Government to begin construction on new warships despite not knowing the final cost or design

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  November 23, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Minister Sajjan Wraps Up 12th Annual Halifax International Security Forum

  From: National Defence Collaboration and dialogue with the international community is critical for Canada in addressing emerging security threats and ensuring the safety of all Canadians. Canada is committed to upholding the rules-based international order, both diplomatically and through our military deployments around the world, to foster a safer, more peaceful, and prosperous place. Collaboration and dialogue with the international community is critical for Canada in addressing emerging security threats and ensuring the safety of all Canadians. Canada is committed to upholding the rules-based international order, both diplomatically and through our military deployments around the world, to foster a safer, more peaceful, and prosperous place. The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, virtually co-hosted the 12th annual edition of the Halifax International Security Forum (HISF) with the President of HISF Inc., Mr. Peter Van Praagh, from November 20-22. The forum was an opportunity for defence ministers, senior officials from international organizations, representatives from academia and industry, and defence and security experts from over 51 countries to discuss current and emerging issues of global security and prosperity. During the forum, Minister Sajjan underlined the importance of Canada being strong at home, secure in North America, and engaged in the world. Minister Sajjan reaffirmed the importance of multilateralism, as allies and partners balance international commitments with critical needs at home. Discussions covered a broad range of topics including democracy, human rights, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the importance of international cooperation in facing today's challenges. Quotes “The global pandemic is having an impact on virtually everything we do, from running errands to running a country. This makes the conversations we had with our Allies and Partners at HISF this year as, if not more, important than ever before. I am confident that we will continue striking the necessary balance between critical health needs at home, supporting each other with medical supplies and expertise, and defending our sovereignty from adversaries who would do us harm. For me, this really brings home the importance of multilateralism.” The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence Quick facts The Halifax International Security Forum connected more than 250 defence leaders from across the world, including senior government and military officials, policymakers, opinion leaders, academics, and members of the business community from like-minded nations. The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are committed to demonstrating leadership in reflecting Canadian ideals of diversity, respect and inclusion, including striving for gender equality, and building a workforce that leverages the diversity and multicultural fabric of Canadian society. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2020/11/minister-sajjan-wraps-up-12th-annual-halifax-international-security-forum.html

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  September 24, 2019 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Want to Win Government Business? Don’t be too ‘Commercial-Centric’

  Governments may be open for business, but that doesn't mean doing business with a government is necessarily easy. Government procurement is complex - this is not by happenstance. The rules on public procurement stem from a number of sources including law (trade agreements, the common law and legislation) and policy. It can be a painful and costly learning curve for companies that want to sell goods and services to the country's largest buyers if they don't understand the rules. Government decision-makers are answerable to a very wide range of stakeholders, including the Canadian voters who put them in office and the Canadian taxpayers who fund their operations. In a public procurement, it's not just about getting the best deal – it is also about meeting the broader public interest and achieving long-term policy objectives. The Goal is to Promote Fairness Competition is the rule in public procurement because it offers a fair, open and transparent environment, and meets the public objective that all potential suppliers get a fair kick at the can to sell to government. This is important when you consider that, for example, the Department of National Defence is the largest Canadian purchaser of goods and services from the Canadian defence industry. Canada has implemented several trade agreements in the past few years, including the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) (which replaced the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)). Understanding how these agreements impact procurement is even more important for suppliers and their federal, provincial and territorial government customers, as well as for the municipal, academic, school and hospital (MASH) sector which may now be subject to trade agreements for the first time or subject to additional or new rules brought about by these new trade agreements. Prepare your RFP Response Team for a Long Haul Businesses must understand the processes that come into play in public procurements, such as the need to resource their RFP response team for a long period of time or the impact of failing to meet mandatory RFP requirements (disqualification from the procurement process). Learning to manage the length of time it takes to progress through a procurement cycle, and to navigate the processes, is a big challenge. In business, relationships matter, but developing a good working relationship with key decision makers in government departments or agencies can be difficult since government tends to have greater workforce mobility and people change in and out of roles frequently. Further, dealing with government means complying with lobbying law and conflict of interest rules. In many jurisdictions, discussions about procurement requirements outside of public solicitation processes is considered lobbying, as it is attempting to sell products or services to the government. Conflict of interest rules may also preclude certain people from doing business with government officials. Approaching public procurement with a "commercial-centric" view often leads to frustration. The federal government does understand "how business works," but there are still many aspects of a public procurement that are not (and cannot be) commercially focused, including those related to complying with applicable trade agreements, protecting the public interest, and serving policy objectives such as regional development and economic diversification. Companies participating in a public sector procurement process face unique compliance requirements that don't come into play with a typical private commercial transaction. Expect Heightened Security Requirements With the increasing attention being paid to cybersecurity and data protection, companies will find they are now subject to more stringent security requirements, including an increased requirement for product functionality and security control disclosure in advance of their products or services being accepted by government buyers. This level of disclosure can extend through to greater access to the underlying technology used so that the customer itself can test for, and understand, cyber-threat vulnerabilities. Whether this is your first foray into the world of government procurement – and you need to understand the rules of public procurement so that you can properly understand the RFP documents and the plethora of government policies – or you have a broader interest focused on influencing government policy and direction as it relates to your business or your industry, knowing how to best position your organization to take advantage of both possible routes is critical to a successful government procurement business. Waiting until you have lost a bid is too late to effect a change for your organization's benefit. Be Proactive with the Right Advice Regardless of your focus, knowing how the system works and how to best advocate for your interests is a crucial and part of any successful business plan. Working with a legal team that has knowledge and experience in all of these areas and can assist with strategic planning and approach from start to finish is critical to success. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=4d2ced7d-7e1a-47f0-bf39-ced9b8a0b39d

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  March 13, 2024 | Local, Land

  Darren Fisher and Andy Fillmore to hold a media availability on defence innovation in Halifax Regional Municipality

  On Friday, March 15, 2024, Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth–Cole Harbour, and Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax, will hold a media availability on defence innovation in the Halifax Regional Municipality. They will make an announcement on behalf of the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence.