Victoria LaBillois, Vice-Chairperson of the NIEDB, participated as a witness in a meeting of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) on December 5, 2022.
During this session, Victoria LaBillois spoke to the issue of diversity in procurement. The official recommendations put forth by the NIEDB are as follows:
- Significant investment is necessary for the establishment of a new Indigenous-led procurement institution at the national level;
- Very low current thresholds for non-competitive processes and sole-source contracting must be increased;
- The target for the total value of federal contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses should be proportionally higher than 5% where geographically warranted;
- Training on Indigenous cultural awareness for procurement officials should be mandatory; and,
- The government should monitor and report on an annual basis, distinct from other reporting processes, whether or not each federal department is meeting its mandated 5% Indigenous procurement target.
Additional witnesses:
- Philip Ducharme, Vice President, Entrepreneurship and Procurement, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
- Ray Wanuch, Executive Director, Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers
- Shannin Metatawabin, Chief Executive Officer, National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association
Read the full transcript here