Giselle Valdez Soc helped procure millions of rapid test kits  

Giselle Valdez Soc has been working at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) for 20 years. As a procurement team leader, when she got the call to support the procurement efforts to fight the pandemic, she did not hesitate. 

When Minister Anand announced at the end of September 2020 that Canada had signed a deal to buy millions of rapid COVID-19 test kits and devices, Giselle allowed herself a moment of satisfaction for a tough job well done.

Leading to this public announcement, Giselle and her colleagues in the Western Region had spent weeks working behind the scenes, putting this deal together.

“This was a big contract, and putting it together was intense,” said Giselle. “But when it was finally announced, it was a really happy moment for us here in the Western Region. To be part of that was like, wow, we really are contributing and helping with this whole pandemic. It was a very proud moment for all of us.”

Giselle’s team worked tirelessly throughout the process, essentially putting together a contract framework to prepare for approval if, and when, it came.

“Health Canada needed to take the time necessary to make sure the rapid test kits met the acceptable standards, but from our side, we needed to be ready to move quickly with issuing a contract when product approvals were issued, and set ourselves up for success,” she said.

Connecting with her colleagues in the National Capital Region

From her office in Winnipeg, Giselle says working in collaboration with her colleagues in Ottawa and Gatineau brought her closer to the centre of government and made her and her team feel more connected and valued.

“I am grateful for the opportunities to collaborate with my colleagues in the National Capital Region,” she said.

“As a Western Region employee, having a working relationship with a director general, Alain Dorion, in Ottawa isn’t usual. I’ve certainly learned a lot about priorities at the senior management levels and the urgent requirements that they are required to respond to. And now, with the use of Microsoft Teams to meet virtually, collaborate and discuss our work, it’s become a game changer: our working relationships and meetings are more personal, and we can chat about things other than work,” she added.

Her motivation

Giselle says she had to summon all of her 20 years of experience in procurement at PSPC and her background from her Bachelor of Science (Microbiology) and Bachelor of Commerce degrees to get through the early pandemic months. Giselle and her team have since joined the Pandemic Response Sector, reporting to National Capital Region (NCR), and expects to be supporting the sector for the foreseeable future. 

“It’s what I signed up for,” she said. “I’m a public servant, and that means I am here to serve Canadian taxpayers.”

“My team and I have worked on high-level, sensitive contracts before, but obviously nothing like this pandemic,” said Giselle. “We volunteered for this as a Western Region team, and it is a great team,” she added. “They have all rolled up their sleeves and done what they needed to do and being part of it has brought a lot of meaningful realizations to all of us. I’ve learned that with determination and resilience, you can overcome challenges you thought were impossible to overcome.”

For more stories like this one, check out The faces behind the masks.