EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

Trade Agreement: NONE
Tendering Procedures: 
Attachment: None
Competitive Procurement Strategy: N/A - P&A/LOI Only
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirements: 
EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES

EN578-133309/B
Buck, Daniel
Telephone No. - (613) 998-8588
Fax No. - (613) 993-2581


THIS IS THE SECOND CONSULTATION FOR:

REQUEST FOR INDUSTRY COMMENTS (RFIC) ON  
THE PROCUREMENT STRATEGY FOR 
EVENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES 
FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Responses must be submitted by 2:00 pm Eastern Daylight Savings
Time on
Monday July 8, 2013


1.	NATURE OF REQUEST FOR INDUSTRY COMMENTS

This is not a bid solicitation. This RFIC will not result in the
award of any contract, therefore, potential suppliers of any
goods or services described in the attached project outline
should not earmark stock or facilities, nor allocate resources,
as a result of any information contained in this RFIC. Nor will
this RFIC result in the creation of any source list, therefore,
whether or not any potential supplier responds to this RFIC will
not preclude that supplier from participating in any future
procurement. Also, the procurement of any of the goods and
services described in this RFIC will not necessarily follow this
RFIC. This RFIC is simply intended to solicit feedback from
industry with respect to the matters described in this RFIC.

2. 	NATIONAL PROCUREMENT STRATEGY FOR COMMUNICATION SERVICES

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) has
undertaken a review of how communication services are procured
for federal government departments with the objective of
developing a national procurement strategy. The review has
identified strengths in the current process; it has also
uncovered areas of opportunity that, if leveraged, should
benefit government departments, existing and potential
suppliers, and Canadians overall. More specifically,
standardized approaches to procurement should lead to enhanced
transparency, greater efficiency and more predictability.

This National Procurement Strategy for Communication Services
(the Strategy),  published on the Government Electronic
Tendering System (GETS) in February, 2013,  aims to provide a
Canada-wide approach. When implemented, this approach will
improve the ease and effectiveness of the procurement process
for all stakeholders. 

Event Management Services is a sub-category under the Strategy. 
In accordance with the strategic direction outlined in the
Strategy, PWGSC is seeking to improve the procurement process
for Event Management Services by increasing communications with
stakeholders through the establishment of supplier-based working
groups. 

This Request for Industry Comment is further to a meeting with
the supplier-based working group for Event Management Service
that took place on May 22, 2013. The goals of this meeting were
to determine whether event management suppliers wanted to have a
new tool or tools established for the procurement of event
management services, and if so, which procurement vehicle(s)
was/were most appropriate. As a result of the discussion from
the meeting, we determined that suppliers would prefer if PWGSC
established supply arrangements for the procurement of event
management services.   

Interested suppliers are invited to comment on the draft Request
for Supply Arrangement (RFSA) and provide suggestions related to
the development of the new procurement vehicle. 

Suppliers may submit their comments to Daniel Buck at:
daniel.buck@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca.   
3.		CONTENT OF THIS RFIC

This RFIC contains a draft of the Request for Supply Arrangement
(RFSA). This document remains a work in progress and respondents
should not assume that new clauses or requirements will not be
added to any future bid solicitation that is ultimately
published by Canada. Nor should respondents assume that none of
the clauses or requirements will be deleted or revised. Comments
regarding any aspect of the document are welcome.

4.		NATURE AND FORMAT OF RESPONSES REQUESTED

Respondents are requested to provide their comments, concerns,
and, where applicable, any recommendations that could improve
the procurement strategy. Respondents should explain any
assumptions they make in their responses.

5.		RESPONSE COSTS

Canada will not reimburse any respondent for expenses incurred
in responding to this RFIC.

6.			TREATMENT OF RESPONSES

Use of Responses:  Responses will not be formally evaluated.
However, the responses received may be used by Canada to modify
procurement strategies or any documents contained in this RFIC.
Canada will review all responses received by the RFIC closing
date. Canada may, in its discretion, review responses received
after the RFIC closing date.

Review Team:  A review team composed of representatives from
PWGSC and, possibly, other government departments, will review
the responses on behalf of Canada. Canada reserves the right to
hire any independent consultant, or use any Government
resources, which it deems necessary to review any response. Not
all members of the review team will necessarily review all
responses.

Confidentiality:  Respondents should mark any portions of their
response that they consider proprietary or confidential. Canada
will treat those portions of the responses as confidential to
the extent permitted by the Access to Information Act.

Follow-up Activity:  Canada may, in its discretion, contact any
respondents to follow up with additional questions or for
clarification of any aspect of a response.

7.		ENQUIRIES

Because this is not a bid solicitation, Canada will not
necessarily respond to enquiries in writing or by circulating
answers to all potential suppliers. However, respondents with
questions regarding this RFIC may direct their enquiries to:

Daniel Buck at 613-998-8588
or by email at: daniel.buck@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca

8.			SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

Time and Place for Submission of Responses:  Suppliers
interested in providing a response should deliver it directly to
the Contracting Authority by the time and date indicated on page
1 of this solicitation document. The preferred method of
response is by email at: 

daniel.buck@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca
 
Responsibility for Timely Delivery: Timely delivery and correct
direction of responses is the sole responsibility of the
respondent. PWGSC will not assume or have transferred to it
those responsibilities.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the
Contracting Officer named above.

9.			SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
			
Procurement Strategy
In your opinion, are the Evaluation Criteria sufficiently clear?
Are there any requirements and/or items that are unclear or that
would unduly limit a qualified vendor's ability to submit a
response?
In your opinion, should the Evaluation Criteria and Basis of
Payment to be used in RFPs under the Supply Arrangement be
firmly or optionally prescribed for clients, if at all? If so,
what evaluation criteria should be included?
Do you favour a solicitation approach that invites all qualified
suppliers to bid on each requirement under the resulting Supply
Arrangements?
In your opinion, is a $400,000 (taxes excluded) threshold
sufficient for the procurement of most event management
requirements? If not, why?  

10.		DRAFT REQUEST FOR SUPPLY ARRANGEMENT

Please see attached.
Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any
procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.