February 1, 2019
New Website Supports Initiative to Help Government Shop Smarter
– – –Achieving Better Results, Savings for Taxpayers: Fielding
A new website launched today as part of Manitoba’s procurement modernization initiative will ensure partners can share feedback and access the most up-to-date information they need to work with the province, Finance Minister Scott Fielding announced today.
“We are helping government shop smarter and achieve better results for the taxpayer by improving the way goods and services are purchased,” said Fielding. “The website will provide transparency and progress updates over the next three years, while enabling partners to directly submit their comments and feedback.”
In October 2018, the Manitoba government launched this initiative to reform the way it issues tenders for goods and services. Currently, individual contracts are issued for projects and often go through separate tendering processes. Reviews in 2012 and 2016 identified the need to modernize procurement services as a way to improve efficiency and achieve cost savings.
The new approach to procurement is known as category management, which means the province will be able to plan more effectively with better co-ordination across departments, the minister said. One contract can be issued for a particular category of goods or services for several departments, instead of several separate contracts. It allows government to negotiate lower costs through larger purchases of a product or service.
As part of the modernization strategy, PriceWaterhouseCoopers Canada is supporting the implementation by providing transformation governance, staff training, change management support and benefits tracking.
“Manitobans are smart shoppers who expect government to do the same,” said Fielding. “This initiative is long-overdue and we look forward to updating Manitobans on the progress that is made.”
For more information and updates on the implementation of the procurement modernization strategy, and to submit comments and feedback, visit www.gov.mb.ca/finance/psb/modernization/index.html.
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