This procurement forum, held in Saskatoon in mid-May, was important because its message was clear – the provincial government is serious about how to do business differently in Saskatchewan.  Those in attendance heard about the steps already taken to procure differently by the government ministries and Crowns who offered presentations at the Forum.

It is positive news for the consulting engineering/geoscience industry that the government’s procurement goals are mostly in alignment with our industry’s observations and recommendations, including:
•    Decisions should be based on ‘best value’
•    Processes are inconsistent
•    Documentation can be simplified
•    Debriefings would provide helpful information
•    Need one site for all public procurements

Presentations were made by government ministries and Crowns that combined offer a record $3.3B Saskatchewan capital spend in 2015-2016.  While each entity offered a slightly different emphasis, generally they spoke to their individual budget, how they have procured in the past, future procurement changes, projects completed and some spoke to upcoming projects.

This forum, and more targeted ones, is a way the provincial government chooses to communicate to the vendor community about its offerings, processes, and any new information that can make the vendor experience go more smoothly.  While some offered information may not have significanbtly changed from previous years, the contacts and connections made at such events are invaluable.  Have you attended lately?