Over the next few weeks we will explore Government Procurement in Canada. Freedom of Information statutes shed light on the operations of government by allowing anyone to access government records.
What about major procurements that result in long-term contracts with million-dollar payments to vendors? Can competing bidders, affected employees and unions, and the media get copies of signed contracts, the Request for Proposals (RFP) responses, and the internal government business case?
When battles over major procurements arise, organizations usually claim two exemptions under the freedom of information laws. A government body may resist disclosure by saying that it will cripple future bidding processes, and thus be harmful to its long-term financial or economic interests. A winning vendor may try to limit disclosure of confidential information that could be exploited by a competitor.
Over the next few weeks we will show how information and privacy commissioners have dealt with major procurements in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia. As always we welcome your comments.
For further information on this subject see our posting of October 18, General Transparency Requirements
Freedom of Information and Major Procurements: Ontario
