ARCHIVED - Correctional Service Canada

1.  Role played by procurement and contracting in delivering programs

Contracting and Materiel Services (CMS) divisions play an important role in CSC's day to day operations. Their responsibilities are many and varied.

The Service's Contract Review Boards (CRB) and the trained and dedicated Personnel from the CMS divisions are the front-line review experts who ensure that contracting and materiel management policies and delegated authorities are properly administered.

2.  Overview of how the department manages its contracting function

CSC operates in a decentralized environment with procurement personnel not only at Headquarters, but also in regional and institutional offices. Contracting authority, in most cases, is delegated to purchasing managers across CSC for the purchase of goods and services up to $5,000 and for call ups against Standing Offer Agreements.

CSC's contracting functional authority awards most contracts above this amount and, in addition, provides advice, guidance and training to managers on policy and procedures. This reflects the department's aim to put into place the delegations necessary for managers to deliver quality services and programs to our clients within a reasonable time frame.

All significant requests for contracts are reviewed by a national or regional CRB, our challenge mechanisms and decision making bodies to oversee our contracting processes. A National Standard Contracting delegation instrument with a checklist (questions to be asked) has been promulgated.

In calendar year 2006, CSC awarded 72,500 contracts and amendments for a value of $338,000,000.

3.  Progress and new initiatives enabling effective and efficient procurement practices

CSC continues to use the tools developed by CMS to monitor and heighten the visibility and reporting of contracting activities and emphasize the use of good contracting practices. Examples of this activity is:

The creation of electronic information and reports that will enhance the accuracy of our year end Purchasing Activity information to be entered into the PWGSC system.

Several hundred of our administrative and management personnel have received training related to the use of our National Contract delegation instrument.

All significant Agreements other than contracts are now being reviewed by our Legal services and CRB; these documents include Memorandum of Understandings, Partnership Agreements, Interdepartmental letter of Agreements, Service Agreements and other cooperative arrangements for services.

4.  Key Accomplishments

As part of the Treasury Board "Proactive Contract Disclosure Initiative", CSC identified and posted, on its web site, over 2,000 contracts above $10,000 that were awarded in 2006-2007.

CSC continued to promote its approval of the "Professional Development and Certification Program" for members of the Procurement and Materiel Management community. Many of our members have begun to participate in the mandatory Fundamental courses that have been offered and have further enrolled in the Program.

We have reinforced our mandate of supporting CORCAN, a special operating agency within CSC that provides employment to federal inmates by ensuring that CORCAN is designated as a primary supplier for the goods and services that CORCAN provides CSC by using offender labour.

A rigorous internal audit of our contracting activities has confirmed CSC's effective and efficient procurement practices. The resulting audit recommendations were generally all administrative in nature.

1. Overview of how the department manages its moveable assets

CSC operates in a decentralized environment with personnel at Headquarters and in the regional and Institutional offices.

CSC uses an Oracle based Integrated Financial and Materiel Management system (IFMMS) including a Fixed Assets module. This module identifies CSC moveable assets for custodial purposes for assets up to $10,000 in value and identifies depreciable assets and expected life cycle for all individual items equal to or greater than this amount.

2. Inventory, life cycle and costs of moveable assets

The life cycle is based on Treasury Board standards for life cycle management.

3. Progress and new initiatives enabling effective and efficient Asset Management practices

In conjunction with IFMMS, CSC is developing a more in-depth life-cycle asset management system for CSC Informatics Technology (IT) equipment. This initiative will provide IT personnel with additional information, required for the life cycle management of IT assets, which is not included in IFMMS.