Policy Bulletin 681
Policy Bulletin
Policy numbers and titles:
Financial Directive (FD) 350-3 – Contracting
Why was the policy changed?
Modifications were made to Financial Directive (FD) 350-3 – Contracting, to ensure consistency with Treasury Board’s contracting policies, clarify existing and new policy requirements, and reflect changes to the Delegation of Spending and Financial Authorities Instrument (Column 20).
Additional changes were made to provide updated information and clarification in the Responsibilities section.
What has changed?
A number of changes were made to the directive to streamline content and to ensure it remains in line with current requirements, procedures, and best practices.
The most significant modifications are as follows:
- Clarified and strengthened roles and responsibilities.
- Strengthened references to supporting policy instruments throughout the directive (e.g., CMS Instructions).
- Streamlined Contract Review Board processes to create efficiencies [e.g., established a new Contract Review Board (NHQ Express Lane)].
- Modified the Training section to strengthen and clarify mandatory training requirements (e.g., new mandatory training requirements for budget managers to obtain contracting delegation for goods and services).
- Removed the annex on National Standard Delegation Instrument and Limits, which has been replaced by the new CSC Contracting Delegation Restriction Instrument.
- Added a new section on socio-economic and environmental considerations (includes references to accessibility, environmental, and Indigenous considerations).
- Removed annexes that were procedural in nature, which will be developed into supporting procedural documents (CSC Agreements, Value for Money, CSC Checklist for Goods and Services Contracts, Cost-Effectiveness Analyses, and Contract/Contractor Evaluation Guidelines).
- Removed the annex on Environmental Directive – Green Procurement, which will be integrated in the CMS-INST-2014-001 Green Procurement Instructions.
How was it developed?
The changes were developed by the Corporate Services Sector, in consultation with the Strategic Policy Division, as well as internal and external stakeholders.
Who will be affected by the policy?
This directive applies to budget managers, delegated contracting authorities and those accountable for and involved in contracting activities.
Accountabilities?
Incumbents of the positions identified in the directive are responsible for the implementation.
Other Impacts?
- Supporting policy instruments will be updated accordingly to reflect revised policy requirements (e.g., CMS-INST-2015-017 – Contract Review Board Terms of Reference).
- CMS eLearning Modules will be updated accordingly to reflect revised policy requirements, such as CONTRA2 and CONTRA3.
- Date modified: