Federal government drafts new procurement policies

Public Works and Government Services Canada announced February 9 it is seeking input into a “Code of Conduct for Procurement.” The draft code will be of great interest to consulting engineering firms who do millions of dollars of work for the federal government on construction, environmental and other projects. Those engineering companies will want to see how the proposed code of conduct will affect the way the government hires their services in the future.
The government’s announcement said the code will consolidate the government’s existing legal, regulatory and policy requirements into a concise and “transparent” statement of the expectations government has of its suppliers and employees. It is been proposed as a step in implementing the Federal Accountability Act and Action Plan.
Michael M. Fortier, Minister of PWGSC, said “The Code will ensure that public servants and suppliers are working from the same concise statement of expectations that clearly outline what is acceptable conduct when contracting with the government.”
The draft code is available at www.pwgsc.gc.ca/acquisitions/text and through MERX the government’s electronic tendering system. On-line consultations have been open since February 9 and stay open to March 7, 2007.