Contracting Policy Notice 2026-3: Amendments to the Directive on the Management of Procurement to Streamline Requirements for Reporting and for Collecting Information
Date: April 30, 2026
Overview
The Directive on the Management of Procurement has been amended to streamline requirements for reporting and for collecting information. All current measures for transparency and accountability remain in place. These changes are intended to reduce duplication, clarify expectations, and enable departments and agencies to focus efforts more efficiently and effectively.
The changes take effect on , except where indicated.
Quarterly reporting to the minister on contracts with former public servants and the annual overview of expected contracts for the upcoming year.
The requirements set out in Appendix C, section C.4, have been rescinded. Departments are still responsible for maintaining the integrity and transparency of contracts with former public servants, managing any risks, and keeping records of their procurement decisions (see section 4.10.1.8 of the directive). All contracts over $10,000 must still be proactively published on the Open Government Portal, which requires identifying if a contractor is a former public servant in receipt of a pension under the Public Service Superannuation Act. Ministerial approval is still required for non-competitive contracts with former public servants exceeding $200,000 (see Appendix A, section A.4.1.1, of the directive). Departments retain flexibility to maintain their own internal reporting processes if they feel they need extra oversight for their situation.
Reporting to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) on emergency contracting.
The requirement for contracting authorities to send TBS a report within 60 days after entering into or amending an emergency contract or contractual arrangement (see Appendix C, section C.5.1) has been rescinded.
However, contracting authorities still need ministerial (or delegated) approval before using emergency contracting authorities (see Appendix A, section A.3.1.1.3). Before entering into an emergency contract or contractual arrangement, departments must confirm that emergency conditions exist, ensure effective governance and oversight, and fully document and clearly justify the decision to use emergency contracting.
Annual reporting on contracts and amendments valued at $10,000 and under will now be based on the fiscal year instead of the calendar year.
Because of this change, the reporting deadline will move from to . Departments will have six months to report instead of five, giving them more time for quality assurance. This new schedule also aligns with other Government of Canada timeframes, which helps keep reporting consistent across government.
This change applies to aggregate reports published on the Open Government Portal (see Appendix C, section C.2.5.2) and detailed reports submitted to Public Services and Procurement Canada and TBS (see Appendix C, section C.2.6). This change will take effect on , to allow time for updates to financial systems and the Open Government Portal.
Application
Departments are reminded of their obligations to ensure that decisions related to procurement are fully justified and documented. Accurate and complete procurement documentation must be created and maintained in the procurement file.
Departments must also ensure that proper controls, governance and oversight are in place to support stewardship and the sound management of procurement.
Senior designated officials for procurement are advised to update their departmental procurement management framework to reflect these changes to reporting and information collection requirements.
Enquiries
Questions about this policy notice or the directive should be directed to Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Public Enquiries at questions@tbs-sct.gc.ca.
Samantha Tattersall
Assistant Comptroller General, Investment Management Sector
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat