The objective of government contracting is to acquire goods and services and to carry out construction in a manner that enhances access, competition and fairness and results in best value or, if appropriate, the optimal balance of overall benefits to the Crown and the Canadian peopleFootnote 1.
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) spent over $80 million on procurement activities in the 2018 calendar year. The department is trending upwards in procurement spending with over $57 million in activities in 2017 and over $51 million in 2016. Contracting and procurement is subject to extensive policy and reporting requirements. The Treasury Board (TB) Contracting Policy (2019) is the principle authoritative reference for government contracting activities. It outlines general policy and procedural requirements, rules for bidding and selection, contract award requirements, reporting requirements, legislative references and definitions.
Contracting is continually modernizing with several important change initiatives including a focus on social procurement, Open Data Canada reporting requirements, changes in departmental spending authorities, and electronic modernization of tools and practices.
VAC employs a variety of contracting and procurement mechanisms, including, but not limited to, competitive contracts, call ups against standing offers, non-competitive contracts, professional and temporary help service contracts, and purchase orders for goods. Contract requirements that are outside of VAC’s authority are sent to Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) or Shared Services Canada (SSC) for processing.