2021 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of Canada—Government made progress in implementing modern procurement for complex IT solutions

2021 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of CanadaGovernment made progress in implementing modern procurement for complex information technologyIT solutions

Ottawa, 25 February 2021—A report from Auditor General Karen Hogan tabled today in the House of Commons found that Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBCS), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), and Shared Services Canada (SSC) made good progress toward modernizing procurement practices for large IT systems, with room for further improvement in a number of areas.

The government has about 21 large IT procurements underway, valued at over $6.6 billion. The Auditor General audited three of them, including the Next Generation human resourcesHR and Pay initiative, an IT project meant to eventually replace the Phoenix pay system.

The audit concluded that TBCS, PSPC, ESDC and SSC introduced new agile procurement practices, subdivided megaprojects into smaller ones and consulted early and often with end users and suppliers to design solutions. However, PSPC and SSC did not provide sufficient guidance or training to employees on how to conduct agile procurement, including how to address suppliers’ questions. Improvements are also needed to detect and prevent integrity risks in procurement processes, including using data analytics and improving the tracking of fairness issues.

“I am encouraged by the openness to explore new ways of doing business that we’ve noted in this audit”, said Ms. Hogan. “To pave the way for further progress, these organizations will need to build on what they’ve learned so far to continue modernizing their procurement approaches to maximize services and support for Canadians.”

The 2021 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada—Report 1—Procuring Complex Information Technology Solutions is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

- 30 -

Please visit our Media Room for more information.