The Procurement Ombudsman releases his 2020-21 Annual Report

From:  Office of the Procurement Ombudsman

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 17, 2022 /CNW/ - Federal Procurement Ombudsman Alexander Jeglic published his 2020-2021 Annual Report, which was tabled in Parliament by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement on December 10, 2021. The report provides an overview of the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman's activities from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

As procurement has been at the forefront of Canada's response to COVID-19, the Procurement Ombudsman reiterates the importance of transparency, and highlights the ongoing need to simplify the overly burdensome federal procurement process.

Quote- "This year, my office has also watched with interest the level of transparency surrounding emergency procurement, and plans to continue to monitor this issue in the coming year". ? Alexander Jeglic, Procurement Ombudsman

The Annual Report provides a look at the activities undertaken by the Office to strengthen the federal procurement community and engage with suppliers, including underrepresented Canadian business owners, to diversify the federal supply chain.

Quote - "My office continued our commitment in this area by hosting our third annual Diversifying the Federal Supply Chain Summit, geared toward connecting diverse business owners with organizations that can help them successfully bid on and obtain federal contracts"   ? Alexander Jeglic, Procurement Ombudsman

The report also presents the Top 10 federal procurement-related issues from complaints and stakeholder feedback received by the Office, including unfair or biased bid evaluations, overly restrictive criteria and issues of late payment.

The Procurement Ombudsman also continued to lead initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion both within Canadian supply chains and the federal public service.

Quote - "My office conducted a diversity survey of federal departments in hopes of obtaining baseline data on diversity initiatives in federal procurement." ? Alexander Jeglic, Procurement Ombudsman

Background Information

The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO) is a neutral and independent organization of the Government of Canada that helps resolve contracting disputes between businesses and the federal government. OPO investigates complaints and provides dispute resolution services to help parties get back to business when issues arise. OPO also reviews widespread federal contracting issues and provides recommendations on how to improve them.

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SOURCE Office of the Procurement Ombudsman