Feds changed procurement strategies to favour McKinsey, says procurement watchdog
Procurement Ombud Alexander Jeglic’s office reviewed 32 federal contracts awarded to McKinsey and Company, and found there was a lack of documentation ‘to demonstrate that the tenets of fairness, openness, and transparency were considered and respected in the procurement process.’
ArriveCan shows government consultants should prove ethical business foundations before getting contracts
Acknowledging the role of external consultants in conducting the business of government is important for politicians of all stripes and federal decision-makers. There should be a new focus on optimizing the return on investment.
CBSA told KPMG to go subcontract through GC Strategies to work on ArriveCan, MPs hear
Antonio Utano, a director-general at the Canada Revenue Agency, and Cameron MacDonald, an assistant deputy minister at Health Canada, have been suspended without pay over contract misconduct allegations and had their security clearance revoked as the ArriveCan debacle unfolded.
Defence department spent around $1.2-billion on consultants last year
“A significant amount of money— is [spent] on professional services related to IT contracts,” Matthews had told the House Public Accounts Committee on March 21.
ArriveCan app provided ‘value for money,’ just not the ‘best value,’ CBSA official tells MPs
The maintenance of the existing ArriveCan application costs just under $3-million annually.
Defence contractors are ‘a giant vampire sucking billions of taxpayer dollars’: public service union head
Canada spends roughly $5-billion a year on external contracts, which includes contracts for the procurement of planes and ships, according to Bill Matthews, deputy minister of National Defence.
ArriveCan contractor did not disclose conflict of interest, says Anand
Auditor General Karen Hogan’s review into the ArriveCan app estimated that Dalian—in joint venture with Coradix—was paid $7.9-million for its work. But company founder David Yeo says his firm received $4.9-million.
GC Strategies partner deems the auditor general’s findings ‘incorrect’ despite admitting to never having read them or intending to do so
Anthony testified that, to his knowledge, his government security clearance remains unaffected, while partner Kristian Firth’s was revoked amidst misconduct allegations and scrutiny around the app’s procurement.
Key ArriveCan contractor disputes AG’s findings, says his firm was paid less than $19M for app
GC Strategies expressed its ‘disagreement’ with the auditor general’s estimate it was paid $19.1-million for the ArriveCan build prior to the release of the Feb. 12 report, which noted it was ‘possible that some amounts attributed to ArriveCan were not for the application.’
ArriveCan: What you need to know before key witnesses’ testimonies
Allegations of misconduct, conflict of interest, and a nearly $60-million price tag loom over the three main ArriveCan contractors: GC Strategies, Dalian Enterprises, and Coradix. GC Strategies’ co-founders Kristian Firth and Darren Anthony are scheduled to appear before the House Government Operations Committee on March 13 and 14.
