This post originally appeared on the Government of Canada's Open Government blog.
Treasury Board President Scott Brison said at the 2017 Blueprint 2020 Innovation Fair:
“No more 200-page RFPs. Instead, bake-offs and competitions. No more blind marriages with big IT providers, instead constant dating…more show and less tell, more focus on working prototypes [so] that we really see what a company or provider can do, more competition and more agile providers.” - Blueprint 2020 Innovation Fair, May 31
The Government of Canada needs a new approach to buying goods and services. Our existing procurement system is robust and rigorous, but it’s time to try something new. We need to be more nimble, more responsive, and more suited to today’s fast-moving digital environment. In a word, we need to be agile.
Fail fast, learn fast by experimenting
Agile procurement encourages more effective collaboration with partners. It involves experimenting together to ensure we’re a good match for success. Being agile means approaching projects with small steps at a fast pace, while assessing and addressing challenges along the way. By moving in small increments, failures happen fast and small, so we find a solution early and treat each misstep as a learning opportunity. It’s a “fail fast, learn fast” approach where we all have a stake in ensuring a successful result.
Let’s work together
We are ready to test this innovative procurement model with the Government of Canada’s recently launched Open by Default pilot. This pilot project gives you access to working documents from four government departments, through our pilot site. It’s a brand new tool and as it grows we need your help to improve it. See the Government of Canada’s recently issued Call for Proposals for Open by Default portal improvements. Is your small or medium-sized business looking for a digital challenge? Let’s tackle this one together.
We look forward to working with you. For more information about our procurement process, sign up for a webinar on August 9, 2017. French and English language bidders’ are requested to register no later than August 3, 2017 at 14h00 EST.
You can reach us through our feedback form, email us at open-ouvert@tbs-sct.gc.ca, tweet us @OpenGovCan, or apply to the process through the official Call for Proposals.
Alex Benay
Chief Information Officer, Government of Canada
Alex Benay currently serves as the Chief Information Officer of the Government of Canada. Prior to this appointment, Alex was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation since July 2014.
From 2011 to 2014, he was Vice-President of Government Affairs and Business Development at OpenText. He has played a leadership role in Canada’s digital industry, as well as in promoting the global shift to digital in organizations such as the G20, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Olympics. Before joining OpenText, Alex managed various teams and programs at the Canadian International Development Agency, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Library and Archives Canada.