About Smart Procurement

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The four elements of Public works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) Smart Procurement approach are:

When put together, the four elements help us achieve our goals of improving our services and providing positive outcomes for Canadians.

Early engagement

Early Engagement means establishing an early and ongoing dialogue between industry, client departments, and PWGSC throughout the procurement process. Engagement should begin as early as the needs identification stage. Early engagement mitigates risk, identifies innovative solutions, identifies security requirements and other factors potentially impacting project timelines, manages expectations and enhances competition by working to connect buyers and suppliers early on.

Early engagement can take place in many forms including, but certainly not limited to:

  • RFIs;
  • industry days;
  • informal discussions;
  • online questionnaires;
  • online collaboration tools;
  • focus groups; and
  • one-on-one supplier consultations.

Effective Governance

Effective Governance sets the ground rules for interactions between clients and suppliers and works to properly manage procurement decisions in order to mitigate risks and other issues that may arise in the procurement process. It involves the creation of project-specific structures to govern dialogue and ensure a common understanding of the engagement process. Effective governance promotes the effective planning and oversight of activities and resources.

Governance mechanisms may include:

  • large steps such as the creation of a procurement secretariat, or
  • simpler methods such as the creation of clear Rules of Engagement between all relevant stakeholders to direct interactions should any concerns arise.

Independent Advice

By seeking Independent Advice during the procurement process, PWGSC is informed by an objective unbiased, third-party advice that comes from a person or a group not directly involved with or affected by the environment of the project. This person can provide expertise, validation and advice to help inform procurement decisions.

Benefits for Canadians

Smart Procurement uses the procurement process as an engine for economic development. It ensures benefits for Canadians by considering potential socio-economic benefits for both Canada and Canadians. Read more about the Benefits of Smart Procurement.