Software Engineering Facility Professional Services

Attestation of assurance

The fairness monitor (FM) hereby provides the unqualified assurance statement below concerning the competitive procurement process of the Software Engineering Facility Professional Services.

It is our professional opinion that the competitive procurement process that we observed or monitored was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner.

Original signed by:

Project requirement

BDO was engaged on October 18, 2021 as a FM to observe the competitive procurement process for the for the Software Engineering Facility Professional Services issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), on behalf of Department of National Defence (DND) under the solicitation W8486-217807. BDO is an independent third party with respect to this activity.

This report covers the activities of the FM, from October 18, 2021 continuing through the conclusion of the evaluation phase.

We reviewed all the information provided and observed or monitored all relevant activities.

This report includes:

• our attestation of assurance
• a summary of the scope and objectives of our assignment
• relevant observations from the activities undertaken

Fairness monitoring engagement and observations

In this section

• Industry engagement phase
• Request for proposal phase

In accordance with the terms of our engagement, we:

• familiarized ourselves with the relevant documents
• observed the bid solicitation activities
• identified fairness-related matters to the contracting authority (CA)
• ensured that responses and actions were reasonable and appropriate

The following is a summary of the monitored activities and related observations from October 18, 2021 continuing through the conclusion of the evaluation phase on August 4, 2022.

Industry engagement phase

Documents reviewed

During this phase, the FM was provided with the following documents for review:

• request for information (RFI) documents including draft request for proposal (RFP) and response tables
• clarification questions and answers during bid open period
• correspondence with industry

Industry engagement open period

The RFI was posted on buyandsell.gc.ca on January 19, 2022, under solicitation W8486-217807/A to provide industry with advance notice regarding a prospective bid solicitation and to seek comments as appropriate regarding the solicitation documentation. During the open period, no amendments were issued. The RFI open period closed on February 8, 2022.

Fairness monitor observations

During this phase, the FM observations are as follows:

• the RFI package was reviewed by the FM prior posting to buyandsell.gc.ca
• the FM reviewed all drafts and final RFI version before posting
  • feedback was incorporated as appropriate where required
• the industry engagement instructions provided in the initial RFI documents were clearly stated
• the FM reviewed comments from DND of the respondent RFI responses

All observations or requests for clarification made by the FM were addressed by the CA. The CA was responsive in providing clarification when requested by the FM.

No potential fairness issues were noted by the FM during the industry engagement phase.

Request for proposal phase

Documents reviewed

During the RFP phase, the FM was provided with the following documents for review:

• DND comments and CA recommendations of respondent's RFI responses
• draft and final RFP documents
• clarification questions and answers during bid open period
• addenda
• correspondence with industry

Bid open period

The RFP was posted on buyandsell.gc.ca on May 18, 2022, under solicitation W8486-217807/B. During the bid open period, 2 amendments were issued. The RFP closed on June 27, 2022.

Two responses were received by the solicitation closing date and time.

Bid evaluation

Phase 1: Financial bid evaluation

Based on the phased bid compliance process (PBCP) phase 1, an examination of the financial submissions was undertaken and the CA determined that both bidders’ financial bids included all information required.

Phase 2: Technical bid evaluation

The RFP evaluation material was provided to the FM on July 6, 2022 in advance of the bid evaluation kickoff meeting that was held on the same day.

Based on the PBCP phase 2, technical submissions it was determined by the CA that both technical bids included all information required for the mandatory technical criteria that were subject to the PBCP.

The following process was undertaken to evaluate the technical responses to the RFP:

• each evaluator conducted their own independent review and scoring of the response in their evaluator workbook
• once the independent reviews were completed, the DND procurement authorities conducted the consensus meeting with the DND evaluators to agree on the consensus assessment
• on August 2, 2022, the CA provided the consensus worksheets to the FM for review before the consensus meetings
• on August 4, 2022, the DND procurement authorities conducted a debriefing of the consensus meetings to the PWGSC CA and the FM for both the mandatory and rated
  • the evaluation team members were also in attendance
• the 2 bid submissions were declared responsive

Phase 3: Final evaluation of the bid

In this phase, the CA completed the evaluation of the bids found responsive to the requirements reviewed at Phase 1 and 2. Bids were assessed in accordance with the entire requirement of the bid solicitation including the technical and financial evaluation criteria.

Fairness monitor observations

The FM reviewed the draft and final RFP documents and all draft amendments to the RFP including responses to clarification questions.

Requests for clarification from potential bidders during the bid open period were addressed via amendments by the CA.

Any observations or requests for clarification made by the FM were addressed by the CA. The CA was responsive in providing clarification when requested by the FM.

The FM's review of documents and monitoring of activities during the RFP evaluation phase considered the following principles of fairness, openness and transparency:

• the evaluation plan was consistent with the published procurement documents
• all evaluation team members were chosen and confirmed prior to the receipt of responses
• the scoring criteria and assessment tools were established prior to the receipt of responses and were consistent with the RFP
• the submissions were logged and recorded upon receipt, clearly identifying that these were submitted on time

No potential fairness issues were noted by the FM during the evaluation phase.

Reference documents

Documents related to solicitation W8486-217807 are available on CanadaBuys or through the project office.

Addendum to the final report

June 6, 2023

Addendum to the final report dated August 30, 2022 for the competitive procurement process of the Software Engineering Facility Professional Services for the DND.

This addendum covers the period following the conclusion of the evaluation phase including contract award and debriefings.

Contract award, communications, and debriefing

One contract was awarded on May 1, 2023. A written debrief was provided to the unsuccessful bidder, explaining the results of the evaluation. The FM reviewed all correspondence and observed the meetings with the bidders. The process conducted conformed to the requirements of the RFP. All bidders were treated fairly.

Attestation of assurance

The FM hereby provides the unqualified assurance statement below concerning the competitive procurement process of the Software Engineering Facility Professional Services for the DND to its conclusion on May 1, 2023.

It is our professional opinion that the competitive procurement process we observed or monitored was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner.

Original signed by: