Public Services and Procurement Canada
Results: What we achieved—Core responsibilities: 2022 to 2023 Departmental Results Report

Core responsibilities

Purchase of goods and services

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) purchases goods and services on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Departmental result: Federal organizations have the products and services they need, when they need them, at the best value

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC managed the procurement of goods and services valued at approximately $23 billion on behalf of client departments and agencies. The department provided procurement services to support Government of Canada institutions in fulfilling their respective mandates, while contributing to the country's socio-economic goals. In doing so, the department not only supported its clients in carrying out their mandates and planned initiatives, but also in responding to emerging priorities.

COVID-19 response

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC continued working with the Public Health Agency of Canada and suppliers to implement a supply management strategy focused on ensuring a sufficient number of COVID‑19 vaccines and therapeutics for Canadians, while minimizing wastage of doses. Canada’s supply of vaccines and therapeutics is strategically managed based on current scientific information, the needs of provinces and territories, and the identification of surplus doses that can be offered for donation. Current agreements with suppliers provide access to a range of products, including pediatrics, boosters, therapeutics, and the latest approved adaptations of vaccines.

PSPC also supported Canada in preparing for the possibility of an influenza pandemic, with the department completing negotiations on a contract to secure access to domestically sourced influenza vaccines.

Defence and marine procurement

Defence and marine procurement remained a key focus for PSPC in 2022 to 2023, and the department continued to support Canada's defence policy: Strong, Secure, Engaged, and the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), ensuring the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) receive the equipment and services they need.

Most significantly, through an open, fair and transparent competition, PSPC finalized an agreement to purchase 88 F‑35 advanced fighter jets. During the finalization phase of the procurement process, the winning bidder successfully demonstrated that an agreement to purchase the F‑35 fighter jets met Canada’s requirements and outcomes, including value for money, flexibility, risk mitigation, performance, and delivery assurances. These aircraft will replace Canada’s existing CF‑18 fighter jet fleet, with first deliveries anticipated to begin in 2026. The $19 billion project, the largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 30 years, includes aircraft, associated equipment, sustainment set‑up and services. Canadian industry has already been successful in obtaining significant work related to the F‑35, securing over $2.8 billion in contracts to date. Through the signing of the new Economic Benefits Arrangements with the United States government and Lockheed Martin with Pratt & Whitney, Canadian industry is well positioned for continued opportunities related to both the production and sustainment of the aircraft.

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC also awarded contracts: to provide the Canadian Army with new pistol and holster systems; to extend the life of the RCAF’s fleet of CH‑146 Griffon helicopters; to augment and extend the life of CH-149 Cormorant search and rescue helicopters; and to procure and prepare 2 Airbus A330 aircrafts as part of the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability project. PSPC also made considerable progress on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND) for the DefenceX Project, which will replace the existing Defence Resource Management Information System. PSPC advanced work on several other important initiatives, including the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System and Logistics Vehicle Modernization projects, as well as the Future Aircrew Training program. Contract awards are expected for these initiatives in 2023 to 2024.

Through its marine procurements, PSPC is supporting the NSS in renewing federal fleets, revitalizing Canada’s shipbuilding and marine industry, creating good middle-class jobs across the country. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC finalized an agreement for Chantier Davie of Lévis, Québec, to become the 3rd strategic shipbuilding partner under the NSS. The agreement will include the construction of 6 program icebreakers and 1 polar icebreaker for the CCG. The addition of Chantier Davie to the NSS will benefit workers in the Québec region, and provide the CCG with the vessels it needs to do its important work.

PSPC also accepted delivery of the 3rd Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, His Majesty’s Canadian ship Max Bernays. The CCG ship Vincent Massey, the 3rd and final ship in Canada’s new fleet of converted medium icebreakers, was also delivered in 2022 to 2023.

PSPC’s implementation of the risk-based approach (RBA) to contract approval for defence procurement continues to support DND by enabling a streamlined contract approval process for eligible procurements. Over the past fiscal year, PSPC made significant progress on the RBA’s operational practices and developed improved processes, guidance and tools for implementation, including an action plan and training. These achievements resulted in increasing numbers of procurements approved for RBA and expedited timelines for those procurements. In addition, PSPC developed a framework for the planned 2023 to 2024 evaluation of the RBA to contract approval for defence procurement.

Departmental result: Government purchasing is simpler and easy to access, fair and transparent for suppliers

Procurement modernization

PSPC is modernizing government procurement practices so they are simpler, deploy modern comptrollership, encourage greater competition, and include mechanisms that support the Government of Canada’s economic policy goals. This past fiscal year, the department progressed on modernizing procurement through a number of initiatives.

The electronic procurement solution (EPS) is making procurement easier and increasing opportunities for all suppliers. PSPC significantly advanced implementation of EPS in 2022 to 2023, with EPS now the default system for goods, services and construction procurement. To date, over 3,300 contracts have been awarded in EPS, with over 29,900 supplier accounts registered. Given the transformational nature of EPS, change management remained a major area of focus to support adoption. PSPC offered additional targeted labs and refresher training, step‑by‑step procedures on the use of EPS, self‑service resource guides, and other supportive tools.

CanadaBuys became the Government of Canada’s official electronic tendering service in 2022 to 2023, as well as the single point of access for federal, provincial and territorial government tenders, along with tenders for municipalities, academic institutions, schools, and hospitals. The platform provides suppliers with a central and more intuitive interface to search for and bid on tender opportunities, and to learn more about federal procurement processes and how to do business with the Government of Canada. CanadaBuys supports Canada in meeting obligations under the Canada‑European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, and the Canada‑United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement.

The department has successfully established a centre of expertise in procurement data analytics, establishing a new market analysis capability, with the goal of enabling evidence‑based decision‑making in policy development and program management. One area of focus to date for this new centre has been the development of reporting on commodity trends for the NSS.

The Contract Modernization Initiative (CMI) aims to find ways to simplify the content of contract terms and conditions and revise the structure of government contracts, in order to make doing business with the government faster and easier. An early project milestone was a contract analysis exercise to identify the key characteristics of a modernized contract model, which was accomplished by leveraging artificial intelligence technology supported by a team of experienced and trained lawyers and technologists in this field. In 2022 to 2023, the department leveraged a phased pilot testing approach of the CMI, using a gradual roll‑out strategy which allowed for refinement as user feedback was received. Implementation has been successful, with PSPC receiving positive feedback from procurement buyers and industry, and also exceeding its target for solicitations under the initiative during the course of the fiscal year. The department posted more than 260 solicitations, while its initial target was between 50 and 100. Testing of the CMI contract assembly tool has also been expanded across the PSPC procurement community.

Departmental result: Government purchasing supports Canada’s economic, environmental, and social policy goals

Indigenous procurement

In its role as common service provider, the department is working with Indigenous Peoples and businesses to increase their participation in federal procurement, as part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation. PSPC, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) are implementing new approaches to support departments and agencies in meeting the requirement to award at least 5% of the value of government contracts to Indigenous businesses. This work involves consulting, engaging and co‑developing these approaches with Indigenous partners and modern treaty and self‑government agreement rights holders, as well as with other government departments and agencies.

For example, PSPC worked in close collaboration with ISC, Inuit Tapariit Kanatami, and all Inuit regional governments on Inuit‑specific approaches to the 5% requirement and in implementing Inuit treaties with Nunavut Directive measures. PSPC engaged with all other modern treaty partners to discuss the implementation of procurement‑related provisions, among other activities.

Engagement and outreach play a significant role in reducing barriers to Indigenous procurement and increasing participation, and PSPC hosted or participated in 403 events tailored towards Indigenous‑led businesses over the fiscal year. PSPC also led or co‑led 13 national and regional Indigenous business information sessions. These sessions brought together Indigenous businesses, communities and associations to raise awareness of the Government of Canada’s 5% requirement for Indigenous participation in federal procurement, highlighted Indigenous procurement opportunities, and outlined the support available through Government of Canada programs and services, such as CanadaBuys and PAC.

PSPC also undertook exploratory discussions with a number of key partners and stakeholders, including ISC, about expanding the Canadian Collaborative Procurement Initiative to include Indigenous public entities. Actions are underway to amend the current initiative’s enabling instrument to be more inclusive. PSPC also provided a forum for other government departments to discuss implementation of the 5% requirement.

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC, as a common service provider on behalf of Crown‑Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, awarded and continued to manage several significant contracts providing socio‑economic benefits to Indigenous Peoples. As part of the Faro Mine Remediation Project, PSPC’s regional office in the Pacific oversaw the award of 6 construction subcontracts which will support the creation of long-term northern jobs while improving the local environment. In addition, contracts were awarded on behalf of DND and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, in support of the Defence Resource Management Information System and the Body Worn Camera and Digital Evidence Management System, each featuring 5% Indigenous participation plans that included a component for subcontracting to Indigenous firms.

PSPC’s regional office in Ontario continued its work with DND and the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation on the clearance of unexploded ordnances as well as other environmental remediation. This joint venture features an Indigenous participation plan that, as of 2022 to 2023, was valued at over 20% of the overall spend. The Ontario region also established standing offers for Environmental Services, including options for voluntary set asides under the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business. PSPC’s regional office in Québec developed Indigenous participation plans for real estate projects, and established standing offers on behalf of Transport Canada, which also included voluntary set‑asides. In the Atlantic Region, PSPC put in place an Indigenous procurement working group to develop strategies for surpassing the 5% minimum requirement.

Supplier diversity

PSPC continued advancing work on initiatives from its Supplier Diversity Action Plan in 2022 to 2023, which outlines concrete steps to increase the participation of businesses from under‑represented groups in federal procurement. A key component of the Action Plan includes engagement activities focused on these groups.

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC’s PAC hosted or participated in over 1,770 events tailored to communities under‑represented in federal procurement. PAC’s outreach activities with under‑represented groups included meaningful, valuable feature events and initiatives for diverse businesses and communities. These included large‑scale virtual events, as well as regional events such as innovation forums. Until this past fiscal year, PAC mostly participated in tradeshows and forums alongside other government support services, where smaller and diverse suppliers could learn how to benefit from PAC services and other government programs. In 2022 to 2023, PAC began piloting a “reverse tradeshow” format where smaller and diverse suppliers have an opportunity to market their goods and services directly to government buyers. PAC’s Western, Atlantic and National Capital Region offices hosted reverse tradeshows, which were well‑attended and resulted in positive feedback from both exhibitors and attendees.

This year, PSPC also launched a new coaching service designed to help bidders from diverse socio‑economic groups, who may have had limited success bidding on federal procurement opportunities, in order to address the bidding challenges they have previously faced. This coaching service provides businesses owned or led by women, Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized Canadians, persons with disabilities, and 2-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual and others (2SLGBTQIA+) Canadians access to at least 3 personalized coaching sessions with a procurement specialist. Coaching sessions help businesses explore the areas of the bidding process where they may require assistance.

PSPC helps foster innovation in Canadian industry by conducting procurements in support of programs led by other departments, such as Innovation Solutions Canada, an initiative designed to stimulate technology research, development, and commercialization of Canadian innovations. This past fiscal year, PSPC supported Innovation Solutions Canada on a call for proposals aimed at minimizing the environmental impacts of the Government of Canada's land, marine and air operations, which provided small and medium‑sized enterprises the opportunity to sell their innovations directly to the government. The department also contributes to Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security, which provides a variety of funding options to assist Canadian innovators in solving defence and security challenges, as well as to the Canadian Safety and Security Program, which fosters innovative science and technology advancements that contribute to the safety and security of Canadians. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC awarded over 214 contracts in support of these 3 programs for a total value of $162 million.

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC also began developing a series of events to highlight procurement-based opportunities for innovative Canadian high tech firms. Scheduled to be launched in 2023 to 2024, these events aim to assist suppliers in better leveraging procurement opportunities and related government programs to support innovation as well as economic growth.

Ethical procurement

Protecting human rights and combatting the exploitation of vulnerable people in Canada and abroad is a key priority for the Government of Canada. Furthering this commitment over 2022 to 2023, and in keeping with commitments under the National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking (2019 to 2024), PSPC delivered supplier engagement sessions on ethical procurement to raise awareness on supply chain risks, outline departmental human and labour rights priorities, and promote greater, ongoing dialogue with the supplier community. These sessions provided suppliers with a forum where they could discuss challenges and opportunities in combatting human trafficking, forced labour, and child labour in federal supply chains. The department has begun work on developing awareness materials for suppliers of at‑risk goods, with a view to promoting ethical procurement best practices and safeguarding federal procurement supply chains.

PSPC also initiated activities to map international due diligence obligations for businesses to report on actions taken to address the risks of forced labour and human rights violations.

In addition, PSPC developed a Policy on Ethical Procurement this past fiscal year, with initial stakeholder consultations planned for 2023 to 2024. PSPC also made significant progress in its planned expansion of anti‑forced labour contract clauses into standing offers and supply arrangements.

Greening government

PSPC advanced numerous green procurement initiatives this past fiscal year. Environmental considerations, including reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and waste, continued to be integrated into federal procurements, with a particular focus on common‑use procurement instruments. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC progressed in its implementation of environmentally preferable packaging standard language. For example, food‑related standing offers established in PSPC’s Québec Region have included greening requirements for packaging and transportation, as well as for energy consumption in suppliers’ facilities. Following multiple pilot projects, the standard language was finalized and work is underway to integrate it into departmental policy and processes.

Concluding in 2022 to 2023, PSPC’s Low Carbon Procurement Project produced rigorous, science‑based carbon footprint methodologies and calculators in the high‑impact categories of professional services, light‑duty vehicles, and office furniture. These calculators will support PSPC in measuring and reducing GHG emissions embedded in the supply chains of goods and services procured by the department.

In support of the government’s commitment to a Buy Clean Strategy for Canadian infrastructure projects, the department has identified made‑in‑Canada, low‑carbon products, starting with low carbon cement. This information is being leveraged by procurement officers to facilitate the procurement of greener solutions.

In support of the Policy on Green Procurement, PSPC collaborated with TBS on the development and implementation of the new Standard on Embodied Carbon in Construction, which took effect on December 31, 2022, as well as the new Standard on the Disclosure of GHG Emissions and the Setting of Reduction Targets, which took effect on April 1, 2023. The department began proactively implementing new standard language related to GHG disclosure in high‑dollar value procurements of $25 million and over, and initiated the development of a policy notification to guide procurement officers in its application.

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC continued providing departments and agencies with procurement instruments to support the ongoing conversion of their fleets to hybrid and zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). The Government of Canada increased the number of ZEVs purchased by 11% compared to fiscal year 2021 to 2022, despite a decrease in ZEV models made available by manufacturers for purchasing. These results were partly driven by PSPC’s increased communication with industry and federal departments, as well as PSPC’s successful negotiations with suppliers to allocate ZEVs that could be made available on short notice.

Additionally, the department advanced work on a new process that would allow PSPC to procure green vehicles on behalf of other government departments in a more strategic and expedited manner in support of governmental greening efforts. This new process would be used to secure green light‑duty vehicles offered in limited quantities and sometimes for a limited duration by the automotive industry.

Further action is also being taken by PAC, which is engaging in outreach with small and medium enterprises in the greening and sustainability sectors, in collaboration with innovation hubs and government organizations such as Ottawa Green Business and Emissions Reduction Alberta.

National Shipbuilding Strategy

Significant economic benefits continued to be generated across Canada through the advancement of the NSS across Canada. Continued collaboration between PSPC and its partner departments on the various programs of work under the strategy has contributed to jobs being created or maintained in the Canadian economy. Awarding contracts to small and medium Canadian enterprises for NSS‑related projects remained a priority.

Gender-based analysis plus

Integrating Gender‑Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) considerations in procurement practices is essential to ensuring that procurement is inclusive by design and accessible by default. In 2022 to 2023, the department continued delivery of its new training course on how to apply a GBA Plus approach to procurement using a step‑by‑step methodology.

Over the course of the year, PSPC’s Accessible Procurement Resource Centre (APRC) worked towards greater integration of accessibility considerations in federal procurement through the establishment of an interdepartmental community of practice supporting the scale‑up of accessible procurement across the Government of Canada.

Progress towards the implementation of EPS also supported GBA Plus considerations since the solution makes it easier for small and diverse suppliers to find and bid on procurement opportunities. The new platform also bolsters PSPC’s capacity to collect bidder information data, in order to better assess gender and diversity in its procurement activities.

Under the NSS, PSPC held discussions on diversity and inclusion with marine industry stakeholders and departmental partners to identify barriers and common definitions.

United Nations’ 2030 agenda for sustainable development and the United Nations’ sustainable development goals

PSPC activities under its core responsibility of Purchase of goods and services supported Canada’s efforts to address the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Various initiatives and programs, such as procurement modernization, inclusive procurement strategies and initiatives to enhance supplier diversity, the Accessible Procurement Resource Centre, advances on environmentally‑preferable packaging, the 2 new embodied carbon standards under the Policy on Green Procurement, and facilitating purchases of zero emission and hybrid vehicles, contributed towards the following SDGs:

• achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls (SDG 5, target 5.5)
• promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all (SDG 8, targets 8.3 and 8.7)
• ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12, target 12.7)
• taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 13, target 13.2)

Further information on SDGs is available on the United Nations website.

Risk mitigation

Defence and marine procurement

In 2022 to 2023, there was a risk that the inherent complexities of defence and marine procurement, in addition to impacts resulting from the COVID‑19 pandemic, would present challenges in achieving the timely delivery of Strong, Secure, Engaged and NSS objectives. To mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• continued ongoing enhancements to defence and marine procurement, which included the strengthening of capacity and competencies related to complex procurements, and using innovative and tailored procurement solutions
• leveraged interdepartmental governance committees and working groups to promote collaboration and information‑sharing
• hired and trained additional specialized procurement staff, and implemented expanded professional development programs
• collaborated closely with partners and stakeholders, including those in the defence and marine industries
• continued the implementation of the Sustainment Initiative (SI) principles, including resource investment towards the SI Centre of Expertise

Procurement modernization

Procurement modernization initiatives aim to change the way government and suppliers interact to buy and sell goods and services. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC was at risk of not achieving the modernization of its suite of procurement processes and tools in a timely manner and to the desired extent, which could have impacted the department’s reputation and ability to fulfill its mandate. This modernization also presented challenges for the procurement community, clients and suppliers, as they may not have been able to keep pace with the numerous changes underway. To mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• offered additional support sessions and refresher training, developed step‑by‑step procedures on the use of EPS, and continued developing and communicating new supporting tools, including self‑service resource guides and video tutorials
• continued a phased approach in testing modernization concepts, such as the CMI, on active procurements in order to obtain feedback from procurement officers and suppliers
• continued to develop comprehensive guidance materials and training modules, while providing extensive support during the testing phase of the Vender Performance Management Regime

Change management

Significant and ongoing change is underway to make procurement processes easier and more accessible for suppliers and buyers, and to generate positive socio‑economic and environmental sustainability outcomes. Given the rate and scale of change in 2022 to 2023, PSPC’s procurement workforce was at risk of facing challenges in adapting to new processes, considerations and tools. This could have had an adverse effect on the achievement of government‑wide goals and initiatives, with the procurement workforce facing competing priorities. To mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• supported the procurement workforce in adapting to new processes and platforms, through the provision of guidance and tools such as the Supply Manual, the buyer quick reference guide, video tutorials, the CanadaBuys Service Desk, and the collaboration forum on MS Teams
• emphasized the importance of mental health through training courses, information sessions, and workplace wellness committees
• leveraged robust and consultative change management strategies, while ensuring the use of sound implementation plans with clearly articulated milestones and deliverables
• continued implementing a strengthened governance model, including dedicated transformation committees with senior management participation

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

There is no significant variance between actual spending and planned spending.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Program Inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

There is no significant variance between planned and actual full‑time equivalents.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Program Inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

Payments and accounting

PSPC collects revenues and issues payments, maintains the financial accounts of Canada, issues government‑wide financial reports, and administers payroll and pension services for the Government of Canada.

Departmental result: Canadians, businesses and organizations receive payments on time and revenues are collected for government services in an efficient manner

The Receiver General managed the operations of the federal treasury with a cash flow in 2022 to 2023 of $3.15 trillion, through the issuance and settlement of over 389 million payments on behalf of the federal government for a total value of $1.6 trillion and the collection of revenues for all government departments and agencies, for a total value of $1.55 trillion.

Payments issued included the new federal Climate Action Incentive Payment, a one-time goods and services tax credit, and the new federal dental and housing benefits. The Receiver General also continued work with internal and external partners to further improve fraudulent payment detection by expanding data sharing agreements and planning service improvements to increase efficiency of funds collection for fraudulent entitlements.

The Receiver General also pursued the planning of the renewal and modernization of its systems and applications. In 2022 to 2023, focus was on increasing stakeholder engagement, formalizing the governance structures, gathering lessons‑learned from other large‑scale business transformation initiatives and developing the deliverable requirements and timelines for the planning phase.

Departmental result: Members of federal pension plans receive timely and accurate pension payments, benefits and support services to which they are entitled

As one of Canada’s largest pension administrators serving more than 979,000 active and retired members, PSPC issued over 5.1 million pension payments valued at $15 billion in 2022 to 2023. All service standards for service delivery to plan members were met during the year, with pension payments subject to a rigid verification and quality assurance process to ensure they are made accurately. For the 22nd consecutive year, the Pension Program received an unmodified audit opinion from the Office of the Auditor General on the Public Service Pension Plan financial statements.

PSPC continued to make progress on the expansion and re‑design of pension web services and tools, with the launch of a renewed active member portal expected in fall 2023. Work also continued on telephony system upgrades and on improving the quality of pay‑pension data by leveraging the Innovation Garage, which resulted in the full alignment of salary related transactions between Phoenix and the Government of Canada pension system.

Departmental result: In collaboration with government departments, employees receive timely and accurate pay and benefits

PSPC administers bi‑weekly payroll and compensation services to approximately 396,000 public servants, totalling approximately $1.2 billion annually. PSPC remains committed to ensuring public servants are paid accurately and on time, resolving pay issues for public servants, reducing the number of outstanding transactions and implementing measures to improve and support pay stabilization.

Although PSPC has been challenged by higher intake levels, high complexity of outstanding transactions, and additional TBS human resources priorities and policies that affect pay (for example, classification reform, pay equity, collective agreements implementation and union dues corrections), the Pay Centre is increasingly meeting service standards. In 2022 to 2023, the Pay Centre met service standards 83% of the time on average, compared to 82% in 2021 to 2022, and 74% in 2020 to 2021.

Intake for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 was 1.28 million cases, which represents an increase of 18% compared to 2021 to 2022, partly due to the growth in the public service. As for the backlog of financial transactions beyond normal workload, it was of 203,000 transactions as of March 2023, a decrease since the January 2018 peak of 384,000.

In response to this increase of intake, the Pay Centre has taken a two‑pronged approach to increase pay processing: increasing its pay processing capacity and adopting new ways of working to achieve processing efficiencies. Since March 2022, the Pay Centre has successfully onboarded over 525 new employees to increase its pay processing capacity. The Pay Centre also completed the deployment of Accelerator Services across its operations, including the implementation of a rigorous management system, resulting in streamlined processes and standardized work, increased efficiency, reduced processing time, improved quality and increased capacity through new ways of working. By making these adjustments, the department continues to improve service standards for intake, address critical backlog cases prioritized by impact to the client, and resolve transactions submitted before 2020.

To improve the employee experience, MyGCPay, a self‑service web application that helps employees better understand their pay and benefits, was upgraded for stabilization, better accessibility and increased transparency.

PSPC has also conducted an in‑depth analysis of the operating context for pay administration as pay is stabilized. Several tools and resources, including queue forecasting and modelling, strategic dashboards, and a sensitivity analysis to identify key parameters that affect pay stabilization, have been developed to support this analysis. In the steady state operating context, it is expected that the Pay Centre will meet service standards 95% of the time, and will have no outstanding transactions older than 12 months.

Departmental result: Canadians have timely access to reliable information on Canada’s finances

The Receiver General continued to maintain the General Ledger of the Government of Canada, also known as the Public Accounts of Canada, to produce government‑wide financial reports, and provide expert advice, guidance and instructions to departments and agencies on accounting and reporting matters.

The Receiver General continues to be among the world leaders in terms of government accounting. For the 24th consecutive year, the consolidated financial statements of the Government of Canada received an unmodified audit opinion from the Auditor General.

PSPC published all formats of the Public Accounts simultaneously, allowing Canadians with disabilities to access reliable information at the same time as other stakeholders, contributing to the commitment for a more responsive, accessible and transparent government.

The Receiver General continued to explore innovative opportunities such as automating accessible html publishing of the Public Accounts, as well as developing a portal to standardize input of the Crown corporations. The Receiver General increased visibility of its modernization agenda through multiple engagements with stakeholders within the Government of Canada community.

Gender-based analysis plus

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC analyzed compensation related data from the pay system and other sources. The department looked at a number of metrics, including the demographics of employees with cases in the queue, the number of cases per employees, and the length of time employees have had a case in the queue. These metrics were broken down by the age, sex, and choice of official language of employees. PSPC also reviewed compensation related questions from the 2020 Public Service Employee Survey using the provided demographic data to identify how employees of different gender, sexuality, race, disability, or Indigenous identities were affected by the Pay Administration Program. From this analysis, PSPC determined that the demographics in the queue closely reflect the demographics of the public service, and also identified a number of areas for future research including looking at access to service for French employees compared to English employees.

PSPC conducted client service feedback surveys to measure pension plan member satisfaction with telephony and online pension services. The findings will help guide the evaluation of current services and identify opportunities for improvement to services and service delivery. Work is underway to expand the capacity to report and identify trends across diverse population groups, as additional surveys are planned for the future.

Experimentation

Through the Robotic Processing Automation (RPA) initiative launched in 2022, several business processes normally completed manually are now automated. The use of specific tools to automate highly repetitive manual processes in the pay system have increased accuracy in pay processing, eliminated potential human error, streamlined processes, increased timeliness and improved quality of data. Since November 2020, RPA robots have processed over 120,000 transactions and allowed PSPC to reallocate human effort to focus expertise on more complex cases and to address even more transactions in the backlog. By the end of the fiscal year, 20 robots were in operation, supporting 7 automated business processes every pay period.

Through the Accelerator services, new ways of working were implemented at the Pay Centre to build internal capabilities, including a rigorous management system, new standard operating procedures for compensation staff and daily meetings with management. The individual productivity of a given compensation advisor has increased by 27% on average as a result. It has allowed for increased efficiency and improvements in quality of work across teams at the Pay Centre with approximately 7% fewer cases containing pay inaccuracies over the same period. Change agents who helped to support the Accelerator roll out will continue to work with teams to identify further opportunities to implement processing efficiencies.

Risk mitigation

Pay stabilization

Given the complexity of existing pay rules, systems and processes, there was a risk in 2022 to 2023 that the ongoing stabilization of pay administration for the Government of Canada would be slowed down by internal systems or human capacity issues, or by external challenges such as large‑scale changes to labour management policies.

To mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• hired over 500 additional resources to increase capacity at the Public Service Pay Centre
• reported quarterly on overall pay processing and stabilization at the Pay Centre
• collaborated with TBS on a forward agenda for human resources management changes to facilitate planning for both system and resource requirements
• used innovative technologies, initiatives and processes, such as RPA, data analytics and Accelerator services, to help increase productivity and improve the quality of pay processing
• maximized processing capacity and implemented a workforce strategy focused on retaining subject matter experts with technical and operational pay expertise
• worked with TBS and Shared Services Canada to ensure pension data requirements are incorporated in the development of the next generation human resources and pay system

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

The variance between actual spending and planned spending is mainly due to additional funding received to help stabilize the public service pay system, eliminate the backlog of pay issues, and increase pay service delivery capacity. This is offset by a decrease related to payment in lieu of taxes due to timing of when the recoveries of funds are received from other government organizations.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

There is no significant variance between planned and actual full‑time equivalents.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

Property and infrastructure

PSPC provides federal employees and Parliamentarians with workspace; builds, maintains and manages federal properties and other public works such as bridges and dams; and provides associated services to federal organizations.

Departmental result: Federal real property and associated services meet the needs of federal government clients, partners and/or parliamentarians, and ensure best value for Canadians

Future of work and government operations post-pandemic

PSPC advanced the Office Long Term Plan (OLTP) implementation to deliver a modern office portfolio and reduce the portfolio footprint while achieving the Government of Canada's greening and accessibility objectives over a ten-year timeline. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC developed the National Capital Area (NCA) consolidated Long Term Accommodation Plan for the top 23 client departments and 2 options for the NCA to support portfolio reductions of up to 50%. PSPC also established the Workplace Transformation Program (WTP) to expedite office modernization using streamlined processes and basic fit‑up of office space as a bridging strategy to the OLTP. The WTP aims to improve existing federal workplaces by providing furniture and information technology solutions supporting the GCworkplace vision and the activity‑based workplace concept where individual employees are not assigned a particular workstation.

PSPC continued to assess the post‑pandemic work environment impacts on its office portfolio and adapt to the needs of its clients. The department established the Government of Canada occupancy dashboard to inform the supply and demand of the office portfolio. Empowered by this improved data on occupancy and space utilization, as well as planning tools that account for various hybrid work models, PSPC is providing the most up‑to‑date assistance to forecast space needs as a result of the Common Hybrid Work Model for the Federal Public Service. To assist in offering access to hybrid work ready workspaces, PSPC advanced the GCcoworking pilot project to provide interdepartmental shared space for the public service and will continue to use the lessons learned from that pilot to inform future portfolio decisions and use of space. The department also continued to update the GCworkplace Fit-Up Standards to reflect the evolving role of the office space and provide more efficient options for small‑scale modernization projects via the WTP.

Advance transformative projects, accelerate modernization and rehabilitate heritage buildings

Within the NCA, PSPC advanced redevelopment projects at several Crown‑owned locations, including major recapitalizations of Les Terrasses de la Chaudière and Place du Portage III (PDP3). The design of Les Terrasses de la Chaudière Envelope Replacement Project, which addresses the long‑term health and safety concerns associated with the premature deterioration of the brick cladding of the building facades, has been finalized, and construction began in December 2022. Construction is also well underway to modernize 33,000 square metres of office space in Les Terrasses de la Chaudière complex to GCworkplace standards. PSPC also made significant progress on the PDP3 Asset and Workplace Renewal Project. Phase 1 construction activities to address the complete renewal of the base building of the entire PDP3 complex by 2027, the interior fit‑up of the Western towers by 2024 to 2025 and the Eastern Towers interior fit up by 2028 started in November 2022 and are ongoing.

In the Ontario Region, work continued on the development and delivery of the Allen Lands Development Project to foster increased collaboration and deliver economies of scale through the colocation of security service organizations and the consolidation of multiple leased locations into a new facility.

Within the Québec Region, work continued on the new Montréal Justice Complex construction and fit‑up project under the National Accommodation Strategy for Federal Courts and Tribunals. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC awarded 2 contracts for architectural and engineering services and construction management, respectively, following public competitive processes that included requirements to support Indigenous and women’s participation in the project. The department also launched construction activities of the new National Verification and Collections Centre in Shawinigan in spring 2022 to provide a modern workplace that is better aligned with the current and future space needs identified by the federal departments housed on‑site to optimize space occupancy.

Finally, within the Atlantic Region, PSPC advanced the St. John’s Tax Centre accommodation project to address the Canada Revenue Agency increased space requirements. The project is nearing the design phase. PSPC also closed an Expression of Interest to determine the availability of property to purchase in April 2022. Site evaluations were completed in August 2022, with a successful option agreement signed with the owner in February 2023. PSPC made progress on the Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre project by completing preliminary design and site preparation in fall 2022. The project is in the detailed design phase and will incorporate greening objectives.

These major projects will contribute to greening goals through greener buildings, office footprint reductions, and energy‑efficient spaces.

PSPC continued to explore possible investments to modernize its existing office portfolio, including a new and innovative initiative to address the requirements of the workplace post pandemic in a shorter timeframe and at a lower cost, and allow client departments to access modernized spaces in support of the return to the workplace initiatives. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC launched phase 1 of the WTP, which includes 14 projects (11 in the NCA, 2 in the Atlantic Region, and 1 in the Ontario Region). As of March 31, 2023, 2 of the 14 locations had been turned over for occupancy, with approximately 2,700 square metres of space having been modernized at a third of the cost and timeframe associated with a traditional GCworkplace space fit‑up, and over 60% of furniture acquired (approximately $15 millions) was procured through Indigenous suppliers.

The restoration and renewal of heritage buildings to support sustainability and the health and safety of Canadians remain an ongoing priority for the department. PSPC advanced the renewal and fit‑up of the Lester B. Pearson Building. Construction of Tower B (phase 2) continued while advancing the design and initiation of Tower C. PSPC also progressed in rehabilitating the West Memorial Building (phase 2). In 2022 to 2023, the department completed the rehabilitation design and launched the construction of the Memorial Colonnade.

Protect the integrity, value and usefulness of engineering assets

PSPC continued to protect its engineering assets' integrity, value and usefulness to ensure they are safe for Canadians. In 2022 to 2023, the department advanced the modernization of the National Capital Region (NCR) District Energy System (DES), which includes converting all NCR buildings currently connected to the DES through the Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP). In addition, the deeper greening program continuously evaluates new, low carbon energy technologies for future deployment as part of the DES. This includes nuclear, waste to energy and other emerging solutions that meet the net‑zero challenge of 2050. As of March 2023, 39 buildings (out of 61) that are part of the existing ESAP had been converted from steam and high‑temperature hot water technologies to low‑temperature water technology. Modernization of the NCR DES passed 61% completion, and work continues on the distributed piping system as well as the construction of the new energy centers at Cliff, Tunney’s Pasture, the Modernized Gatineau Energy Center, and the Confederation Heights facilities.

Work is underway at the Esquimalt Graving Dock site both as part of PSPC's stewardship program for its assets as well as improvements to the use of the site. For example, the East End Dock Extension for increased access for naval frigates continued, with Section 3 of the dock reopened for service in February 2023. In addition, planning and analysis are ongoing to explore potential strategic investment and operational improvements in the Esquimalt Graving Dock to support ship repair activities for federal and non‑federal vessels.

Improve interprovincial crossings in the National Capital Area

PSPC continued to support ongoing efforts to maintain bridges and advance the assessments and planning associated with a 6th crossing in the NCA. Through leveraging the relationship with the National Capital Commission (NCC), PSPC continued to address the demonstrated need for an additional crossing. In 2022 to 2023, the department began a geotechnical study in the Ottawa River to assess future crossing site suitability. In addition, PSPC supported the regional survey data collection on the daily travel habits of households. The survey data will be used to analyze household mobility trends and develop recommendations for future transportation planning and investments, such as an additional crossing.

PSPC advanced work to replace the aging Alexandra Bridge and repair work to ensure the bridge remains safe for use until its replacement. PSPC released the request for proposal in fall 2022 seeking services for a technical advisor for the bridge replacement project. PSPC also co‑developed, with the NCC, a design framework for the replacement bridge, which includes participation and consultation with the public and stakeholders in the design process and ongoing engagement with Indigenous communities. In January 2023, PSPC formally submitted the detailed project description (DPD) to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada for the bridge replacement project. Based on the strength of the DPD, the agency determined that an impact assessment was not required. In addition, a request for proposal was issued in December 2022 seeking services for a construction manager to deliver a repair project that will stabilize the structure until it is deconstructed.

PSPC continued to invest in rehabilitating and maintaining existing crossings, including the Chaudière Crossing and Macdonald‑Cartier bridge. The rehabilitation of the Union Bridge and Hull Causeway on the Chaudière Crossing reached about 50% of substantial completion in 2022, while the structural steel strengthening project on the Macdonald‑Cartier bridge was completed in June 2022.

Long Term Vision and Plan for the Parliamentary Precinct

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC significantly advanced the restoration and modernization of the Parliamentary Precinct, as part of the Long Term Vision and Plan, a multi‑decade strategy to address the health and safety risks stemming from the deteriorated state of the over 100-year-old buildings. The objective is to modernize the buildings to meet the requirements of Parliament, as well as 21st century expectations for sustainability, security and universal accessibility for all Canadians, while protecting the outstanding heritage character, qualities and features.

PSPC made progress on the Centre Block, the largest, most complex heritage rehabilitation project ever seen in Canada. The main excavation for the Parliament Welcome Centre is substantially completed (about 39,000 truckloads of bedrock have been removed). Interior demolition and the removal of hazardous materials (for example, asbestos containing material) are approximately 85% complete with about 21 million pounds of hazardous materials removed to date. PSPC also installed decorative tarps on the north façade to hide the visible impacts of construction activities and protect workers against the elements. Structural piling to support excavation beneath the Centre Block is underway and 50 piles have been drilled. Other construction activities were completed including east, west, and centre courtyard removals, and Carillon bell removals. PSPC worked with the Royal Canadian Architectural Institute of Canada to mature the Centre Block and Parliament Welcome Centre designs, which have also been enriched through successful engagements with First Nations (Algonquin), Inuit and Metis organizations. In addition, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada conducted a performance audit of the Centre Block Rehabilitation Program and concluded that PSPC had effectively managed the cost, schedule, and scope of the program while balancing the requirements of Parliament, the heritage character of the building, sustainability, and the equitable access for Parliamentarians and the public.

PSPC advanced the rehabilitation of the city block bounded by Metcalfe, Wellington, O’Connor and Sparks streets (block 2) by completing an international design competition, from which a winning team was officially chosen: Zeidler Architecture Inc. (Canada), in association with David Chipperfield Architects (United Kingdom).

In response to longstanding ownership, security and governance challenges in the Parliamentary Precinct, PSPC, in collaboration with the Privy Council Office, launched discussions on the future of Wellington Street with Parliament, other federal stakeholders and the City of Ottawa in the spring of 2022. Following the publication of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs report in December 2022, PSPC tabled the government response, agreeing to all recommendations within the government’s accountabilities. As part of its response, the government signalled its intent to launch formal negotiations with the City of Ottawa on the transfer of Wellington Street to the Crown in support of addressing security issues in the Precinct, while ensuring it remains open and accessible, and in a manner that works for the Parliament, the City, residents of Ottawa, and local businesses.

PSPC continued to provide support to Crown‑Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and National Indigenous Organizations to advance a vision for a national space for Indigenous Peoples at 100 Wellington Street.

Laboratories Canada Strategy

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC made significant progress on the Laboratories Canada Strategy to replace important but failing federal science infrastructure with modern, accessible, and sustainable laboratories, while addressing critical enablers such as scientific equipment and Information Management and Information Technology (IM/IT) systems, and barriers that inhibit collaboration.

Progress was made on phase 1, which brings together 14 science‑based departments and agencies into 5 hubs that support science program synergies in areas such as:

• security and regulation
• sustainable development of lands and resources
• health and safety
• heritage and conservation
• sustainability of Atlantic fresh water and coastal ecosystems

Construction work advanced, including on the TerraCanada Hamilton project, which is now completed, and on the TerraCanada Mississauga project, which is more than halfway completed. Construction started for the Sidney Centre for Plant Health with a ground‑breaking and land blessing ceremony carried out by Indigenous partners. Functional programming has been completed for the TerraCanada and Regulatory and Security Science projects in the NCA. Architectural and engineering as well as construction contracts have been awarded for the Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre.

PSPC completed version 1 of the Repeatable Laboratory Design Framework, a handbook to guide design teams to meet Laboratories Canada established design principles for performance, safety and functionality. The framework was shared with design teams in June 2022 based on comprehensive stakeholder feedback and lessons learned. It comprises building codes and standards, industry design best practices, health and safety standards, and incorporates mandated performance requirements such as the Greening Government Strategy and Universal Accessibility.

PSPC developed an environmental scan and risk analysis of laboratories’ environmental impacts and launched pilots to examine gap areas, including holding a building operator‑tailored training activity to exchange on this unique type of asset. Of note, the pilots demonstrated that greater understanding of systems resulted in 3% operational GHG reduction. It also strengthened data on energy use and GHG by producing time stamped and visual representations of emissions.

Moreover, work continued on the development of a long‑term sustainability strategy for Laboratories Canada, considering the unique requirements of science infrastructure:

• controlled activities
• multi-sector collaboration
• unique IM/IT needs
• varied geography
• advanced responsive building operations

The strategy will aim for net zero emissions and climate resiliency, minimizing environmental impacts, supporting greening science and establishing a framework to ensure industry uptake. PSPC also began developing a roadmap for science and technology assets’ GHG emissions to become net zero.

In addition, PSPC partnered with Shared Services Canada to advance the digital enablement required to revitalize federal science and technology laboratories’ IM/IT, as part of Phase 1 and for the whole strategy. Through the Laboratories Canada Experimentation and Innovation Program, PSPC also financed 11 pilot projects in 2022 to 2023 to help improve science working conditions while addressing digital pain points. Progress has been made on the development of systems, solutions, tools and a standard to complement the Repeatable Laboratory Design Framework, bringing consistency to the IM/IT fit‑up projects and informing the Digital Science Enablement Strategy.

Prompt payment initiative

PSPC advanced work to help ensure full implementation of the prompt payment regime and address payment delays between contractors and subcontractors. In 2022 to 2023, the department developed prompt payment regulations to support the Federal Prompt Payment for Construction Work Act (the act), which received royal assent on June 21, 2019. The proposed regulations, pre‑published in the Canada Gazette on February 24, 2023, pertain to adjudication timelines, establishment of an adjudicator authority, credentials required for qualified adjudicators, and circumstances of the adjudication process. The 30‑day public consultation period for the regulations on the Canada Gazette ended in March 2023. The act is expected to be in force in the fall of 2023.

Departmental result: Federal infrastructure spending supports Canada’s social, economic and environmental priorities

Advance sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation and greening government initiatives for PSPC real property and infrastructure assets

PSPC continued to take actions to combat climate change and its impacts on operations, including the application of climate change mitigation and adaptation considerations into business processes as per the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy and the Government of Canada's Greening Government Strategy (GGS). In 2022 to 2023, the department finalized and issued its Real Property Services’ Climate Adaptation Strategy, which outlines how PSPC will address and mitigate risks posed by climate change to its assets, services and operations. The strategy proposes approaches to mitigate climate risks to existing crown‑owned assets, to construction and renovation projects, and to accommodation services the department offers to client tenants.

PSPC advanced the implementation of its Clean Electricity Initiative and continued working with TBS in developing a strategy to procure 100% clean electricity where available. The National Clean Electricity Initiative includes provincial initiatives in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC awarded Capital Power a 23‑year contract to provide approximately 250,000 megawatt hours per year of clean electricity and associated renewable energy certificates (REC) to power the operations of 11 federal organizations in Alberta. This contract supports the government’s goals to use 100% clean power, where available, by 2022 and by 2025 at the latest, stimulate the development of new clean electricity infrastructure in Alberta, and maximize Indigenous participation in all components of the procurement process. PSPC also signed an agreement with Saskatchewan’s main electricity supplier, SaskPower, to power federal government operations in Saskatchewan using renewable electricity, which totals about 87,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year. This agreement supports the ongoing development of renewable electricity infrastructure within the province. In 2022 to 2023, 92.8% of the electricity used by the Government of Canada in the Crown‑building portfolio (excluding housing) was clean.

Work continued on the implementation of PSPC’s clean electricity initiative and ESAP’s Deeper Greening project, which will replace natural gas with carbon‑neutral energy sources. The department also launched the construction of a new Modernized Gatineau Energy Centre in January 2023. Integrating this new energy centre into the ESAP network will result in a 92% reduction in GHG emissions from the 2005 to 2006 baseline.

The government is taking action to reduce GHG emissions from its buildings. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC reported a 59.9% reduction in GHG emissions from its buildings compared to the 2005 baseline. These reductions stemmed from actions to improve building energy efficiency, electricity grid improvements and procuring renewable energy credits.

The Parliamentary Precinct and Laboratories Canada Long Term Vision and Plans (LTVPs) both remained central to PSPC’s efforts to advance sustainability, climate resiliency, and the deep greening commitment for federal real property and infrastructure assets with the goal of reducing the Government of Canada’s carbon footprint. GHG levels in the Parliamentary Precinct have been reduced by 63% from 2005 levels and PSPC is well positioned to attain reductions of 95% by 2040. Environmental sustainability is a key strategic objective of the LTVP that guides the rehabilitation and modernization of the Parliamentary Precinct and each project includes sustainability targets. PSPC continued to aim for the Parliamentary Precinct to be a model of environmental sustainability. Of note, the ongoing project of Centre Block’s rehabilitation will transition the building from one of the highest emitters of GHG to being carbon neutral.

Through Laboratories Canada, PSPC has established a Greening Strategy for Federal Scientific and Laboratory Equipment to identify and reduce GHG emissions associated with the procurement, use and disposal of scientific equipment, and secured $1.35M from the TBS’ Greening Government Fund to advance this work. Through this project, PSPC is also enhancing equipment sharing and collaboration through a new online application to facilitate the sharing of equipment, provide a green catalogue of scientific equipment, and investigate the implementation of an eco‑label (similar to Energy Star) for this equipment. Finally, PSPC is initiating the participation of Government of Canada laboratories, for the first time ever, in the International Freezer Challenge to help reduce GHG emissions and the improved maintenance of ultra low freezer, cold storage units, and more.

Federal Lands Initiative

Work continued on making surplus federal real property available for re‑purposing for affordable housing through the Federal Lands Initiative (FLI) led by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The FLI is a component of the National Housing Strategy that transfers suitable surplus federal lands and buildings to housing providers at low or no cost for affordable, sustainable, accessible and socially inclusive housing. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC contributed 25 properties to the FLI to be assessed by CMHC for suitability for affordable housing, for a total of 113 since the program's launch in 2018. PSPC also oversaw the disposal of 4 Government of Canada surplus real property assets located in Ontario (Ottawa, Belleville, Thunder Bay, and Orillia), and initiated another disposal in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. 

Improve accessibility of federal buildings

PSPC continued to lead the accessible government built environment initiative to ensure facilities comply with existing and applicable accessibility requirements and to exceed them where possible. In addition, the department advanced various initiatives to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of federal buildings. These initiatives include PSPC signature of a memorandum of understanding with Accessibility Standards Canada that outlines how the 2 organizations will collaborate to review existing standards and work towards the common goal of making PSPC’s built environment accessible and inclusive, including federal office spaces; as well as ongoing consultations with the Network of Persons with Disabilities to identify high impact/low‑cost accessibility improvements in Crown‑owned assets, referred to as the Lean Forward Initiatives. As of March 31, 2023, 73% of PSPC’s initiatives to improve accessibility and inclusivity of federal buildings had been completed across PSPC’s national Crown‑owned portfolio. PSPC is also improving the accessibility of parking in PSPC Crown‑owned facilities by implementing these initiatives. As part of PSPC’s commitment to make buildings more accessible to all, the department completed pilot projects on touchless elevator access, wayfinding and washroom access through the GOHERE Washroom Access program, which helps individuals find public washrooms via a smartphone application. In 2022 to 2023, 9 government buildings across the national portfolio with public washrooms were added to the GOHERE application, which brings the total number of buildings included in the application to 32 as of March 31, 2023. The pilot projects will help the department identify and prioritize the best opportunities that go above and beyond building codes and standards for implementation across the portfolio. Finally, in 2022 to 2023, PSPC began implementing a pilot project at 111 Sussex Drive, converting a gendered washroom to a gender‑inclusive multi‑stall washroom, which will be operational in March 2024.

The rehabilitation of the Parliamentary Precinct and federal science facilities remains a priority for PSPC to achieve universal accessibility excellence. PSPC finalized and launched the implementation of the Parliamentary Precinct’s Universal Accessibility Strategy and Action Plan which outlines a broad vision for future accessibility with 6 supporting goals, establishes a comprehensive built‑environment audit program based on leading universal accessibility best practices, and sets out a path forward to leverage the rehabilitation and modernization program underway to deliver a more inclusive and universally accessible Parliamentary Precinct. In 2022 to 2023, PSPC undertook consultations on the strategy and garnered feedback on ongoing projects, and completed all 6 planned accessibility audits of existing Precinct buildings. The Laboratories Canada LTVP continued to incorporate accessible design in its facilities in order to create multi‑purpose science infrastructure that meets the needs and obligations of a diverse workforce and provides an accessible and barrier‑free environment for all employees. Upgraded Laboratories Canada facilities will not only meet building codes, but in some cases surpass requirements for accessibility by incorporating Universal Accessibility into design.

Gender-based analysis plus

PSPC continued to integrate social procurement objectives into real property projects to foster participation from under‑represented groups, such as women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and others. For example, PSPC launched a Request for Proposal in March 2023 targeting $107 million in set‑asides for businesses led by Indigenous Peoples (5.5%) and by under‑represented groups (3.5%) for the rehabilitation of 875 Heron Road in support of the Canada Revenue Agency workplace consolidation strategy in the NCA.

PSPC continued to advance the modernization of the Parliamentary Precinct and the revitalization of federal science infrastructure while also creating new opportunities for under represented groups, including Indigenous Peoples. For instance, PSPC collaborated with the Algonquin communities of Kitigan‑Zibi and Pikwakanagan to renew the archaeological field school. Through Laboratories Canada, the department continued to leverage the internal science community to foster a welcoming environment for women, visible minorities and Indigenous Peoples in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The department also collaborated with partners on increasing Indigenous participation through training and employment.

As well, PSPC’s Dominion Sculptor Team supported reconciliation efforts through creating a more inclusive and representational decorative arts program. This entails a fellowship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous artisans sharing means and methods through collaboration in the spirit of reconciliation. In partnership with Indigenous organizations, such as the Aboriginal Apprenticeship Board of Ontario and the Anishinabeg Algonquin Tribal Council, the Dominion Sculptor Team has done extensive outreach with Indigenous communities across Canada to hire 2 full‑time Indigenous sculptors as part of the team.

United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

PSPC’s activities under its property and infrastructure core responsibility support Canada’s efforts to address the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The various initiatives and programs, such as GCworkplace, SMART buildings, the plan to achieve a carbon neutral portfolio, the rehabilitation of major assets, the management of federal contaminated sites and the transfer of federal lands to housing providers contributed to the following goals:

• ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all (SDG 7, target 7.2)
• build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation (SDG 9, targets 9.1 and 9.4)
• ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12, targets 12.5 and 12.7)
• take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 13)
• protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss (SDG 15)

Further information on SDGs is available on the United Nations website.

Experimentation

Evolution of Work Pathfinder Project

The PSPC's Evolution of Work Pathfinder Project supports new, modern, and flexible ways of working. It is part of PSPC's planning to provide employees with the ability to work from the location that best meets their professional and personal circumstances, while considering operational requirements. The Evolution of Work Pathfinder Project concluded in 2022 and provided a framework for PSPC’s hybrid work model. Access to the project materials allowed PSPC and client departments to adopt lessons learned in their hybrid model.

As a department, PSPC successfully demonstrated leadership by implementing different measures such as the adoption of unassigned seating, the use of a space booking system and the implementation of a workplace support program. The department opened numerous workspaces to efficiently meet the Common Hybrid Work Model for the Federal Public Service while adhering to the health and safety requirements.

CD Howe Innovation pilot project

PSPC continued to advance the CD Howe innovation pilot project, which tests the use of emerging Canadian technologies within the Canadian public sector environment and evaluates their positive impact on employees’ wellness and contribution to greening operations. In 2022 to 2023, a zero‑waste food court was also fully implemented, which was well‑received by stakeholders and tenants. Building on previous successes of 10 pilot projects within the CD Howe Innovation Hub, PSPC also initiated Phase 2 of the CD Howe Innovation Project, which included 9 new pilot projects focusing on accessibility, washroom occupancy monitoring, waste diversion, Indigenous engagement, biodiversity, embodied carbon improvements, heating, ventilation and air conditioning filter changes and performance optimization, and installation of a solar panel pergola on the rooftop of the building.

Laboratories Canada Experimentation and Innovation Program

PSPC continued to leverage the Experimentation and Innovation Program for the Laboratories Canada Strategy, jointly created with Shared Services Canada to promote innovation and experimentation, and to foster enhanced collaboration among federal departments and agencies in the science community. Since 2019, 11 pilot projects have been financed, bringing the total to 29 projects to date, bringing together federal departments and agencies to work collaboratively to test new concepts and approaches, address barriers to collaboration, and document best practices and lessons learned, with a goal to advance federal science management and science excellence.

Risk mitigation

Property asset integrity and safety

There was a risk that climate change, natural disasters, infrastructure deterioration over time, and human‑related events would negatively affect the safety, integrity, and operations of PSPC’s real property and infrastructure assets. To mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• continued to incorporate the recommended adaptation measures from a Climate Change and Vulnerability Assessment for the Parliamentary Precinct, which identifies key building components at risk of failure, damage, and/or accelerated deterioration from changes in climate, into the modernization of the precinct
• implemented a number of initiatives throughout the Precinct, such as incorporating snow‑and‑ice melting systems at heritage entrances to reduce the use of de‑icing salts and prolong the life of the heritage walkways, facades, and doors

Workplaces of the future

As the landlord for the Government of Canada, there was a risk of lost opportunities for PSPC to accelerate the scope and pace of public service workplace modernization (such as the implementation of GCworkplace, shared departmental spaces and GCcoworking). This was driven by factors such as project slow down due to delays and work stoppages, lack of materials, cost increases, workforce capacity issues, uncertainty around clients’ future accommodation needs, and challenges within the current financial framework. To mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• engaged with unions, employees, partners and tenants through various committees or working groups to share information on current experiences and future activities
• enabled the development of business intelligence and strategy products that support decision‑making on office accommodations and inform the future workplace
• conducted scoping and environmental scanning on future of work related‑topics to inform the workplace of the related activities and feed into decision‑making regarding office accommodation design and delivery, such as GCWorkplace
• created GCcoworking sites in Canada to ensure access to shared modernized office accommodations for 46 client departments, where the Government of Canada employees may work as an alternative to their homes or their usual central workplace locations

Accessibility of federal buildings

There was a risk that PSPC’s real property assets may not be fully accessible given the wide variety of abilities that must be considered, as well as the likelihood that some measures required to implement the existing and applicable accessibility standards may be deemed unfeasible in some real property assets. To mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• continued implementing the Accessible Government Built Environment Initiative, including technical accessibility assessments of the space in crown‑owned and lease‑to‑purchase buildings to review the built environment and identify enhancements that would allow its real property assets not only to meet but to exceed the existing and applicable accessibility standards
• signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Accessibility Standards Canada to review existing standards and accessibility guidance for the Government of Canada Workplace Fit‑up Standards documents, including the Design Guide and Technical Reference Manual
• continued consultations with persons with disabilities and subject matter experts, to identify areas where accessibility and inclusivity could be improved within PSPC’s built environment, engineering assets, buildings and grounds, including the Parliamentary Precinct
• conducted accessibility surveys with tenants in 99 PSPC crown‑owned buildings
• continued working on a portfolio‑wide prioritization strategy for the Parliamentary Precinct, which aims at implementing improvements related to safety that will have the most impact for building users

Delivery of large-scale and complex initiatives

There was a risk that project complexities, partner dependencies, supply delays and escalating costs of material would affect the effective and efficient delivery of major PSPC initiatives, including the rehabilitation of the Parliamentary Precinct and federal science facilities. To mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• continued to use built‑in risk management processes with a strong focus on schedules and budgets, to design contracts with built‑in flexibility, to develop and implement client onboarding strategies, and to work with industry partners including the Public Health Agency of Canada, to ensure the safe and continuous operation of worksites
• continued strengthening the governance and strategic direction of the Parliamentary Precinct’s Long Term Vision and Plan in order to bring together the various stakeholders to facilitate decision‑making and provide guidance on scope, budget and schedule for the projects
• collaborated with partners to examine funding options to maximize the delivery of both the Parliamentary Precinct and Laboratories Canada and leveraging strong project and contract integration and management practices
• continued leveraging the Centre Block Office of the Auditor General audit’s Management Action Plan, which includes the submission of a progress update of the program to the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Speaker of the Senate of Canada at the same time twice a year

Predictable capital funding

There was a risk that the implementation of PSPC’s predictable capital funding model would disrupt the delivery of the department’s infrastructure programs, and would impact the timely and strategic fund allocation needed to ensure a healthy asset portfolio. To mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• established a dedicated project office to manage the transition to the new funding model and support the mitigation of its associated risks
• maintained a thorough portfolio planning process to maximize cost savings by identifying and prioritizing Parliamentary Precinct and Laboratories Canada projects

The department is now transitioning to an operational state and will continue to focus its efforts on improved and sound investment management governance, prioritization, forecasting and reporting.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

The variance between actual spending and planned spending is mainly due to delays in several pre-planning, capital and fit-up projects as well as increased revenues for federal accommodation.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

There is no significant variance between actual and planned full‑time equivalents.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

Government-wide support

PSPC provides administrative services and tools to federal organizations that help them deliver programs and services to Canadians.

Departmental result: Federal organizations have access to high quality linguistic services and tools

Through the Translation Bureau, PSPC provided translation and interpretation services to the Parliament and the Government of Canada in official, foreign and Indigenous languages. The provision of these linguistic services was crucial in the delivery of national communications to all Canadians during the fiscal year.

PSPC has been working to increase the number of qualified staff and freelance interpreters and is taking proactive measures to ensure that it hires as many qualified available candidates who are interested in joining the Translation Bureau as possible. The frequency of accreditation exams has been increased to twice a year. As many conference interpreting graduates as possible from the only 2 Canadian universities offering the conference interpretation program are offered employment and, additionally, workshops have been organized to help potential candidates pass the accreditation exam. Discussions are ongoing with other universities to see if they would be open to offering an interpretation program to complement the existing 2 master’s programs.

In 2022 to 2023, the Translation Bureau leveraged technological advances to improve its tools to support the provision of linguistic services in support of Canada’s official languages. The organization continued to advance its linguistic services management system, GClingua, by successfully onboarding additional client departments, and migrating employees to the new platform. In 2022 to 2023, 40% of GClingua clients had been onboarded.

In parallel, the Translation Bureau tested artificial intelligence solutions and continued research projects in collaboration with the National Research Council, namely experimenting with the new neural machine translation engine and domain identification. The organization also started work in order to test some neural machine translation engines coming from the private sector. It also created a tool to process domain specific language requests, using artificial intelligence to reduce the backlog.

Moreover, the department provided more than 24,000 hours of interpretation services to the Parliament and more than 25,000 to the Government of Canada in official, foreign, Indigenous and sign languages. To support the increase in the number of requests for interpretation in Indigenous languages, PSPC collaborated with other government departments and agencies to increase access to remote interpretation for Indigenous languages and hired 2 Indigenous project officers to build interpretation capacity in Indigenous communities. As well, the department is collaborating on a House of Commons’ pilot project to provide off-site interpretation, supporting additional parliamentary committee meetings.

Implemented in collaboration with the House of Commons and Senate, microphones compliant with the International Standardization Organization are now mandatory as a precautionary measure to protect the health and safety of interpreters. Guidelines were updated in order to maintain optimal conditions, so that interpreters can provide high‑quality service in a safe environment. PSPC also continued sound testing of committee rooms in Parliament as a precautionary measure to protect interpreters.

The Translation Bureau continued to provide sign language interpretation services to all of the Parliament’s press conferences and high‑visibility events. In addition, it offered an increasing amount of video remote interpretation for sign language interpretation services for deaf, deafened and hard of hearing public servants. To ensure high quality sign language interpretation, the Translation Bureau established guidelines and service delivery requirements for staff and freelance interpreters.

Departmental result: The government does business with ethical suppliers and ensures that sensitive information is handled appropriately

The department assessed and reviewed emerging operational and market trends to ensure continued effectiveness of the Integrity Regime. In order to further safeguard the integrity of federal procurement and real property transactions, PSPC strengthened procedures to enhance due diligence of suppliers to federal government. The department continued to support the Financial Crime Coordination Centre within Public Safety Canada in delivering the first in person national conference on money laundering hosted by the Centre. PSPC continued to build its team of dedicated forensic accountants in support of the Anti‑Money Laundering and Anti‑Terrorist Financing Regime.

Collaborating with Public Safety Canada and other intelligence partners, PSPC worked on increasing the awareness of the procurement community to potential security sensitivities. The department, engaging with industry and various Government of Canada stakeholders, refined its framework to better target its security clearance screening process for individuals and organizations actively participating in competitive bidding procurement processes for government contracts pertaining to protected or classified information and/or assets.

To strengthen its client-focused delivery approach, PSPC reallocated resources, within its Controlled Goods Program, to further improve the safeguard of sensitive and strategic information and assets, and process files within service standard. Virtual inspections of larger companies handling sensitive assets were also replaced with the resumption of nation‑wide in‑person inspections that had been paused during the pandemic, resulting in improved client interactions and better secured controlled goods. The department socialized and implemented a risk‑based approach to conducting foreign investment reviews to better assess foreign entities investing in Canadian companies accessing controlled goods.

The department implemented its engagement strategy for dispute resolution services in support of open and transparent government, which included engaging with internal stakeholders, other government departments, as well as the supplier community. PSPC secured additional capacity to strengthen its ability to provide high quality alternative dispute resolution services.

Departmental result: Federal organizations have the support services and tools they need to deliver their programs to Canadians

PSPC offers various specialized services on behalf of the Government of Canada, such as GCSurplus, Seized Property Management and the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB).

GCSurplus is the organization responsible for divesting moveable assets through transfer, sale, donations and recycling to obtain best overall value for the Crown. It handles sales of controlled and specialized goods. Typical GCSurplus gross sales have ranged from $50 million to $7 million for 20,000 to 25,000 transactions annually. In 2022 to 2023, GCSurplus continued to modernize its services and offered innovative solutions through its various service lines so that clients may reach their greening government targets, and Canadians have access to federal surplus assets. GCSurplus modernized its services by moving all applications to the web, including the interface for employees and client departments. Next steps include the recently added built‑in shipping option for online buyers.

Through the Seized Property Management Program, PSPC manages assets that are seized or restrained under an act of Parliament or of the legislature of a province, by a person employed in the federal public administration, or by a provincial or municipal authority, and disposes of those assets upon forfeiture. Seized property may include cash, real property, bank accounts, loans and mortgages, vehicles, virtual currency or any other offence related property or proceed of crime. The valuation of assets under management ranges from $350 million to $450 million at any point in time. The Seized Property Management Program completed the preplanning and prototype for the replacement of its outdated case management system to ensure it meets the Program’s expanding operation requirements in the future.

PSPC’s Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) offers client‑centered, comprehensive standards development and conformity assessment services in support of the economic, regulatory, procurement, health, safety and environmental interests of government, industry and consumers. In 2022 to 2023, CGSB initiated work with Global Affairs Canada and other partners to complement Canada’s commitment to enact legislation to eradicate forced labour from Canadian supply chains, by developing a voluntary National Standard on Responsible Business Conduct. This consensus‑based national standard will undergo key developmental milestones such as a 60‑day public review period open to all Canadians, as well as a formalized vote by the committee of experts responsible for its development. The standard is anticipated for publication in late 2024.

PSPC is also responsible for publishing the Canada Gazette, the official newspaper of the Government of Canada, in which are published new statutes, new and proposed regulations, and various government and public notices. The Canada Gazette provides information about government activities and gives stakeholders the opportunity to comment on proposed regulations. In September 2022, the Canada Gazette officially launched a new online regulatory commenting feature on its website. It allows Canadians and stakeholders to comment on proposed regulations online, as well as view submitted comments in a transparent way. This initiative is a partnership between PSPC and TBS, and a result of the Canada‑United States‑Mexico trade agreement.

In 2022 to 2023, PSPC also partnered with Library and Archives Canada to develop ways to archive digital objects in the Government of Canada electronic document records systems. Through this collaboration, progress was made to establish appropriate deletion procedures for transitory and obsolete operational business records with selected partners (including Natural Resources Canada and DND).

PSPC also helped the Government of Canada business travel community to focus on delivering their mandate by resolving travel disruptions and implementing sustainable measures. In May 2022, the department played a key role in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Canada‑Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET) program, providing travel services for displaced Ukrainians coming to Canada, and supporting Canada’s temporary immigration measures.

Gender-based analysis plus

The Translation Bureau provided interpretation services in ASL and LSQ at major events organized by the Government of Canada, providing access to information to individuals whose primary language is ASL or LSQ. It continued to explore additional services to ensure access to information to Canadians who are deaf, deafblind and deafened, and whose primary language of communication is ASL or LSQ and further develop partnerships with teaching institutions to support the training of the next generation of sign language interpreters.

GCSurplus has improved data collection methods and continues to identify new opportunities to inform and assess impacts of program changes. In that regard, GCSurplus conducted a GBA Plus exercise to determine the impact of introducing cashless transactions. Once it collected and analysed the data through an online survey, GCSurplus was able to ascertain that this change to the program would have negatively impacted some stakeholders, including Canadians who were financially insecure and older populates. This exercise allowed GCSurplus to make an informed decision and lower the impact on those groups by finding a compromise to accept exact cash. Furthermore, the addition of a new, more affordable shipping option such as Canada Post, was the direct result of a customer survey and feedback.

Experimentation

PSPC collaborated with the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct sound testing in committee rooms to measure sound frequencies and decibels. The NRC provided those results to audiologists for analysis and then provided recommendations to increase the protection of the health and safety of interpreters.

The department’s Document Imaging Solutions Centre (DISC) also advanced an initiative based on a customized automated solution to improve file accessibility and promote inclusivity for communities with visual impairments. Although federal websites generally meet accessibility standards already, there are still files and documents posted on government sites that are yet to be accessible to those with vision challenges. Accessibility remediation would become an additional service provided by DISC to its PSPC clients as well as to other departments and agencies. In 2022 to 2023, the department entered phase 2 of the project and completed the evaluation of bidder proposals.

Risk mitigation

Program and service delivery

There was a risk in 2022 to 2023 that limited access to skilled resources would disrupt the delivery of the department’s mandate in support of government‑wide solutions related to information management and information technology (IM/IT). These solutions would enable the department to deliver cutting‑edge technology, modernize tools and optimize digitally enabled environments, such as the cloud, to both PSPC and client departments.

The department continued to foster timely, open and transparent discussions with its client departments regarding the risks associated to skills gaps. The use of alternate options, such as leveraging mechanisms like micro‑missions and reassignment of existing skillets, internal assignments and use of contracted resources, also served as risk mitigation strategies.

Protection of information

There was a risk that personal, business and other sensitive information would be compromised or inappropriately disclosed, including by means of cybersecurity breach such as ransomware. To ensure that information was appropriately protected, PSPC conducted reviews of applications using a risk‑based approach followed by appropriate safeguard implementation, and utilized Shared Services Canada’s Government of Canada Secret Infrastructure to safely handle and transfer secret information. To further mitigate this risk, PSPC:

• increased information management security awareness through various security communication channels
• launched a project to define, test and implement new roles and responsibilities to align the Unit Security Officer (USO) program with new requirements under the Policy on Government Security and the new hybrid work model
• continued to work to prioritize the storage of data in Canada
• worked on the implementation of additional cybersecurity measures as outlined in the multi-year cyber-security action plan

Fraud and other wrongdoing

There was a risk that PSPC could encounter threats of fraud, collusion and other forms of wrongdoing due to being stewards of public resources, which could have impacted client and stakeholder trust as well as introduce legal or financial liabilities for the Government of Canada. As part of ongoing efforts to protect operations from such threats, each of PSPC’s business lines continued to enhance policies, procedures and internal controls according to their unique areas of responsibility, guided by recommendations from a comprehensive departmental fraud risk assessment process. To ensure collaboration around, and integration of, fraud risk mitigation activities across all business lines, the department leveraged the Anti‑Fraud Hub to promote shared fraud awareness. In addition, PSPC is finalizing a plan to operationalize fraud analytics in the department and has instituted specific fraud analytics protocols to detect potential instances of fraud and wrongdoing, including instances of overbilling, contract splitting and conflict of interest. In view of advancing PSPC’s fraud risk management framework and enhancing awareness, departmental roles and responsibilities for anti‑fraud activities are being specified and formalized in a guide to fraud risk management which will be communicated to all employees.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

The variance between actual spending and planned spending is mainly due to an increase in business volume (revenues) for linguistic and conference interpretation services as well as a decrease in salary expenditures due to delays in the implementation of collective agreements offset by an increase in outsourcing costs, both related to linguistic services. Lastly, there were delays for the Industrial Security Systems Transformation project and planned spending amounts which remain frozen and were not released for the Enhanced Integrity Regime.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in the Government of Canada InfoBase.

There is no significant variance between actual and planned full‑time equivalents.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.

Procurement Ombudsman

The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO) operates at arm’s‑length from federal organizations. It is legislated to review the procurement practices of federal organizations, review complaints from Canadian suppliers, and provide dispute resolution services.

Departmental result: Raise awareness of procurement issues and exchange information

OPO conducts research and produces reports on topics of interest to Canadian suppliers and federal departments. In 2022 to 2023, OPO published on its website 2 Knowledge Deepening and Sharing (KDS) studies entitled National Security Exception and Social Procurement: Set aside programs, which were completed in 2021 to 2022. OPO currently has a total of 9 KDS studies made available on topics related to key issues in federal procurement which are also discussed at conferences and events. In 2022 to 2023, OPO returned to in‑person outreach activities. After more than 2 years of working virtually, OPO was able to refocus its attention to meeting with stakeholders across Canada. During this time, OPO met with stakeholders and presented at conferences and events in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St‑John’s, Newfoundland.

Departmental result: Procurement related issues are addressed through alternative dispute resolution

OPO helped suppliers and federal departments resolve procurement‑related issues informally whenever possible, and offered formal alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services when requested and agreed‑to by the parties to a federal contract. In 2022 to 2023, OPO received a total of 8 requests for ADR services among which 1 request was resolved formally with a settlement agreement, 3 were resolved informally with OPO’s help before the ADR invitation was sent, 1 was withdrawn by the supplier, and 3 are ongoing and will be reported on in 2023 to 2024.

Departmental result: Procurement related issues are addressed through the review of complaints and procurement practice reviews

In 2022 to 2023, OPO received a total of 474 procurement‑related cases, 306 of those cases were related to general procurement inquiries, 117 cases were related to the award of a contract, and 51 cases were related to the administration of a contract. In all instances, OPO either provided direct assistance or pointed the requestor to the appropriate authority. If a complaint is filed with the Procurement Ombudsman (PO) and meets the criteria set out in the Procurement Ombudsman Regulations, the PO must launch an investigation and provide his findings or any recommendations within 120 working days. OPO follows up on all recommendations made with the implicated federal organization 1 year later to inquire as to whether the recommendations were followed. In 2022 to 2023, OPO had received a total of 4 complaints that met the criteria set forth in the Procurement Ombudsman Regulations to launch a review of complaint. Of the 4 cases, 3 reviews were completed in 2022 to 2023 and 1 was terminated. In addition, the 2 complaints that were launched in 2021 to 2022 were completed in accordance with legislative timelines. The reports will be made available on OPO’s website once completed.

Gender-based analysis plus

In 2022 to 2023, OPO continued applying a diversity and inclusion lens to all its business with third parties, including government departments, suppliers, and the general public. Over the course of the fiscal year, OPO:

• actively participated in the Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee of the Canadian Federation of Ombuds Offices, which is a forum for federal ombuds organizations across Canada to share information regarding programs, initiatives, and best practices that help foster a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace
• sought feedback from suppliers concerning GBA Plus initiatives and barriers at outreach events and published its first Accessibility Plan which promotes an inclusive environment for all OPO employees as well as for the Canadians it serves

Risk mitigation

In order to mitigate possible risks to its mandate, OPO recruited and trained additional resources to its skilled and multidisciplinary workforce and continued to deliver high quality services and products. OPO also monitored current trends, developments and initiatives in federal procurement which maximized the quality and value of OPO’s recommendations and outputs. OPO also collaborated extensively with federal procurement stakeholders and ensured it took into consideration the impacts of its actions and remained focused on the needs of those it served.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in the Government of Canada InfoBase.

The variance between actual spending and planned spending is mainly due to additional staffing of a senior level position, IT expenditures for upgrades required to the office’s database as well as costs related to equipping employees in a hybrid environment.

Financial, human resources and performance information for the Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in the Government of Canada InfoBase.

There is no significant difference between planned and actual full‑time equivalents.

Financial, human resources and performance information for Public Services and Procurement Canada’s program inventory is available in Government of Canada InfoBase.