ARCHIVED - Public Works and Government Services Canada

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

Table 4 – Status Report on Major Crown Projects

Long-Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct

1. Description

PWGSC is the custodian of the buildings and grounds within the Parliamentary Precinct. Part of this important mandate is to maintain the historical and architectural integrity of these assets.

A Long Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) for the Parliamentary Precinct was developed to help guide the fulfillment of this mandate. It was originally approved in 2001. In May 2005, Cabinet instructed the Minister of PWGSC to return with options to revise the LTVP and its associated costs.

A revised LTVP was presented and approved by Cabinet in June 2007. This update which was undertaken in conjunction with the Parliamentary Partners - the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament, established a comprehensive approach for rehabilitating the heritage buildings, providing additional parliamentary accommodations and creating a secure and welcoming environment for parliamentarians, staff, visitors and tourists.

One of the key features of the 2007 LTVP is a new Implementation Strategy. This strategy is composed of a broad strategic direction and a series of cyclical five-year programs. These cycles provide greater flexibility in planning and implementation based on changing government and parliamentary priorities, building conditions, etc. This flexibility allows for more accurate costing and more realistic project timelines.

Each five-year program is composed of three components:

1. The Major Capital Program of the first five-year program of work will focus on advancing the critical West Block Program. The West Block Program includes:
   1. Securing space in order to be able to empty the La Promenade and Wellington buildings. This required the fit-up of almost a million square feet of space in seven buildings in the downtown core (C.D. Howe, Clarica, Confederation, 119 Queen Street, 131 Queen Street, 155 Queen Street, and 181 Queen Street) and the relocation of over 1300 parliamentary staff and over a dozen major parliamentary support functions;
   2. Restoration and fit-up of the La Promenade building, Wellington building, former Bank of Montreal building and the construction of a new food production facility for Parliament Hill. These projects must be completed before the major rehabilitation of the West Block can begin;
   3. Stabilization and preparation of the West Block Building for the major renovation, including exterior stabilization of the building's masonry and towers; and
   4. The West Block's major rehabilitation and transformation to support the Chamber functions of the House of Commons (infill).
2. The Recapitalization Program includes a series of urgent building interventions (related mostly to exterior masonry repairs) required to ensure the ongoing viability of buildings and address health and safety issues. These projects are a part of the full restoration work that will ultimately be done on these buildings and by undertaking them early will ensure that future projects are less complicated and costly. The major focus of this Program for the first five years includes:
   1. Centre Block rehabilitation of portions of the roof and ventilation towers;
   2. East Block exterior envelope repair of the 1867 wing with an initial focus on the north-west tower and the south-east corner;
   3. Confederation Building repairs to the entire building envelope, including masonry, windows and roof;
   4. Emergency work required - for example, the West Block water main; and
   5. Ground work such as the North perimeter wall and slope stabilization.
3. The Planning Program focuses on the development of more refined plans and reliable cost estimates for projects in the next five-year Program. This includes:
   1. East Block renovation and Infill Feasibility Study;
   2. Security and Visitor Services Facility - Feasibility Study;
   3. West Sector Master Plan; and
   4. Centre Block Renovations.

An important element in the LTVP is the strong reporting framework that enables the Parliamentary Partners and PWGSC to set both long-term direction and achieve immediate priorities. The revised LTVP has strong oversight and accountability measures that will ensure more effective management of the costing, planning and scheduling of the LTVP through new government approvals every five years. In addition to the annual Departmental Performance Report, the Parliamentary Precinct provides regular quarterly report cards to the Minister and the Parliamentary Precinct Oversight Advisory Committee. An annual report on progress of the LTVP program to the Treasury Board Secretariat is also provided.

2. Project Phase

Ongoing

3. Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

Lead Department	PWGSC
Contracting Authority	PWGSC
Participating Departments	Senate of Canada, House of Commons, Library of Parliament
Consultations and Approvals with	The National Capital Commission (NCC) and Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office (FHBRO)

4. Prime Contractors and Major Sub-Contractors

Prime Contractor	See separate notes for each of the following projects: West Block Renovation Program and Wellington Building Renovation Project.
Major Subcontractor(s)

5. Major Milestones

Milestone	RPP 2007-2008	DPR 2007-2008
Memorandum to Cabinet - Update on the LTVP for the Parliamentary Precinct	Not included	Completed - July 2002
Memorandum to Cabinet - LTVP for the Parliamentary Precinct - Update	Not included	Completed - May 2005
Memorandum to Cabinet - The Long Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct - Update 2007	Not included	Completed - June 2007

6. Progress Report and Explanations of Variances

Progress against each of the three programs in fiscal year 2007-2008 to-date is highlighted below:

1. The Major Capital Program continues to focus on advancing the critical West Block Program. This includes vacating and fit-up of key buildings to enable vacating West Block so it can be renovated.
   • 119 and 131 Queen Street - completed fit-up of these buildings in order to relocate functions displaced from the La Promenade and Wellington buildings. The La Promenade and Wellington buildings will be used as interim Parliamentary Offices and Committee rooms during the renovation of West Block and then Centre Block.
   • Wellington Building - awarded the prime consultant contract and advanced the concept design for this major rehabilitation and fit-up project. Also advanced a suite of 15 re-location projects to completely empty and de-commission the Wellington Building so that asbestos abatement, demolition and seismic reinforcement work can begin;
   • La Promenade Building - successfully completed the building demolition portion of the project, and started the fit up portion in Fall 2008. This project is on schedule for completion in Summer 2010.
   • Food Production Facility - construction commenced in Summer 2008 and is four to six months ahead of schedule and targeted for completion in Fall 2009;
   • Former Bank of Montreal Building - concept design nearing completion;
   • 1 Rideau Canal - awarded prime consultant contract. Construction will begin in Fall 2009 and is targeted for completion in Fall 2010;
   • West Block Rehabilitation - final design will be completed in Summer 2009. The project will then move into the development of construction drawings so that construction contracts can be tendered and awarded in 2010 when the building is completely emptied.
   • Southeast Tower Restoration project - successfully completed, under original budget, in Fall 2008. Valuable information gained from this pilot project is being incorporated into current and future Parliament building projects, e.g., seismic, masonry, asbestos abatement and roofing;
   • North Towers Restoration project - construction started in Fall 2008
   • West Block Investigations Program is ongoing - This is a proactive measure to understand the current condition of the building to ensure immediate Health and Safety measures are addressed.
2. The Recapitalization Program continues to focus on a series of urgent building interventions (related mostly to exterior masonry repairs) required to ensure the ongoing viability of buildings and address health and safety issues. Work has been initiated and includes:
   • Centre Block - project definition and determining scope of work for rooftop elements and towers;
   • East Block - project definition and determining scope of work to rehabilitate building exterior masonry;
   • Confederation building - project definition and determining scope of work to rehabilitate building exterior masonry and interior building systems;
   • Emergency work - West Block water main emergency repair completed; and
   • Grounds - continue work on the North Perimeter wall and North Slope Stabilization.
3. The Planning Program continues to focus on the development of more refined plans and reliable cost estimates for projects in the next Five-year Program. Work has been initiated and includes:
   • East Block - initiation of Renovation and Infill Feasibility Study;
   • Security & Visitor Services Facility - initiation of a Feasibility Study for Visitor Services and Screening;
   • West Sector Master Plan - to commence to initiate a West Sector Area Master Plan;
   • Immediate Security Measures - initiate studies for immediate security measures; and
   • Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography - initiation of a Feasibility Study for Committee Room use.

See separate notes for additional information on the following initiatives: West Block Renovation Program and Wellington Building Renovation Project.

7. Industrial Benefits

See separate notes for each of the following initiatives: West Block Renovation Program and Wellington Building Renovation Project.

8. Summary of Non-recurring Expenditures

See separate notes for each of the following initiatives: West Block Renovation Program and Wellington Building Renovation Project.

West Block Renovation Program

1. Description

The West Block, located within the Parliamentary Precinct, is the oldest of the parliamentary buildings located on the "Hill". The three-storey building was built in three phases starting in 1859 and was completed in 1906. The West Block provides accommodation for Members of Parliament (MPs) and for parliamentary functions and support services.

Renovations of the building are required for health and safety and asset integrity reasons. In order to implement the renovations, the building has to be completely vacated, thus requiring the provision of alternate accommodations for the MPs, parliamentary functions and support services. Consequently, the program of work will be undertaken in two phases.

Phase 1 involves:

• Emergency stabilization of towers;
• Repairs and conservation of the exterior masonry;
• Fit-up of alternate accommodations in the Clarica, C.D. Howe, La Promenade, and Wellington buildings for MP offices, support services and committee rooms; and
• The permanent relocation of the food production facility for Parliament Hill to a remote site.

Phase 2 involves:

• Fit-up of space in the former Bank of Montreal building to relocate Confederation room (Ceremonial Room 200);
• Asbestos abatement, interior demolition, and general rehabilitation of the West Block building; and
• Associated infrastructure to support legislative functions during the renovation of the Centre Block, including a courtyard infill to accommodate chamber activities and construction of a security screening facility.

The most recent Preliminary Project Approval (June 2005) in current dollars is $769.2 million (GST excluded) / $821.5 million (GST included). This approval includes most swing space projects, however, it does not include the funding for the Wellington Building.

The current schedule calls for MPs and support staff to vacate the West Block in 2010-2011 (Phase 1), with rehabilitation work (Phase 2) to start shortly thereafter.

2. Project Phase

West Block Building: Project Definition (Design); and
Interim Locations: Project Definition (Design), Project Implementation through Project Close-out.

3. Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

Lead Department	PWGSC
Contracting Authority	PWGSC
Participating Departments	Senate of Canada, House of Commons, Library of Parliament
Consultations and Approvals with	The National Capital Commission (NCC) and Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office (FHBRO)

4. Prime Contractors and Major Sub-Contractors

Prime Contractor	For the West Block building is a joint venture - ARCOP/FGM, architects - Montreal, Quebec For the La Promenade Renovation project is KWC Architects Inc., Ottawa, Ontario For the old Bank of Montreal building is NORR Architects, Ottawa, Ontario
General Contractor(s)	For the La Promenade building is Pomerleau - General Contracting and Construction Management, Saint-Georges, Quebec For the North Tower Restoration project is L'Unique Assurances G�n�rales/ASYS Realisation, Montreal, Quebec

5. Major Milestones

Milestone	RPP 2008-2009	DPR 2008-2009
Revised Preliminary Project Approval (PPA)	Completed - June 2005	Completed - June 2005
Partial Effective Project Approval (Phase 1)	Completed - June 2005	Completed - June 2005
$17.2 million Spending Authority Approved	Approved - December 2006	Approved - December 2006
Full Effective Project Approval (Phase 1)	February 2007	Approved - February 2007
Effective Project Approval (Phase 2)	Late 2009/Early 2010	Late 2009/Early 2010
La Promenade swing space completion	Late 2009/Early 2010	Summer 2010
MPs vacate West Block	Late 2009/Early 2010	Summer 2010
Major construction start	2010	Summer 2010
Major construction completion	Late 2018	Late 2018

6. Progress Report and Explanations of Variances

Variances of the Major Milestones:

Previous reported milestones have been revised to reflect progressive iterations of the various projects within the West Block Renovation Program. An active management approach has been instituted to avoid project delays, and lessons learned have been captured and are being applied to subsequent projects of this program.

In an attempt to accelerate the overall schedule of the West Block Renovation Program, we have undertaken a strategy to relocate committee rooms at the same time as moving Members of Parliament. This will enable the West Block to be completely vacant during construction, therefore reducing potential construction work delays and allowing for simultaneous construction activities, hence reducing the overall time to complete the project.

Progress Report and Status Update:

West Block Renovation program activities for 2008-2009 to date include:

• La Promenade building demolition project (Package 1) is complete. (Package 2) - Fit Up of the building, has been tendered and is on schedule, Construction scheduled for completion for Summer 2010;
• Bank of Montreal building - concept design nearing completion;
• Food Production Facility project - construction is commenced, ahead of schedule and planned for completion in Fall 2009.
• The West Block building design including courtyard infill is targeted for completion in Summer 2009;
• Southeast Tower Restoration project successfully completed in Fall 2008. Project completed under original budget. Valuable information gained from this pilot project will be incorporated into future Parliament building projects (seismic, masonry, asbestos removal and roofing).
• The North Towers Restoration project work commenced in the Fall 2008: and
• The West Block Investigations Program is ongoing. This is a proactive measure to understand the current condition of the building to ensure immediate Health and Safety measures are addressed. In addition, these investigations provide information to assist in the future planning of the building. Sensors have been inserted throughout the stone wall to monitor stone movement based on temperature and humidity changes. Work is being conducted with three Canadian universities to analyze and recommend approaches for seismic reinforcement; valuable information has been gained and will be incorporated into the design of the main West Block building as well as the Centre and East Block buildings.

7. Industrial Benefits

A number of multi-million dollar contracts will be awarded for the building construction phase, as well as for the Building Components and Connectivity (BCC) component of the project (information technology systems, multimedia systems, furniture and miscellaneous equipment). It is estimated that 8,500 jobs have and will be generated by the implementation of the West Block Renovation Program

8. Summary of Non-recurring Expenditures

($ Millions)	Estimated Total Expenditure (PPA - June 2005)	Actual Expenditures to March 31, 2009	Planned Spending 2009-2010	Future Years' Requirements
West Block Renovation Program (incl. swing space - excluding Wellington) (current dollars - GST excluded)	$769.2	$96.7	$75	$597.5 (PPA - June 2005)

Parliamentary Precinct Project - Wellington Building

1. Description

The Wellington Building is located at 180 Wellington Street, across from Parliament Hill. It is a six-storey structure first built in 1925 and later enlarged in the 1950's by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The House of Commons has been the major tenant since the Crown expropriated the building in 1973. Renovations of the building are required to address health and safety issues, replace obsolete building systems and meet building code requirements. The building will be completely vacated during the renovations. This project is a key enabler of the West Block Building Program, as the Wellington Building will provide interim accommodations for the West Block Committee Rooms during its renovation. It will also provide interim office accommodations for parliamentarians during the restoration of the East and Centre Blocks.

2. Project Phase

The work will be completed in two phases to expedite project delivery. Phase 1 will include interior demolition, asbestos abatement and seismic reinforcement work. Phase 2, dependent on additional funding, will include the restoration of the exterior envelope, renovation of the base building and fit-up the interior space. The planned start of construction is 2010. The entire renovation, including the ten committee rooms required to enable the West Block renovations, and the 69 parliamentary offices to facilitate both East and Centre Block renovations, are targeted to be complete in 2015. The current total cost estimate excluding swing space is $425.2 million (current dollars, excluding GST). Separate project approval has been received for alternate spaces at 181 Queen Street and 131 Queen Street.

3. Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

Lead Department	Public Works and Government Services Canada
Contracting Authority	Public Works and Government Services Canada
Participating Departments	House of Commons and Senate of Canada

4. Prime and Major Subcontractor(s)

Prime Contractor	Design consultant for the Wellington renovation project is NORR Architects and Engineers Ltd., 175 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3R8

5. Major Milestones

Major Milestone	Date
Preliminary Functional Program Completed	July 2007
Revised Preliminary Project Approval and Phase 1 Effective Project Approval	March 2008
Consultant Contract Award	August 2008
Final Functional Program	January 2009
Phase 1 Construction Start	2010
Phase 2 Effective Project Approval	2010*
Phase 1 Construction Completion	2012
Phase 2 Construction Start	2012*
Phase 2 Construction Completion	2015

^*Subject to additional funding

6. Progress Report and Explanations of Variances

The prime consultant has been engaged and has progressed through the analysis of project requirements and the completion of the final functional program. Many occupants and functions have been relocated to locations including 181 Queen Street and 131 Queen Street. Alternate space locations for remaining occupants have been defined, and several of the key relocation projects have obtained Preliminary Project Approval.

7. Industrial Benefits

Several multi-million dollar contracts will be awarded over a seven-year period for building construction, information technology systems, multimedia systems, furniture and other equipment. An estimated 1,500 private sector jobs will be generated by this project.

Government of Canada Pension Modernization Project (GCPMP)

1. Description

The GCPMP is a major component of PWGSC's Transformation of Pension Administration agenda. The purpose of this project is to renew PWGSC's pension administration systems and services, and transform its business processes. This will allow PWGSC to provide industry standard pension administration services to employees, employers and pensioners. Employers are looking to provide better and broader services to their employees. Demographic trends indicate that by 2016, approximately 40% of the current public service will have become eligible for retirement. As a result, increasingly large numbers of employees are seeking retirement counselling and want access to capabilities that allow them to analyze their pension benefit options. Similarly, demands for enrolment services are increasing as new employees are hired to replace retirees. At the same time, pension administration business units face significant losses of experienced, trained personnel, as approximately 42 percent of the compensation trainers, supervisors, managers, and coaches will be eligible to retire by the fall of 2009.

PWGSC's approximately 40-year-old systems and business-process infrastructure for pension administration are in grave need of renewal. The limited capabilities of existing processes and the archaic technology of the legacy systems severely compromise PWGSC's ability to sustain current service levels. As well, they severely limit PWGSC's ability to offer future services that are comparable to the delivery performance and cost-effectiveness industry standards.

Although the project is focused on the PSSA administration, the project will implement a multi-plan solution that will provide for other pension plans within the public service.

Since July 2007 the project has been completing its Implementation Phase, which is expected to take 4� years. The project will replace the current pension systems and business processes with commercial-off-the-shelf software applications and industry-standard business processes. Implementation is proceeding according to the following phased approach, which introduces new systems and functionality over five releases aligned with the centralization of pension services delivery from departments to PWGSC:

New system / functionality and centralized service	Target completion date
Release 1.0 - Implementation of Siebel Case Management software and a new Interactive Voice Response System / Centralization of Service Purchase services	Completed in February 2009
Release 1.5 - Implementation of enhanced case management applications, including document imaging capabilities / Centralization of Plan Enrolment and Orientation services	December 2009 / January 2010
Release 2.0 - Implementation of software functionality related to the administration of Contributor accounts / Centralization of services related to Pension Benefit and Survivor Pension Entitlements and Employer Support	June 2010
Release 2.5 - Implementation of software functionality related to the administration of Service Buyback, Leave Without Pay and Pension Benefits Division Act / Centralization of Leave Without Pay services	November / December 2010
Release 3.0 - Implementation of software functionality related to the administration of Annuitant accounts and accounting	October 2011

2. Project Phase

The two Transformation of Pension Administration projects, the GCPMP and the Centralization of Pension Services Delivery Project (CPSDP) are currently in their Implementation Phases. Implementation activities began in July 2007 and are expected to be completed in January 2012.

3. Leading and Participating Departments and Agencies

Sponsoring Department	Public Works and Government Services Canada
Contracting Authority	Public Works and Government Services Canada
Stakeholder Departments	Treasury Board Secretariat, Department of National Defence

4. Prime and Major Subcontractor(s)

Prime Contractor	EDS Canada Inc. (EDS)
Major Subcontractor(s)	James Evans and Associates, Siebel Systems, and Vangent (formerly Pearson Canada Solutions)

5. Major Milestones

Milestone	Date
Project Definition Phase (from PPA to EPA):
Preliminary Project Approval (PPA) received from TB	May 3, 2004
Release of draft RFP (Completion: May 2004)	May 25, 2004
Consultations with vendors (Completion: July 2004)	July 2004
Release of final RFP (Completion: September 2004)	October 22, 2004 (Release of RFP was delayed to allow the project to address feedback from consultations)
Close of bidding period (Completion: December 31, 2004)	January 31, 2005 (Bidding period was extended at the request of the bidders)
Evaluation of bids (Completion: March 2005)	May 27, 2005 (Completion date was deferred to accommodate the extended bidding period and the larger than expected number of bids)
Preparation of the TB submission for contract authority / Contract award (Completion: June 2005)	November 4, 2005 - Contract signed with EDS November 7, 2005 - Vendor began work (contract award was deferred to accommodate the extended bidding and evaluation periods. TB approved the contract award to EDS Canada Inc. on October 31, 2005)
Requirements Mapping and Gap Analysis These activities were rescheduled from original planned date of January 2006 to April 2006 following contract award.	April 2006
Architecture and Design (Completion: September 2006)	September 2006
Effective Project Approval (Completion: November 2006)	June 13, 2007 (Completion of the Treasury Board Submission was delayed to accommodate Treasury Board's request to prepare a single submission for both the GCPMP and the Centralization of Pension Services Delivery Project)
Implementation Phase (EPA to Close-Out):
Phase 5 - EPA Start-Up Activities (Completion: January 2008)	March 2008 (Final Crown approval and sign-off of vendor deliverables was completed March 7, 2008)
Phase 6 - Design, Construction and Implementation: Release 1.0 - Client Services Basic Case Management and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) (Completion: October 2008) Release 1.5 - Enhanced Case Management and Imaging (Completion: July 2009) Release 2.0 - Replacement of current system and business processes for the administration of active accounts (Contributors) (Completion: February 2010) Release 2.5 - Improved business processes and system functionality for the administration of Service Acquisition, Leave Without Pay (LWOP) and Pension Benefits Division Act (PBDA) (Completion: July 2010) Software Upgrade (Completion: Spring 2011) Release 3.0 - Replacement of current system and business processes for the administration of retired member accounts (Annuitants) and improvement of Accounting and reporting functionality (Completion: October 2011)	(See note below) Basic Case Management completed December 15, 2008 Interactive Voice Response completed February 2, 2009.
Phase 7 - Final Maintenance Transition (Completion: January 2012)
Phase 8 - Close-out Phase (Completion: January 2012)

Note: The dates for the implementation phase have been updated to reflect the implementation plans completed during the preparation of the TB Submission for EPA.

6. Progress Report and Explanations of Variances

Effective Project Approval was obtained in June 2007. After 2 years of implementation activities, the project is on schedule and within budget.

• Release 1.0 - Client Services: In February 2009, the project completed its first technology release, as well as the centralization of service purchase. The new Siebel Case Management applications, the Genesys software for the Interactive Voice Response system, and the centralized service are now in full operation in the Government's Public Service Pension Centre, located in Shediac, New Brunswick.
• Release 1.5 - Enhanced Case Management and Document Imaging functionality: Implementation activities for the second release began in June 2008, as planned. This release is now expected to be completed in December 2009, having incurred a three-month delay that will not affect the overall completion date of the project. This delay was primarily due to the focus of project resources on the resolution of some technical integration difficulties that arose during the previous release.
• Release 2.0 - Systems and processes to administer active member accounts (including the calculation of estimates): Activities for this release began in January 2008, as planned. Functional specifications for all core pension functions have been completed and the specifications for the remaining components are on schedule for completion in July 2009. Development of core pension functionality is progressing ahead of schedule and all development and implementation activities are on track for completion in July 2010.
• Release 2.5 - Systems and processes related to Service Buyback, Leave Without Pay, and Pension Benefit Division: The implementation of Release 2.5 functionality is expected to begin in September 2009 and be completed in November 2010.
• Release 3.0 - Systems and processes to administer retired member accounts and to perform accounting functions: Implementation activities for this final release are expected to begin in April 2010 and be completed in October 2011.
• Final project closeout is expected to be completed in January 2012.

7. Industrial Benefits

A multi-million dollar contract has been awarded for the COTS products, as well as for the implementation of the new systems and business processes, support services and ongoing maintenance. The products will include Penfax for core pension administration and Siebel for the Customer Relationship Management functions. Implementation of the new solution, business processes and associated business transformation, is the responsibility of the System Integrator, EDS Canada, to whom the contract was awarded. The implementation will be conducted in several phases over a four and a half year period (July 2007 to January 2012). During that time, it is expected that there will be some temporary positions required to support the system implementation and business transformation activities in both the National Capital Area and Shediac, New Brunswick. In the long term, the project will provide the infrastructure and processes essential to the sustainability of current pension administration operations, and positions, in Shediac, New Brunswick.

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page