Backgrounder: Procurement and the Values and Ethics Code of the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) manages its procurement with care. During the 2023–2024 fiscal year, the OIC:

• Reviewed and updated its financial and contracting delegation based on risk. The updated delegation was approved by the Minister of Justice.
• Improved its governance by establishing a Contract Review Committee to review all high‑risk contracts.
• Provided its responsibility centre managers with training.
• Took steps to strengthen supplier disclosure requirements (conflict of interest, former public service employee, etc.).

Over the past seven years, the OIC has signed six contracts with Coradix Technology Consulting.

• Total value (including taxes): $369,000.
• Last contract signed in 2021–2022.
• No active contracts with Coradix Technology Consulting or Dalian.

The OIC is exceeding its Indigenous procurement targets.

• Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses account for more than 25% of the total value of OIC contracts, exceedingthe initial 5% target set by the federal government.
  • The OIC has a (competitive) contract with an Indigenous firm for information technology services.
  • As a small organization with limited financial resources, the OIC brings in experts for some services (website and intranet updating, cloud computing, etc.).

Since 2022, the Values and Ethics Code of the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada has complemented the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector.

• This Code provides guiding principles for decision‑making and ethical behaviour.
• All employees must take mandatory training on values and ethics.
• Each employee must sign an annual attestation confirming that they have read the OIC’s Values and Ethics Code and must declare any real, potential or apparent conflict of interest as soon as they become aware of it.
  • Since 2022, one file has been approved with mitigation measures.