The Procurement Ombud releases his 2022-23 Annual Report

Ottawa, Ontario – November 27, 2023 – Federal Procurement Ombud Alexander Jeglic released his Annual Report for 2022-23, which was tabled in Parliament by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos on October 16, 2023.

The report summarizes the Office of the Procurement Ombud’s activities from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023, providing examples of how the office helped Canadian businesses and federal departments resolve procurement-related issues, sharing feedback received from businesses and federal officials, and highlighting how the Ombud is supporting government-wide initiatives to strengthen and diversify federal procurement. It also marks the end of a 5-year procurement practice review plan which examined 3 highest-risk procurement elements across the top 17 federal departments based on the value and volume of their annual purchasing activity.

The report highlights the Office of the Procurement Ombud’s (OPO) key role in:

• Connecting people: In 2022-23, OPO met with Canadian suppliers doing business or hoping to do business with the Government of Canada to give them information about services available to them, and met with government buyers (federal procurement officials) to advise them on how they could simplify procurement processes and improve fairness, openness and transparency.
• Resolving problems through collaboration: OPO continued to meet and collaborate with Canadian suppliers and departments to resolve procurement issues by providing formal and informal dispute resolution (e.g., mediation) services, and by offering practical solutions to procurement problems identified through systemic procurement practice reviews.
• Sharing knowledge: In 2022-23, OPO provided comprehensive analysis of important issues in federal procurement. OPO studied the state of Social Procurement Set-Aside Programs, in Canada and abroad, and the National Security Exception. Both reports are now published on OPO’s website.
• Promoting diversity and inclusion:  OPO continued to promote diversity and inclusion within federal procurement by actively participating in events designed to diversify the federal supply chain. Throughout the year 2022-23, OPO participated in outreach activities benefitting diverse suppliers. Additionally, OPO planned its 5^th Annual Diversifying the Federal Supply Chain Summit (the Summit), which connects underrepresented Canadian business owners with government and private sector organizations offering services that can help them obtain federal contracts. The Summit took place in April 2023.  

The 2022-23 Annual Report can be found on OPO’s website.

Background Information

The Office of the Procurement Ombud (OPO) is a neutral and independent organization of the Government of Canada that helps resolve contracting disputes between Canadian 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.