has piloted using an open business intelligence platform, "TECH2GOV" Digital Marketplace, to access hundreds of Canadian technology companies that can provide immediate solutions in their areas of specialization.

The Centre has also successfully implemented Agile Procurement Process 3.0, a new methodology that simplifies some IT procurement processes, making them faster and easier for all parties, increasing participation from vendors.

Agile Procurement Process 3.0 was developed through extensive consultation and collaboration with industry stakeholders and will benefit all vendors involved in SSC procurement for IT goods and services.

With the support of industry partners, Elections Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and the Government of British Columbia, SSC undertook a new pilot called ScaleUp to empower micro- and small enterprises. This initiative aims to increase the diversity of bidders on GC contracts.

ScaleUp increases the diversity of vendors competing for federal government contracts, encouraging the participation of small and medium-sized businesses and businesses led by women, visible minorities, people with disabilities and Indigenous Canadians.

By being more inclusive of vendors from diverse communities, SSC increases the breadth of innovation and creativity involved in delivering government services to Canadians.

Green Procurement

SSC supports the Greening Government Strategy, led by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

By purchasing IT products that meet sustainability certifications (Green Electronics Council) SSC is using its buying power to help reduce the environmental impacts of GC IT infrastructure. The industry-certified products purchased by SSC from 2014 to 2020 will consume less energy throughout their lifetime, resulting in: