DCC and the Competition Bureau have agreed to cooperate in their common work to ensure the integrity of the public procurement process.
James Paul, DCC President and CEO, and Matthew Boswell, Interim Commissioner of Competition, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on December 20, 2018, in Ottawa.
The MOU sets out a framework for collaboration in detecting and addressing possible cartel activity—including bid-rigging—during DCC procurements.
“DCC has been focusing on procurement integrity management for a number of years,” says DCC President and CEO, James Paul. “This has included creating a code of conduct for bidders, and increasing efforts to detect and address potential fraud.”
DCC already reports suspected bid-rigging to the Bureau, but under the MOU it will also be able to share the results of the detailed analytics it has begun to do in the last year with its electronic procurement data. This collaboration will enable DCC to further develop its data analytics system to enhance its ability to detect and avoid fraud.
The two organizations will also look for opportunities to work together to raise awareness about detecting and preventing improper bidding practices.
“One way to prevent bid-rigging is to inform businesses about it. In fact, some bidders do not know it is illegal,” DCC Vice-President, Operations–Procurement, Mélinda Nycholat says.
The MOU will benefit not only the two partners but also firms that bid on DCC contracts and, ultimately, DCC's Client-Partners.
“Those who are bidding in an honest manner want to know they have a fair chance. We are ensuring the process remains fair and transparent for them,” Nycholat explains. “At the same time, in order for us to get the best value for the Crown, competition has to be completely uncompromised.”