For immediate release
Ottawa, Ontario, December 15, 2010 – The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, today announced the appointment of Frank Brunetta as the new Procurement Ombudsman.
The Government introduced the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman in 2007 as part of the Federal Accountability Act to strengthen the confidence of Canadians in public procurement and sustain a fair, open and transparent federal government procurement system.
“Our Government delivered on this important commitment in 2007, and since then the contribution made by the Procurement Ombudsman has been valuable for Canadians,” said Minister Ambrose. “With extensive experience in Public Works and across the Government of Canada, Frank Brunetta is an excellent choice as the new Ombudsman to help ensure procurement can be as accountable and transparent as possible for Canadians.”
Since 1978, Mr. Brunetta has worked in the public service and has most recently served as the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Departmental Oversight Branch, for Public Works and Government Services Canada. Previous to this, he worked at the Canada School of Public Service where he prepared the School’s five-year review and report to Parliament, and at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as Director General, Special Initiatives and Director General, Audit and Evaluation Branch. Frank holds a master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Harvard University and is a graduate of the Queen's University Program for Public Executives.
Operating at arm's length from federal government departments, the Procurement Ombudsman is responsible for duties such as:
- Reviewing and recommending new departmental procurement practices to ensure greater fairness, openness, and transparency;
- Reviewing complaints from Canadian suppliers respecting the award of a contract for acquisition of goods below the value of $25,000, and services below the value of $100,000 and the administration of a contract, regardless of dollar value; and
- Ensuring the provision of an alternate dispute resolution process at the request of each party to a contract.
Procurement was an important part of the 2007 Federal Accountability Act, and as part of this commitment the Government has:
- Reinforced integrity provisions in contracts to preclude corruption, collusion, and the payment of contingency fees in the procurement process;
- Introduced a Code of Conduct for Procurement;
- Provided accreditation and training for procurement officers; and
- Helped to remove barriers to access for smaller vendors and vendors in all regions of Canada.
Since inception, the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman has delivered on its mandate by reviewing and responding to more than 1,000 complaints, conducting several practice reviews and facilitating contract disputes between suppliers and government departments.
This appointment will be effective as of January 4, 2011.
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For more information, media may contact:
Rebecca Thompson
Office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose
819-956-9549
Media Relations
Public Works and Government Services Canada
819-956-2315
Office of the Procurement Ombudsman
Media Relations: 819-947-9755
Information: 1-866-734-5169
Internet site: http://www.boa-opo.gc.ca/
PWGSC news releases are also available on our Internet site at http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/medias-media/index-eng.html.
