CF188 Avionics Systems: In-Service Support
Fairness monitor final report: October 17, 2023
Addendum to final report: March 7, 2024
Submitted to: Director, Fairness Monitoring Program
Submitted by: Samson
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Attestation of assurance
The fairness monitor (FM) hereby provides the unqualified assurance statement below concerning the CF188 Avionics Systems In-Service Support procurement process up to and including the conclusion of the evaluation phase.
It is our professional opinion that the process we observed or monitored was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner.
Original signed by:
Mathieu Farley
Chartered Professional Accountant Auditor
Certified Internal Auditor
Certified Information Systems Auditor
Certified Fraud Examiner
Fairness Monitor Contractor Representative
Partner, Audit and Advisory Services
Samson
Ted Pender
Fairness Monitor
Project requirement
Samson was engaged on November 19, 2021, as an FM to observe the procurement process of the CF188 Avionics Systems (AVS) in-service support (ISS) undertaken by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND) as part of solicitation W8485-22AVS2. Samson is an independent third party with respect to this activity.
This report covers the activities of the FM during the initial letter of interest (LOI) until the conclusion of the request for proposal (RFP) bid evaluation phase from February 22, 2022 to August 24, 2023.
The objective of this project is to find a new ISS contract for the AVS portion of the CF188 aircraft before the current contract expires in 2024.
The ISS contract will include the following activities:
- program management services
- engineering services
- maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services
- materiel management and logistic services
- technical information support
We reviewed all the information provided and observed 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 accordance with the terms of our engagement, we:
- familiarized ourselves with the relevant documents
- observed the procurement activities with respect to the following phases:
- LOI
- draft RFP
- RFP
- RFP bid evaluation
- identified fairness-related matters to the contracting and technical authorities
- ensured that responses and actions were reasonable and appropriate
Letter of interest
The LOI was published on CanadaBuys, as solicitation W8485-22AVS2/A on February 22, 2022. The initial closing date of March 9, 2022, was extended until March 16, 2022, through the sole amendment of March 11, 2022.
The FM reviewed the LOI document and all communications and amendment during this phase.
Draft request for proposal
The draft RFP was published as solicitation W8485-22AVS2/B on December 12, 2022. To extend the feedback period, the initial close of January 20, 2023, was extended until February 17, 2023, through the single amendment, which was issued January 13, 2023.
There were 2 responses submitted in relation to the draft RFP.
The FM reviewed the draft RFP document and all communications and responses from potential bidders during this phase.
Request for proposal
The RFP was issued as solicitation W8485-22AVS2/C on May 5, 2023. The closing date was June 15, 2023. There was 1 amendment issued on June 8, 2023, to respond to 7 questions.
One bid was received in response to the RFP.
The FM reviewed the RFP document and all communications and amendment during this phase.
Evaluation phase
On June 21, 2023, prior to bid evaluation, the contracting authority (CA) met with evaluators to review roles and responsibilities related to the bid evaluation.
The technical evaluation consensus was held on July 21, 2023. There were 3 technical evaluators. The industrial and technical benefits (ITB) value proposition (VP) consensus was held on August 24, 2023. There were 4 VP evaluators.
The sole bid received met the mandatory and rated requirements for both evaluations and was deemed compliant.
The CA was not present at the evaluation consensus meetings as there was only 1 bid received and that was from the incumbent. The CA was available to answer any question from both groups throughout the process.
The FM was not invited to the consensus meetings. The FM however did review the detailed summaries of both evaluations and found no issues related to fairness.
It is the opinion of the FM that all activities for the procurement of the above noted services were conducted in a fair, open and transparent manner. In this context, fairness refers to decisions being made objectively, free from bias, favouritism or influence and conform to established rules.
Reference documents
Documents related to solicitation W8485-22AVS2 (A to C) are available on CanadaBuys or through the project office.
Addendum to the final report
March 7, 2024
Addendum to the final report dated October 17, 2023, for the CF188 Avionics Systems In-Service Support procurement process.
This addendum covers the period following the conclusion of the evaluation phase including contract award and debriefing activities.
Fairness monitoring activities related to contract award and debriefings
A contract was awarded to the successful bidder on February 9, 2024, via email. The FM reviewed the notification prior to its release.
The successful bidder did not request a debrief regarding the evaluation results of their bid in response to the solicitation.
Attestation of assurance
The FM hereby provides the unqualified assurance statement below concerning the CF-188 Avionics Systems In-Service Support procurement process up to and including the conclusion of the contract award and debriefing activities.
It is our professional opinion that the process that we observed or monitored was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner.
Original signed by:
Mathieu Farley
Chartered Professional Accountant Auditor
Certified Internal Auditor
Certified Information Systems Auditor
Certified Fraud Examiner
Fairness Monitor Contractor Representative
Partner, Audit and Advisory Services
Samson
Ted Pender
Fairness Monitor
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