Public Services and Procurement Canada
Archived—Minister's message: 2019 to 2020 Departmental Plan

I am pleased to present Public Services and Procurement Canada's 2019 to 2020 Departmental Plan.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) supports the daily operations of the Government of Canada as a provider of goods and services for federal government departments and agencies. While our role is essential to government operations, we also actively contribute to building an inclusive, innovative and accessible Canadian economy and society.

The department's important work is led by experts in a broad spectrum of fields from professional purchasers and translators to banking experts and engineers. This plan outlines the key initiatives and priorities that will guide the efforts of these dedicated employees in 2019 to 2020.

My top priority is to ensure that public servants are paid accurately and on time for the highly valued work they do on behalf of Canadians. PSPC, working across government, has taken significant steps to reduce and resolve pay issues, and we continue to work with all stakeholders, including unions and employees, to help stabilize the Phoenix pay system. In support of this priority, we will continue to engage the private sector for innovative solutions, enhance services provided by the Client Contact Centre and fully implement pay pods in 2019 for all 46 departments and agencies served by the Pay Centre.

Important work is ongoing to deliver on Canada's defence policy: Strong, Secure, Engaged and the National Shipbuilding Strategy to ensure the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard get the equipment and tools they need to keep us safe and to protect our sovereignty. This work is also creating sustainable jobs and opportunities for Canadians. In 2019, the department will accept the delivery of the first and second offshore fisheries science vessels and the first of the arctic and offshore patrol ships.

Building a strong infrastructure does more than protect Canadians, it helps strengthen the Canadian economy and drive innovation. Through the federal science and technology infrastructure initiative, PSPC is working with other government departments and agencies to provide Canadian scientists with access to world-class facilities and tools to support scientific excellence and innovation, both now and into the future. Supported by a significant new investment of $2.8 billion in Budget 2018, in phase 1, we will focus on upgrading infrastructure that is in poor and critical condition.

As the central purchasing agent for the Government of Canada, PSPC manages approximately $16 billion of procurements for goods and services each year on behalf of federal departments and agencies.

We are building a world-class procurement system that drives value for money while advancing the government's socio-economic objectives, simplifying the procurement system for suppliers and client departments and delivering real results for Canadians. The department will move forward with the implementation of the electronic procurement solution, a web-based platform which will make it easier for government departments and agencies to procure the goods and services they need to deliver their programs to Canadians. The new system will also simplify how suppliers of all sizes and all regions of the country do business with the Government of Canada.

We will also take action to reduce barriers that prevent Canadians from fully participating in their communities and workplaces. PSPC has established the accessible procurement resource centre to help ensure the goods and services the government procures are accessible and usable by the broadest range of citizens and employees.

The restoration and modernization of Canada's parliamentary and other heritage buildings remains a key priority for my department. Now that the historic Centre Block on Parliament Hill has been vacated, work on its restoration can begin. In the year ahead, we will complete an assessment of the condition of the building to determine the full extent of the work that needs to be done. The results of this important assessment will inform the next steps in moving the project forward. The restoration and modernization of the Centre Block and other buildings of the Parliamentary Precinct will help ensure the buildings not only meet, but exceed current standards for accessibility and environmental sustainability, benefitting all Canadians for generations to come.

We are also leading the renewal of the Government of Canada workplace to enhance the way public servants carry out their responsibilities and deliver services to Canadians. In 2019, we will be piloting new approaches that create accessible workplace environments, enable greater collaboration and innovation, improve employee wellness, and reflect a more modern way of working in the digital age.

PSPC, through the Translation Bureau, plays an important role in promoting linguistic duality within the government. We will develop a quality evaluation framework for the Translation Bureau to improve its services and measure progress. There will be an emphasis in 2019 to 2020 on providing quality remote interpretation services and adapting to the rapid pace of digital transformation in linguistic services. This focus will include experimentation with artificial intelligence and other technologies. The bureau will also work to enhance its capacity to translate and interpret Indigenous languages.

This year's plan builds on the accomplishments of 2018 to 2019. We continue to strengthen PSPC's role in helping deliver important services to Canadians and building an economy and society that's more inclusive, innovative, accessible and sustainable. I look forward to working with the department's dedicated employees to achieve meaningful results that benefit our government clients and, ultimately, the Canadians they serve.

Carla Qualtrough, PC, MP

Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility