The British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) honoured seven public owners for excellence in procurement in 2017. The inaugural award is a first for the industry.
Procuring construction services in the public sector is a highly specialized practice requiring unique experience, knowledge and skill. With contractors in demand, resources at a premium and timelines tight—now more than ever procurement professionals hold the master key to a successful project delivery.
According to the BCCA, which provides the Infrastructure Masterclass and publishes construction project opportunities in the BidCentral marketplace, it was time to recognize procurement excellence in the public sector arena.
“Standing out for procurement professionalism amid the hundreds of public projects underway in B.C. is a significant achievement.” says Chris Atchison, president of BCCA. “Congratulations to those owners from all the regions of our province, who lead the way for others in our competitive industry.”
The 2017 Best of Public Procurement winners were:
- City of Vernon for the Vernon Multi-Use Facility Expansion;
- Defence Construction Canada Comox Procurement Team for procurement practices;
- Interior Health Authority for procurement practices;
- Lower Mainland Facilities Management Health Authorities for procurement practices;
- Public Works and Government Services Canada (Pacific Region) for procurement practices;
- Town of Smithers for the Airport Expansion Project;
- Vancouver Island Health Authority for procurement practices.
“Achieving excellence in construction procurement is a difficult task, and it’s near impossible to get everything done perfectly,” says Warren Perks, VP of industry standards for BCCA. “However these owners worked hard to achieve high standards of fairness and transparency on their projects, and we felt they should be recognized.”
A panel of industrial, commercial, and institutional construction owners, advisors and executives identified these public owners and projects for distinction. The panel considered numerous factors, with a focus on fair, open and transparent practices as outlined by the Capital Asset Management Framework (CAMF).
“Ultimately, public owners whose contract opportunities are distinguished by professional, well-structured procurement processes and project outcomes achieve a reputation as owners of choice,” says Atchison.
