PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NATIONAL PROCUREMENT STRATEGY

Trade Agreement: NONE
Tendering Procedures: All interested suppliers may submit a bid
Attachment: None
Competitive Procurement Strategy: N/A - P&A/LOI Only
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Nature of Requirements: 
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NATIONAL PROCUREMENT STRATEGY

E60ZH-110001/B

This amendment is raised to update the contact information.
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Public Release of the Final Professional Services 
National Procurement Strategy

Please note that although this is listed as a "Letter of
Interest", there is no requirement for Industry to provide a
response / submission to Canada at this time.  The purpose of
this Letter of Interest is to provide Industry a copy of the
finalized Professional Services National Procurement Strategy.

1.0	BACKGROUND AND SCOPE

The Professional Services National Procurement Strategy proposes
a consistent and uniform national approach for the procurement
of professional services through the five following key elements:

a.	Single governance on a national scale; 

b.	Common business rules; 

c.	Access through a single web portal known as the Centralized
Professional Services System (CPSS); 

d.	Increased support for building statements of work and
evaluation criteria; and

e.	Harmonized training for client departments and suppliers.

The strategy applies to professional services (both IT and
non-IT) methods of supply which are put in place by PWGSC for
use by client departments and agencies across Canada, for all
values of transaction.  Services covered under the strategy
include information management and information technology,
management, business and administrative consulting, human
resources consulting, training and learning services, audit
services, and others. 

Methods of supply which fall under the strategy include, but are
not limited to, the following:

· 	Task-Based Informatics Professional Services Standing Offer
and Supply Arrangement (TBIPS SO and SA)

· 	Solutions-Based Informatics Professional Services Supply
Arrangement (SBIPS SA)

· 	Task and Solutions Professional Services Standing Offer and
Supply Arrangement (TSPS SO and SA)

· 	Professional Services Online (PSO)

· 	Technical, Engineering, and Maintenance Services Supply
Arrangement (TEMS SA)

· 	Learning Services Standing Offer and Supply Arrangement
(Learning Services SO and SA)

· 	Professional Audit Support Services Supply Arrangement (PASS
SA)

· 	Cyber Protection Supply Arrangement (CPSA)

The procurement of Temporary Help Services will be covered under
a separate strategy, and is not governed under this National
Procurement Strategy for Professional Services. 

2.0	DOCUMENTS

For information purposes, the following documents are attached
to this notice.  These are:

a.	A summary of comments from industry, as well as PWGSC's
responses, followed by 	quantitative results of the supplier
consultation, which were gathered using an online 	questionnaire;

b.	The final version of the Professional Services National
Procurement Strategy, including a tentative implementation
timeline.

3.0	OVERVIEW OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS

As part of PWGSC's new Procurement Strategies for Goods and
Services process, the consultation with suppliers and client
departments played an important part in validating the proposed
strategy, and determining whether it met the needs of suppliers,
client departments as well as Canadians.  In addition,
consultation helped ensure that the procurement process was fair
and transparent, and allowed PWGSC to better anticipate issues
which might arise during implementation of the strategy.

Initial engagement

In November 2010, PWGSC conducted an initial consultation with a
cross-section of over 1,000 suppliers from the professional
services industry in order to identify priorities and concerns. 
 

This exercise was supplemented by several meetings with client
departments and agencies.  The feedback obtained during this
initial consultation helped form the basis of the proposed
national procurement strategy for professional services.

Formal Engagement 

A formal Request for Information (RFI) was posted to MERX on
August 12, 2011, for a period of eight weeks, and with a closing
date of October 7, 2011.  The RFI provided suppliers
with a draft of the proposed Professional Services National
Procurement Strategy.  Suppliers were requested to provide
feedback by means of a detailed, online questionnaire.  

The questionnaire, sought feedback on the following items:

a.	Whether the proposed strategy met its stated objectives of
reducing red tape, simplifying business rules, enhancing access
and reducing administrative burden;

b.	Whether suppliers agreed with the proposed business rules for
supply arrangements and standing offers, respectively; suppliers
were also asked to provide their comments on the proposed
business rules.

c.	Any other areas which should be taken into consideration.


4.0	GENERAL OUTCOMES OF THE CONSULTATION

·	Suppliers were in agreement that the proposed strategy met its
stated objectives.

·	Suppliers, to a very large extent, agreed with the proposed
business rules for supply arrangements and standing offers.

·	Suppliers who participated in the consultations represented a
good cross-section of large, medium and small suppliers. Several
industry associations also provided their feedback on to the
proposed changes.  Industry representation also included
suppliers based outside of the National Capital Region, across
all of Canada.

5.0	CONCLUSION

·	The consultation process helped provide PWGSC with valuable
information that will be    considered during the implementation
of the strategy.

·	There was a high level of support for the changes proposed
under the Professional Services National Procurement Strategy. 
Given this level of support, no modifications will be made to
the strategy that was posted under the original Request for
Information.  

6.0	NEXT STEPS

·	Progressive implementation of the various initiatives
identified under the strategy.

·	Progressive roll-out of the harmonized business rules to the
various professional  services methods of supply, as identified
in the tentative implementation timeline provided in the final
document of the Professional Services National Procurement
	Strategy, which is included as an attachment to this notice.

Enquiries can be made to:

 
Jean-Sébastien Deslauriers
Supply Team Leader
Telephone number: 819-934-1423
Fax number : 819-956-1432
Email address:
ServicesProfessionnels.ProfessionalServices@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca


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.