Procurement
Where Should We Go and
How Do We Get There?
A vision for the procurement group in the federal government [Part 3]
By Jessica Sultan
This three-part series explores the challenges and oppor-
tunities for the procurement group within the government
of Canada. Part 1 was published in the Quarter 3 2016
issue of Supply Chain Canada. It introduced the depart-
ment and outlined its current challenges. Part 2 opened
the discussion about how the group will move toward its
vision of the future, and was published in the Quarter 4
2016 issue of Supply Chain Canada. Part 3 outlines the
work that has begun.
T
he Strategic Procurement and Contracting
Operations Division (SPCOD) at the Canada Border
Services Agency (CBSA) has undergone 12 months
of substantial transformation. Recognizing the broad changes
occurring within the purchasing and supply (PG) function, the
group has begun to implement a variety of efforts to mitigate the
associated risks.
A proposal for growth within our contracting organization
was approved, to a size commensurate with the increased de-
mand for strategic services and the complexity of requirements.
Our group increased by 15 full-time employees (FTEs), with
fewer PG01 and 02s and more PG03s, 04s, 05s and 06s. This
reconfigured resource mix reflects a shift in priorities from re-
petitive, low-dollar value contracts to more complex, varied
procurement requirements, as well as the ability to partner ef-
fectively with clients and plan strategically.
To build capacity, we have partnered with Public Services and
Procurement Canada (PSPC) to leverage their PG Development
Program (PGDP). Starting in September 2017, CBSA will
welcome two PG trainees a year on an ongoing basis. Staffing ef-
forts have also included welcoming employees on secondment
from other departments as well as CBSA employees from differ-
ent branches. Temporary assignment opportunities for regional
PGs at headquarters are being considered, which would allow
for knowledge transfer and shared learning, build the CBSA’s na-
tional contracting capacity, and contribute to a renewed sense
of cohesiveness and collaboration across the agency.
The SPCOD is completing staffing processes to create open
pools, available for use by all federal departments, using gener-
ic PG work descriptions. The idea is to practise what we preach,
looking at staffing as a universal requirement all departments
This series was inspired by the reflection exercise portion
of the federal government’s Comptrollership Leadership
Development Pilot Program, which ran from December 2015
to March 2016. The program was developed in partnership
with the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa,
and the Office of the Comptroller General, government of
Canada. It is intended to promote greater horizontal collabo-
ration, to sharpen the business acumen of our next generation
of leaders, and further develop leadership competencies
through self-reflection and interactions with senior officials.
share. Interview panels have included participants from a va-
riety of departments, ensuring the qualifying candidates are
desirable to the procurement community as a whole and en-
couraging collaboration among departments. The SPCOD is
setting an example that we hope all will follow, in the spirit of
doing the most we can with the limited resources we have.
We are investing in the future by increasing student recruit-
ment, with three CO-OP positions and two Federal Student
Work Experience Program (FSWEP) positions st