Comments on: CPRS speaks out on Canadian Government procurement practices http://propr.ca/2006/cprs-speaks-out-on-canadian-government-procurement-practices/ Exploring social media and public relations Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:01:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Joseph Thornley http://propr.ca/2006/cprs-speaks-out-on-canadian-government-procurement-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-6654 Joseph Thornley Mon, 30 Oct 2006 21:19:59 +0000 http://www.propr.ca/index.php/2006/cprs-speaks-out-on-canadian-government-procurement-practices/#comment-6654 Hi Stephen, I did not include the full Marketing story in my original post because I find it regrettable that the story focused on one firm's frustration at not winning business. I think the issues transcend any one company's experience. The need for transparency and fairness in government contracting should be of interest to the entire industry. What did you think of the actual substance of the CPRS submission. Do you agree with it? Did it miss anything? Hi Stephen,
I did not include the full Marketing story in my original post because I find it regrettable that the story focused on one firm’s frustration at not winning business.

I think the issues transcend any one company’s experience. The need for transparency and fairness in government contracting should be of interest to the entire industry.

What did you think of the actual substance of the CPRS submission. Do you agree with it? Did it miss anything?

]]> By: Stephen Heckbert http://propr.ca/2006/cprs-speaks-out-on-canadian-government-procurement-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-6649 Stephen Heckbert Mon, 30 Oct 2006 20:59:41 +0000 http://www.propr.ca/index.php/2006/cprs-speaks-out-on-canadian-government-procurement-practices/#comment-6649 Joe, I thought folks might like to see the Marketing Magazine piece (from Toni's Blog -- http://www.tonisblog.com/?p=75): Canada to revise pr procurement? Professional associations are beginning to realize that pr is not only private sector…good news by Toni Muzi Falconi - October 17, 2006 · Filed under Management, Public Relations, Professional Associations, Economic Impact, The Profession An interesting effort by the Canadian Public Relations Association has just begun. In an early post of this blog I wrote of another action undertaken by the Italian PR Association (FERPI) to ensure that increasing public spending on public relations be carefully monitored. In yet another we commented the media take up and the CIPR’s quick response to a report which indicated a similar increase of spent in the UK….it seems as if professional associations are beginning to realize that the public relations profession is not, as they once seemed to think, only a matter concerning the private sector and agencies/consultants…read the following message I have just received from Judy Gombita… Ottawa considers changes to PR procurement Canada’s public relations industry is demanding the federal government revise its procurement system for public relations services and establish something similar to the system now in place for the advertising industry in the post-Gomery era. The Canadian Public Relations Society, which has established a task force on government relations, briefed Public Works and Government Services Minister Michael Fortier on the issue in the spring, says task force chair Luc Beauregard, who is also CEO and chair of Montreal-based National Public Relations. The PR industry is seeking a transparent and fair process in the selection of PR firms and an end to a bidding system in which “you’ve got to reinvent the wheel every time there’s an RFP.” Currently, the federal government has no central authority over the awarding or policing of PR contracts, with Public Works having no say over how government agencies and Crown corporations handle their PR procurement. “I must say the industry is very suspect and very critical about the fairness of the awarding of contracts in the public relations industry,” Beauregard told Marketing. For example, National–which for years has been Canada’s largest PR firm–has received little PR work in its 30 years in business and Beauregard says it has not been unusual for contracts to go to fronts for governing parties. “We’ve been asked to bid on contracts where the number of bidders included one guy on the third floor of a flat in St. Léonard (a suburb of Montreal). You’ve got the legitimate firms and all of a sudden Mr. X. At the end of the process, surprise, surprise, this Mr. X you’ve never heard of wins the business. It’s not been uncommon.” When the Progressive Conservatives were in power in the 1980s, National was told it couldn’t get any government work because it was a Liberal firm, whereas when the Liberals were in power it was told it was a Conservative firm. Beauregard says Fortier “has been responsive to what we say and we hope that he will come forward for us because (changes are) way overdue.” As part of the Federal Accountability Act, Fortier said in May that PR would be separated from advertising RFPs–seen as a positive sign by Beauregard–and that a procurement auditor would be hired to scrutinize how advertising contracts are decided by government departments and Crown corporations. “We’re further ahead on this than we’ve ever been before,” says Beauregard. The Public Works department confirmed it has been holding consultations with a number of industry associations and suppliers before proceeding further with procurement reform. –Danny Kucharsky as appeared today (October 17) in http://www.marketingmag.ca Joe,

I thought folks might like to see the Marketing Magazine piece (from Toni’s Blog — http://www.tonisblog.com/?p=75):

Canada to revise pr procurement? Professional associations are beginning to realize that pr is not only private sector…good news
by Toni Muzi Falconi – October 17, 2006 · Filed under Management, Public Relations, Professional Associations, Economic Impact, The Profession
An interesting effort by the Canadian Public Relations Association has just begun. In an early post of this blog I wrote of another action undertaken by the Italian PR Association (FERPI) to ensure that increasing public spending on public relations be carefully monitored. In yet another we commented the media take up and the CIPR’s quick response to a report which indicated a similar increase of spent in the UK….it seems as if professional associations are beginning to realize that the public relations profession is not, as they once seemed to think, only a matter concerning the private sector and agencies/consultants…read the following message I have just received from Judy Gombita…

Ottawa considers changes to PR procurement

Canada’s public relations industry is demanding the federal government revise its procurement system for public relations services and establish something similar to the system now in place for the advertising industry in the post-Gomery era.

The Canadian Public Relations Society, which has established a task force on government relations, briefed Public Works and Government Services Minister Michael Fortier on the issue in the spring, says task force chair Luc Beauregard, who is also CEO and chair of Montreal-based National Public Relations. The PR industry is seeking a transparent and fair process in the selection of PR firms and an end to a bidding system in which “you’ve got to reinvent the wheel every time there’s an RFP.”

Currently, the federal government has no central authority over the awarding or policing of PR contracts, with Public Works having no say over how government agencies and Crown corporations handle their PR procurement.

“I must say the industry is very suspect and very critical about the fairness of the awarding of contracts in the public relations industry,” Beauregard told Marketing. For example, National–which for years has been Canada’s largest PR firm–has received little PR work in its 30 years in business and Beauregard says it has not been unusual for contracts to go to fronts for governing parties.

“We’ve been asked to bid on contracts where the number of bidders included one guy on the third floor of a flat in St. Léonard (a suburb of Montreal). You’ve got the legitimate firms and all of a sudden Mr. X. At the end of the process, surprise, surprise, this Mr. X you’ve never heard of wins the business. It’s not been uncommon.”

When the Progressive Conservatives were in power in the 1980s, National was told it couldn’t get any government work because it was a Liberal firm, whereas when the Liberals were in power it was told it was a Conservative firm.

Beauregard says Fortier “has been responsive to what we say and we hope that he will come forward for us because (changes are) way overdue.”

As part of the Federal Accountability Act, Fortier said in May that PR would be separated from advertising RFPs–seen as a positive sign by Beauregard–and that a procurement auditor would be hired to scrutinize how advertising contracts are decided by government departments and Crown corporations. “We’re further ahead on this than we’ve ever been before,” says Beauregard.

The Public Works department confirmed it has been holding consultations with a number of industry associations and suppliers before proceeding further with procurement reform.

–Danny Kucharsky

as appeared today (October 17) in http://www.marketingmag.ca

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