Skip to content

Canada’s new Procurement Ombudsman releases his 2017-2018 Annual Report

The federal Procurement Ombudsman, Alexander Jeglic, released his first Annual Report tabled in Parliament on October 3, 2018 by Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility Minister, the Honorable Carla Qualthrough.

The Ombudsman uses his Annual Report to share what he and his staff have observed over the past year regarding federal procurement. Key issues identified in the report include:

  • The need to simplify the procurement process, e.g. rules and regulations; resources required to respond to solicitations.
  • The difficulty qualifying for, and using procurement tools such as standing offers and supply arrangements.
  • Issues concerning the solicitation process including the application of rules, late responses or unanswered questions, the timing provided to respond to proposals and adequate solicitation notice
  • The unfair evaluation of bids and the selection process resulting in an unqualified bidder being awarded the contact
  • Concerns over the evaluation and selection methodology used by the federal organization which may result in unfair evaluation criteria or unfair selection methods
  • A lack of open communication between federal organizations and suppliers specifically in suppliers’ ability to contact federal officials or unsatisfactory debriefing material

For more information, read our Annual Report.

The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO) reviews complaints from Canadian businesses regarding the award of federal contracts, as well as the contracting practices of federal departments.  OPO also provides quick, inexpensive and effective “dispute resolution services” to suppliers and departments who encounter contract disputes.

If you have issues or concerns regarding federal contracting, please contact the OPO at 1-866-734-5169.  Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

To stay informed of OPO’s activities: