procurement
Where Should We Go and How Do We Get There?
Part 2
A vision for the Procurement Group in the Government of Canada
By Jessica Sultan
This three-part series explores the challenges and opportunities for the procurement group within the Government of Canada. Part 1 introduced the department and outlined its current challenges and was published in the Quarter 3 2016 issue of Supply Chain Canada. Part 2 begins to explain how the group will move toward its vision of the future, and Part 3 will outline work that’ s already happening.
This series was inspired by the reflection exercise portion of the federal government 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 to promote greater horizontal collaboration and to sharpen business acumen of our next generation of leaders, and further develop leadership competencies through self-reflection and interactions with senior officials. a-image / Shutterstock. com
STARTING AT THE TOP TO MOVE TOWARD THIS VISION
Establishing a functional authority in each department would demonstrate leadership and provide direction for the purchasing and supply( PG) community. This position should be equivalent to a departmental security officer( DSO), a role that holds so much importance and gravity within an organization that it sometimes reports directly to the Deputy Minister. Two critical roles for this functional authority could be suggested. First, they should review current policies and procedures and certify annually that appropriate controls and governance structures exist in their organization. This would ensure sound stewardship and lend credence to the professionalism of the functional group. Second, they should review and approve all procurement strategies within the organization. This would
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