2. Search criteria—Assessor Guidance Document—Supply Arrangement Requirements
2.01 Search results—documentation
Copy of search results to be placed on file.
- Treasury Board (TB) Contracting Policy (sub-section 12.3.1)
- Common business rules in the Centralized Professional Services System ePortal
- Temporary Help Services for the National Capital Region
Assessment guidance and notes
The Contracting Authority must print and save an electronic copy of the initial and final search results and place it on file. Without a copy of the search results on file, the Assessor will not be able to confirm that the Centralized Professional Services System (CPSS) ePortal common business rules have been applied. Searches conducted in the CPSS ePortal are done in two parts—the initial search results titled "Name of Methods of Supply (MoS) Supply Arrangement (SA) Search Filtering" which is a list of all potential suppliers that meet the search criteria specified and the final search results titled "(Name of MoS) Final Search Results" which is the list of suppliers that are being invited to submit a bid. For requirements valued at over North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Contracting Authority is required to place the initial and final search results on the contract file. For all requirements, the Contracting Authority is required to place the initial and final search results on the contract file.
The following information must be provided in the initial and final search results:
- Name of MoS
- Supplier legal names
- Search criteria used (category or categories, level, number of resources, region, supplier security clearance, supplier document safeguarding, etc.
- Date search was conducted
- Purchaser information
Note
- Contracting Authorities who invoke the "does not exceed $40k" rule must still conduct a search and place a copy of the initial search results and final search results on file
- There are two possible explanations for multiple searches:
- The search criteria (including the category required, # of resources, security level, etc.) have changed
- The search criteria has not changed but the Client conducted additional search(es) to avoid sending a bid solicitation to unwanted Suppliers randomly generated by the CPSS ePortal system
- Searches conducted using ProServices will be for categories that are either Information Technology (IT) or non-IT. CPSS does not provide for the capability of conducting a search for both IT and non-IT categories simultaneously
- If multiple searches were conducted, the Assessor shall evaluate the latest search results only
- Searches conducted using Temporary Help Services (THS) are for requirement within the National Capital region (NCR) only
| Type | Description | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Major non-conformance—policy (documentation) | Copy of the initial (if applicable) and final search results are not on file and the Contracting Authority is unable to provide it. |
Without a copy of the initial search results, the Assessor cannot verify that suppliers, who were not part of the final search results, and that requested and were sent a copy of the bid solicitation met the search criteria used. Without a copy of the final search results, the Assessor cannot:
(Contravention of TB Contracting Policy sub-section 12.3.1.) |
| Major non-conformance—procedural | The search on file was carried out after the publication of the bid solicitation document. | A search via CPSS is mandatory, before the publication of the bid solicitation document and the award of the contract, to confirm which suppliers have been pre-qualified in relation to the selected category and level required. |
| Observation (documentation) | Search on file is not dated. | Without the date of the search the Assessor cannot confirm whether or not the category (ies) covered by the search were part of the Supplier's SA at the time the procurement was initiated. |
| Observation (other) | Search on file does not represent the right list of Suppliers. | Search conducted was based on a requirement valued at a specific threshold. Following contract amendment(s), the revised contract value is exceeded the specific threshold. If the Search conducted was based on a requirement representing the right threshold, a different list of suppliers would have been returned. |
2.02 Search results—criteria
The Category (ies) and level(s) selected in the search criteria must be consistent with the work described in the SOW.
- TB Contracting Policy (sub-section 16.10.3)
Assessment guidance and notes
Assessor must determine whether or not the category (ies) and level(s) selected in the search criteria are consistent with the work described in the statement of work (SOW).
Note
- Category descriptions in Task Based Informatics Professional Services (TBIPS) MoS contain reference to "Level 1", "Level 2" and "Level 3". These levels are equivalent to Junior, Intermediate and Senior levels referred to in CPSS search results for all other MoSs
- The CPSS ePortal system does not allow users to conduct a search using different regions/metropolitan areas or a mix of IT and non IT categories (applies only to ProServices)
- Searches conducted using THS are for requirement within the National Capital region only. When a JV appears on the list of selected suppliers, the identified users must remove any of the individual JV members if they are also present on the list
- In a situation where there is a discrepancy between the number of resources used to conduct the search and the number of resources stated in the bid solicitation, a finding shall not be raised. This is because, for searches conducted using an SA, the number of resources used to conduct the search will not affect the results
| Type | Description | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Major non-conformance—policy (other) | The Category (ies) and level(s) used in the search criteria are not consistent with the work described in the SOW. | Use of the incorrect category (ies) and level(s) will have a direct impact on the search results returned. If the correct criteria had been used, the list of Suppliers returned would be different. (Contravention of TB Contracting Policy sub-section 16.10.3) |
| Major non conformance—policy (other) | There is significant discrepancies between the search results and the SOW. | Use of the incorrect criteria will have a direct impact on the search results returned. If the correct criteria had been used, the list of Suppliers returned would be different. (Contravention of TB Contracting Policy sub-section 16.10.3). |
| Major non-conformance—policy (other) | Searches conducted using THS was for a requirement outside the National Capital Region. | THS for the National Capital Region (NCR) must not be used when the client is seeking a solution to a departments business requirement or for requirements outside the NCR. |
| Major non-conformance—policy (procedural) | Searches conducted using THS—Individual JV members were not removed from the search list. | When a JV appears on the list of selected suppliers, the identified users must remove any of the individual JV members if they are also present on the list. |
| Observation (documentation) | Compliance to this requirement cannot be determined because a copy of the SOW is not on file. | If the statement of work is not on file, then a Major non-conformance will be raised against other elements (i.e. element 3.01: Bid Solicitation—Documentation and/or element 8.01: Contract—Documentation). Note: Recurrence of this finding may result in the issuance of a Major non-conformance. |
| Observation (documentation) | Compliance to this requirement cannot be determined because a copy of neither the initial nor the final search results is on file. |
If either the initial or final search results are not on file, then a Major non-conformance would already have been raised against a previous element (i.e. element 2.01: Search Results—Documentation). Note: Recurrence of this finding may result in the issuance of a Major non-conformance. |
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