VICTORIA – Four public owners are being honoured this month for their excellence in construction procurement practices.
The BC Construction Association (BCCA) has announced the winners of the 2022 Public Sector Construction Procurement Awards.
The association explained procuring construction services is a highly specialized practice that requires unique experience, knowledge and skill. The group noted the province has experienced a 79 per cent increase in the value of current construction projects since 2017, is investing a record-setting $24.7 billion in capital projects, and the federal government is fast-tracking and accelerating municipal housing projects.
The association argued with so many dollars being poured into public projects, best practices for procurement are more important than ever but not often utilized.
“Construction-specific procurement may seem like a niche topic, but the procurement process is essential to ensuring that a public project doesn’t suffer from escalating costs, expanded timelines, and compromised outcomes,” said Chris Atchison, president of BCCA, in a statement. “Taxpayers can’t afford faulty practises, and neither can contractors. These awards recognize that there are some public sector entities that are trying to get it right.”
Atchison added the winners consistently set a positive example to other public owners when procuring construction services.
The winners are:
BC Minister of Citizen Services – Procurement Services
The BCCA noted this group engaged with the industry, educated other government entities, provided easy access to bid documents, and provided bid results and award information to all bidders.
Facilities Management Procurement Team at Fraser Health, Provincial Health Services Authority and Vancouver Coastal Health
According to the association, these teams showed commitment to fair, open and transparent procurement. They also showed commitment to the Capital Asset Management Framework and used electronic submission for bids and gave all bidders information on the winning bids.
Interior Health Capital Planning and Projects Team
The BCCA explained the team used the BC Documents Committee’s BCDC 2 Standard Documents and Guidelines for a Stipulated Price Bid. They also used BidCentral Online Bidding for subcontractors for submission of trade contractor bids. Bids were submitted electronically.
City of Prince George
The association praised the city for its engagement with the industry. The BCCA added it believes public entities whose contract opportunities are distinguished by well-structured procurement processes and project outcomes can achieve a reputation as owners of choice.
“This directly translates to demonstrable value for taxpayer dollars and aligns with public sector obligations to trade agreements and for fair, open and transparent procurement practices,” states the group in the press release.
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