Early and continuous engagement

One of the three key objectives of the Defence Procurement Strategy is delivering the right equipment to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Canadian Coast Guard in a timely manner. This objective can more effectively be achieved through early industry and client engagement as part of the defence procurement process. Early engagement will be an important element in improving economic outcomes of defence procurement, and in streamlining defence procurement processes. In fact, it was a key success factor of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy and, subsequently, became an important element of Public Works and Government Services Canada's Smart Procurement principles.

Engagement establishes a two-way conversation between industry and government to better understand needs and available solutions; it promotes a transparent approach to public procurement, and has many benefits, including:

• Helping government understand what industry solutions are available—this is important in shaping requirements and identifying innovative solutions to government needs;
• Allowing for an open, fair and transparent process and facilitating more frequent and comprehensive information-sharing between industry and government;
• Providing industry with an early and better understanding of capability requirements and the desired outcomes of benefit to Canada, which limits the risk of problems that can emerge later in a defence procurement process, ensuring cost-effective and timely delivery of the right equipment for the CAF; and,
• Facilitating more timely and informed decision-making by government.

The new approach to engagement and transparency will support the following activities:

Annual publication of a Defence Acquisitions Guide

Department of National Defence will produce an annual Defence acquisition guide. The Defence Acquisitions Guide (DAG) will reflect the future operational requirements of the CAF over a period of 5 to 20 years. This information and the government's related engagement with industry will enable Canadian firms and potential bidders to make informed research and development investments and strategic partnering decisions. This will help Canadian firms to be better positioned to compete for future Government of Canada and international defence procurement opportunities.

Value Propositions and procurement-specific engagement

Industry will be engaged on a procurement-specific basis throughout the entire procurement process, starting early in the planning stage—at the options analysis phase—of a given procurement. This will help government better identify the objectives of a given procurement that are of benefit to Canada, which will drive the development of Value Propositions that can maximize desired outcomes of benefit to Canada.

When the government is better informed about options associated with capability, cost and "benefit to Canada" elements of a particular procurement, it is able to make timely and appropriate decisions on procurements. This will lead to more timely delivery of equipment to the CAF and Canadian Coast Guard.

Regular review of Key Industrial Capabilities

Industry will be engaged on a regular basis in the development and regular review of Key Industrial Capabilities (KICs). The engagement will focus on discussion of trends related to each KIC, the potential for planned procurements to impact and support a given KIC, and the areas within each KIC requiring focused investments and activities. Regular engagement will also inform the ongoing review of KICs and improve the government's understanding of novel, high-potential, homegrown technologies of interest to the CAF, and inform its requirement setting.

Continual improvement of the Defence Procurement Strategy

Industry members representing a cross-section of Canada's defence-related industry will formally meet once per year with the ministers of Public Works and Government Services, National Defence, Industry, Fisheries and Oceans, and International Trade to discuss the ongoing effectiveness and impact of the Defence Procurement Strategy and to help identify any required adjustments to ensure its objectives are being achieved.