Project Management Support Services

Introduction

Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Consulting Inc. (RCGT) was engaged on September 28, 2020 as a fairness monitor (FM) to observe the Project Management Support Services (PMSS) for the small real property projects procurement process, issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada, as a result of bid solicitation EP758-210388. RCGT is an independent third party with respect to this activity.

RCGT reviewed all the information provided and observed all relevant activities of the procurement process, as identified in in the fairness monitoring engagement and methodology section of this report. We hereby submit the FM final report, covering the activities of the FM, from November 2, 2021 continuing through the conclusion of the evaluation phase on April 22, 2022.
This report includes:

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

Attestation of assurance

Based on the activities performed and described in this report, the FM hereby provides the unqualified assurance statement below concerning the procurement process for the PMSS for small real property projects project.

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

The Project Management and Delivery (PMD) sector of the Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch requires PMSS to be provided by highly experienced service providers in the field of project leadership, project management, and project administration. The mandate would consist in assisting the PMD sector with the day-to-day project management duties during the planning, design, and implementation stages of its program of work. This program of work includes the project inception/identification stages of future major projects for the rehabilitation of the Parliamentary Precinct, West sector; as well as the project inception to delivery stages for the Recapitalization and Building Components and Connectivity programs of the Parliamentary Precinct, the renovation and fit-up of other buildings to provide interim accommodation for members of Parliament, as well as the implementation of the Energy Services Acquisition Program’s User Building Conversion Program within the Parliamentary Precinct.

Fairness monitoring engagement and methodology

RCGT was engaged as an FM to observe the procurement process for the PMSS for small real property projects, and to attest to the fairness, openness and transparency of this monitored activity.

We reviewed all of the information provided and observed all relevant activities for the procurement process.

This report includes:

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

In accordance with the terms of our engagement, we:

• reviewed documents provided by the contracting authority (CA)
• monitored communications with proponents provided by the CA
• attended meetings that the CA requested our presence at
• identified any potential fairness-related matters to the CA
• ensured that responses and actions were reasonable and appropriate

This report is based on information made available to us by the CA from November 2, 2021 to April 22, 2022.

Request for proposal phase

The following activities were performed by the FM during this phase:

• from November 2, 2021 to January 6, 2022, a review of the request for proposal (RFP) was performed and questions, comments and identified issues were discussed
  • RCGT received the first draft of the RFP on November 2, 2021
  • the RFP was posted on buyandsell.gc.ca on November 17, 2021
  • 5 amendments to the RFP were issued, from November 17, 2021 to January 7, 2022, respectively
• from November 17, 2021 to January 6, 2022, a review of all questions and answers responses and the corresponding RFP amendments was conducted

The RFP closed on January 25, 2022 at 14:00 Eastern standard 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
• 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 by the FM during this phase:

• attended evaluation consensus meetings held on January 21, February 25 and April 1 and 20, 2022
  • observed the evaluation process including observing the consensus meetings of the evaluation team related to the evaluation criteria
  • reviewed documentation related to the evaluation results.
• reviewed correspondence issued to proponents, including compliance assessment reports

The evaluators performed individual evaluations first and then participated in meetings to arrive at a consensus score for the mandatory and point rated criteria. The meetings were mediated by the technical authority with support from the CA.

Four bids were received and evaluated for mandatory requirements. During the mandatory requirements evaluation, the evaluators applied the phased bid compliance process to 3 bids. After providing the bidders an opportunity to provide missing or additional information, only 2 bids met the requirements and moved to the point rated criteria evaluation. Once the consensus meetings for mandatory and point rated criteria concluded, the evaluators reviewed and signed off on the consensus evaluation scores. The remaining 2 bids were subsequently evaluated for the financial criteria and were deemed financially compliant. Using the evaluation criteria, the successful bidders were identified.

All comments or issues identified by RCGT throughout the bid evaluation phase were resolved by the CA.

There are no unresolved matters related to the bid evaluation phase, nor any observations to report which would impact our attestation.

Reference documents

The documents related to solicitation number EP758-210388 are available on CanadaBuys or through the project office.

Addendum to the final report

January 30, 2023

Addendum to the final report dated May 17, 2022 for the PMSS for small real property projects procurement process.

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

The FM 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 addendum to the final report, which is based on information made available to us by the CA from April 22, 2022 to January 30, 2023.
The following activities were performed or monitored by the FM during this phase:

• conducted, on May 12, 2022, a review of 2 contract award letters and 2 regret letters to be issued to proponents
  • no fairness issues were identified
• attended meetings, held by the CA, with one of the successful bidders regarding delays in issuing one of the contracts
• attended debrief sessions, on May 26 and June 9, 2022 as well as on January 30, 2023
  • no fairness issues were identified

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

The FM hereby provides the unqualified assurance statement below concerning the contract award and debriefing activities for the PMSS for small real property projects procurement activity.

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: