FSTII DECISION MAKING PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA

Public Works and Government Services # 2000250472

ADVANCE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE :

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ADVANCE CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE

Publication report and advisory services on science program facilities and infrastructure in Canada

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, during the fifteen calendar day posting period, a statement of capabilities that meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, the competitive requirements of the government's contracting policy have been met. Following notification to suppliers not successful in demonstrating that their statement of capabilities meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contract may then be awarded using the Treasury Board's electronic bidding authorities.

The purpose of this Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) is to signal the government's intention to award a contract for these services to The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA). Before awarding a contract, however, the government would like to provide other suppliers with the opportunity to demonstrate that they are capable of satisfying the requirements set out in this Notice, by submitting a statement of capabilities during the 15 calendar day posting period.

If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a statement of capabilities meeting the requirements set out in the ACAN, a contract will be awarded to the pre-selected supplier.

The proposed contract is for a period of 4 months, from (January 7th, 2019) to (April 30th, 2019).

The estimated value of the contract, is $252,435.00, plus HST.

1.0 TITLE:

1.1 FSTII Decision Making Principles and Criteria

2.0 INTRODUCTION

The Federal Science and Technology Infrastructure Initiative (FSTII) is seeking an assessment of the evidence on decision-making processes that can inform and guide the selection of investment proposals for federal science and technology infrastructure investments as community-based science infrastructure plans and portfolio plans are developed over the 25-year horizon of the FSTII program.

As part of its Phase 1 FSTII activities, and in preparation for receiving proposals, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), the co-lead department on FSTII, is seeking to engage an independent contractor to provide evidence and expert-based input on:

 Processes and advisory structures for decision making; and

 Related principles and criteria for deciding upon investment opportunities.

3.0 BACKGROUND

In its 2018 budget, the Federal Government committed $2.8 billion to renew its science laboratories through the Federal Science and Technology Infrastructure Initiative (FSTII). The investment enables the government to rethink how government supports science. One of the components of FSTII is to allow for the construction of multi‐purpose, collaborative facilities that bring together federal scientists from across different departments to pursue collaborative science to amplify science outcomes. In particular it, allows the government to consider how its current federal S&T real property investments can be utilized to better position Canadian federal science to overcome barriers to collaboration, be more efficient, and to build programmatic synergies.

Beginning in 2019, the Federal government is considering approaches to assess proposals that reflect this new vision for the federal science and technology enterprise as collaborative, adaptive, and efficient. Proposals may come from universities, provincial governments, or elsewhere, and offer collaboration opportunities for federal science priorities. The Government is also expecting that the new federal science ecosystem will engage more directly with Tri-Agencies and CFI, provinces, municipalities, the private sector, and Indigenous groups.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS/RESULTS

The Federal Science and Technology Infrastructure Initiative (FSTII) has a requirement to obtain the most experienced and qualified impartial, nonpartisan expert advisory services, evidence and information related to Canadian science program facilities and infrastructure, Canadian health sciences, engineering and research as it relates to the Canadian public interest in establishing a criteria and decision-making framework for deciding upon investment opportunities of science programs in Canada from a non-profit organization with board members that are independent. The FSTII requires to maintain complete objectivity for the Federal Government’s decisions upon investment opportunities as to ensure that investments to Canada’s science infrastructure are done in a manner that is in line with leading practices, is fair, transparent, free of conflict and conducted by Canada’s most distinguished scholars giving credit to the Federal Government’s decisions among Canada’s science community by

4.1 The Federal Science and Technology Infrastructure Initiative (FSTII) requires: expert advice, information gathering, and research, including workshop, panel support, and recruitment of workshop participants with extensive experience working with:

4.1.1 The Royal Society of Canada because they are the senior national, bilingual council of distinguished Canadian scholars, humanists, scientists and artists.

4.1.2 The Canadian Academy of Engineering because they are a national academy of distinguished professional engineers in all fields of engineering, who are elected on the basis of their distinguished service and contribution to society, to the country and to the profession.

4.1.3 The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences because they are comprised of Canada’s top-ranked health and biomedical scientists and scholars.

4.2 The Federal Science and Technology Infrastructure Initiative (FSTII) requires the production of a Publication Report on:

4.2.1 The information known about leading practices for evaluating proposals for science and technology infrastructure investments that is relevant to Canadian federal science for use in the future.

4.2.2 The identification of processes and advisory structures that have been used for reviewing proposals for significant science infrastructure investments and information known about their strengths and weaknesses.

4.2.3 The identification of guiding principles and criteria that can help assess proposals that support the federal vision for science in Canada.

5.0 JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PRE-SELECTED SUPPLIER

5.1 PSPC has invoked Public Interest Justification 10.2.1 Section 6 of the Government Contracts Regulations - nature of the work is such that it would not be in the public interest to solicit bids.

5.2 Under the section: 10.2.4 Exception (c) of the Government Contracts Regulations:

5.2.1 Any negative impacts to the department's operations if this requirement is competed, assuming competition is a viable option.

5.3 The nature of this work requires complete objectivity. Informing on Canadian decision making policies without force or coercion is important to public confidence and the integrity of the federal departments involved.

5.4 Soliciting bids on the open market invites unreasonable risks in maintaining objectivity within the process and will create security concerns for Canada’s ability to preserve a source of supply that may be necessary to ensure that future needs for the assessment of evidence on complex scientific topics of public interest to inform decision-making in Canada can be met.

5.5 Since the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) is a not-for-profit organization, funded and created by the federal government with the sole purpose of convening the best experts in their respective fields to assess the evidence on complex scientific topics of public interest to inform decision-making in Canada.

Public perception of the FSTII conducting work of this nature by anyone other than the CCA would be damaging to Canada’s ability to preserve this source of supply.

5.6 Public perception of federal government’s ability to maintain public confidence in the integrity of this initiative would be damaged and would have a negative impact on FSTII’s ability to deliver on investments deemed in the public interest.

6.0 MINIMUM ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it meets the following requirements:

•Extensive** experience working with The Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

•Extensive** knowledge of federal government research laboratories and facilities as well as federal government practices and policies with respect to management of such infrastructure and real property in general.

•Extensive** professional experience pertaining to research infrastructure and facilities not directly managed by the federal government, such as laboratories and facilities hosted/administered by universities or related research institutions.

•Extensive** experience on evaluating the best available evidence on particularly complex issues where the science may be challenging to understand.

•Extensive** experience pertaining to international initiatives related to Federal Science and Technology Infrastructure Initiative (FSTII).

•Vast knowledge* of current Canadian programs, policies.

•Extensive** experience in outreach activities on public policy issues such as panels or roundtables with key stakeholders in the science community, including postsecondary institutions, researchers.

•Extensive** experience convening experts from across Canada and abroad to evaluate the best available evidence on complex scientific topics of public interest.

•Extensive** experience in developing policy papers pertaining to the following subject matter; climate change, health, indigenous and northern affairs research, public safety, science technology and research innovation.

•Extensive** experience in working with the federal government;

•Extensive** experience in overseeing strategic Canadian policy development and communication processes;

•Ability to engage with multiple stakeholders from diverse fields such as academia, public administration and industry.

•Ability to provide services in both official languages.

•Strong credibility and existing relationships with the post-secondary research community.

* Vast knowledge is defined as thorough understanding of a topic, including the perspectives of different stakeholders and associated political, economic social and technical considerations. This understanding would normally be obtained through substantial research, stakeholder outreach and first-hand experience.

**Extensive experience is defined as a minimum of 4 years of experience of which one is within the last year.

7.0 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The ownership of intellectual property will rest with the Government of Canada because the intent is to publically publish the resulting report.

8.0 RESPONSE

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to meet the specified requirements may submit a Statement of Capabilities in writing to the Contracting Authority identified in this Notice on section 8.1 or before the closing date of this Notice. The Statement of Capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is: January 7th, 2019. (16:30) Eastern Time (ET)

8.1 Inquiries

Inquiries are to be directed to:

Dominique Joanisse

Materiel Management Sector- Contracting and Procurement Division

Public Works and Government Services Canada / Government of Canada

Telephone: 873-469-3252, E-mail: Dominique.Joanisse@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

8.2 Statements of capabilities

Are to be sent electronically to the email address indicated above under article 8.1 or by hard copy to the following address:

Public Works and Government Services Canada

11 Laurier St, Gatineau, QC J8X 4A6 . (9C2 Unit # 59)

Gatineau, Québec

Attention: Dominique Joanisse

Public Works and Government Services Canada

ACAN File Number: PW-18-00857104

9.0 POLICY INFORMATION

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Canada-Panama Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA)

Canada-Columbia Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)

Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA)

Applicable Exceptions to Soliciting Bids for the Government of Canada for the following trade Agreements for which the service is not exempt:

-Chile Free Trade Agreement: Chapter Kbis-09(b) – where, for works of art, or for reasons connected with the protection of patents, copyrights or other exclusive rights, or proprietary information or where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons, the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists.

-section 12 (b) -– where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons and the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no alternative or substitute exists.