ID: 2046
Presenting Author: Cory Campbell
Session: 666 - Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment in Canada – Overview, Effectiveness and Challenges
Status: pending
PSPC will present on the Strategic Environmental and Economic Assessment (SEEA) process in the context of public procurement.
In 2024 to 2025, the Government of Canada awarded $66.9 billion in contracts for goods, services, and construction. Of this total, $55.6 billion was awarded by PSPC. While not all these contracts were in scope for a SEEA, it showcases the important role of public procurement in Canada. Through the SEEA process, PSPC can advance environmental and economic considerations through high-value, high-priority areas identified and flagged by the team that oversees the process as “departmental enabler.” However, challenges exist in ensuring that environmental and economic outcomes are understood and positive. Internal processes need the authority, time, sufficient and accurate data, coordination, and personal commitments to prevent policies like SEEA from being simply box-checking or duplicative exercises. Furthermore, as we learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chains are complex and not always fully understood. Procurement officers leading the development of a proposal have a multitude of policies, rules, laws, trade agreements, etc. to navigate. Departmental enablers assist them and act as connection points between high-level strategic priorities and practical initiatives already underway or being developed to provide the best possible options to decision-makers. A case study will be presented as an example.
Cory Campbell is senior policy analyst for Public Services and Procurement Canada within the Government of Canada. He leads on their strategic environmental and economic assessments.