Public Services and Procurement Canada introduces Better Buying

The federal government has introduced a series of initiatives under the banner ‘Better Buying’ to make the federal procurement processes simpler, more efficient and more accessible for all suppliers and buyers.

Led by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), Better Buying includes implementing an electronic procurement solution to replace an over 20-year-old paper-based system, developing enhanced tools to track and manage vendor performance, simplifying contracts, updating the guide for procurement pricing, establishing an Accessibility Procurement Resource Centre, and increasing participation of under-represented groups and Indigenous-led businesses in federal procurement.

The plan is based on three pillars:

• Building a modern procurement foundation
• Delivering a simpler, responsive and accessible procurement system
• Advancing socio-economic goals, increasing competition and fostering innovation

One of the new initiatives is called, challenge-based and agile procurement, where the stated goal is to simplify and modernize procurement processes while obtaining the best information technology solutions for the government.

The government explains that through pilots launched in 2017, they are experimenting with an approach better suited to today’s fast-moving digital environment: the agile and challenged-based procurement. In this process, industry is solicited to respond to government’s challenges through an open, fair and transparent competitive process that doesn’t rely on long, complicated specifications and allows companies to provide alternative solutions that could serve government better.

Businesses are expected to benefit from being able to propose their best solutions while departments get access to the best information technology solution that meets their specific need.

Find out more at the Better Buying website.