Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre Architectural and Engineering Services

Attestation of assurance

The fairness monitor (FM) hereby provides the unqualified assurance statement below concerning the Atlantic Service Enterprise Centre (ASEC) Architectural and Engineering Services procurement process.

It is our professional opinion that the procurement process that we observed or monitored was carried out in a fair, open, and transparent manner.

Original signed by:

Project requirement

Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Consulting Inc. (RCGT) was engaged on November 5, 2020, as a FM to observe the procurement process for the ASEC Architectural and Engineering Services project, issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) under bid solicitation EC015-220101/A. RCGT is an independent third party with respect to this activity.

This report covers the activities of the FM, during the entire procurement process from November 5, 2020, to September 24, 2021. RCGT reserves the right, but will be under no obligation, to review and/or revise the report if further information that may impact our observations becomes known to us after the date of this report.

The Moncton ASEC project is being undertaken to address 2 related requirements:

• an urgent requirement for upgraded science facilities and infrastructure to enable and accomplish world-class science and to address poor conditions and functional limitations associated with existing assets; as part of the Federal Government’s priority for the renewal of federal science infrastructure
• the non-science accommodation needs of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Gulf regional headquarters.

The purpose of the project is to provide architectural and engineering services (PWGSC undertook a separate procurement process for construction management services). The scope of the services includes:

• detailed investigation and analysis of project requirements
• validation of design and implementation options
• support to obtain necessary approvals

We reviewed all of the information provided and observed all relevant activities. This report includes:

• our attestation of assurance
• a summary of the scope and objectives of our assignment
• relevant observations from the activities undertaken

Fairness monitoring engagement and observations

In accordance with the terms of our engagement we:

• familiarized ourselves with the relevant documents
• observed the entire procurement process
  • procurement planning/pre-issue
  • posting period
  • solicitation closing
  • bid evaluations
• identified fairness-related matters to the contracting authority (CA) ensuring that responses and actions were reasonable and appropriate

Request for proposal phase

The following activities were performed during this phase:

• From April 11, 2021, to May 5, 2021
  • A review of the request for proposals (RFP) was performed and questions, comments and identified issues were discussed
  • RCGT received the first draft of the RFP on April 11, 2021
  • The RFP was posted on buyandsell.gc.ca on April 26, 2021
  • 12 amendments to the RFP were issued, from May 6, 2021, to June 18, 2021, respectively
• From May 5, 2021, to June 17, 2021
  • A review of all questions and answers responses and the corresponding RFP amendments was conducted
• On May 21, 2021
  • RCGT attended a Zoom videoconference for the industry session regarding the indigenous benefit plan
  • The videoconference call gave an overview of the community needs and their impact on the RFP

The RFP closed on June 23, 2021, at 2:00 Eastern daylight time.

In accordance with the terms of our engagement, we familiarized ourselves with the relevant documents, observed the activities above, identifying fairness-related matters to the CA, and ensured that responses and actions were reasonable and appropriate.

The FM provided to the CA minor comments to the proposed RFP document and related amendments which were appropriately resolved by the CA. There are no unresolved matters related to the RFP phase, nor any observations to report which would impact our attestation.

Evaluation phase

The following activities were performed:

• reviewed the following documents:
  • evaluation criteria
  • technical evaluation plan
  • technical evaluation grids
  • bidders’ responses
  • financial evaluation worksheets
  • price certification
  • final evaluation/selection document
• attended the evaluation kick-off meeting on July 2, 2021, and observed the following
  • orientation/instructions provided to evaluators
  • evaluation grids provided to evaluators
• attended the technical evaluation consensus meetings on August 30 and 31; and on September 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16, 2021, and observed the following
  • the application of the evaluation process including observing the consensus meetings of the evaluation team related to the mandatory requirements
  • the review of the roll-up of evaluation results
• reviewed documentation related to the financial evaluation on September 24, 2021, and observed the following
  • process to complete financial evaluation forms
  • signed evaluation documents
  • calculation of final scores
  • price certification assessment
  • final evaluation/selection document

Six bids were received, of which 5 bids were evaluated (the sixth bid did not meet the mandatory requirements for the indigenous benefit plan). The evaluators performed individual evaluations first and then conducted a meeting to come to a consensus score for the mandatory criteria. The meeting was mediated by the technical authority. Four of the 5 evaluated bids met the mandatory and rated requirements.

The consensus meetings concluded, and the evaluators reviewed and signed off on the consensus evaluations.

The FM did not identify any concerns with the evaluation process. There are no unresolved matters related to the evaluation phase, nor any observations to report which would impact our attestation.

Reference documents

Documents related to solicitation EC015-220101/A are available on CanadaBuys or through the project office.

Addendum to the final report

November 10, 2022

Addendum to the final report dated September 27, 2021 for the ASEC Architectural and Engineering Services procurement process.

This addendum covers the period following the conclusion of the evaluation phase including contract award and debriefings.

RCGT reviewed all the information provided and observed or monitored all relevant activities of the contract award and debriefing activity, as identified in this report.

We hereby submit the FM’s addendum to the final report, which is based on information made available to us by the CA from September 28, 2021 to November 15, 2021.

The following activities were performed or monitored during this phase:

• a review of a contract award letter and 5 regret letters to be issued to bidders was performed (no fairness issues were identified)
• attended debriefing sessions as requested by the CA (no unresolved fairness issues were identified).

There are no unresolved matters related to the contract award and debriefing activity, nor any observations to report which would impact our attestation.

RCGT reserves the right, but will be under no obligation, to review and/or revise the report if further information that may impact our observations becomes known to us after the date of this report.

Attestation of assurance

Based on the activities performed or monitored and described in this report, the FM hereby provides the unqualified assurance statement below concerning the contract award and debriefing activity for the ASEC Architectural and Engineering Services project.

It is our professional opinion that the contract award and debriefing activity that we observed or monitored was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner.

Original signed by: