Section I: Raison d'être, mandate and role—Who we are and what we do: 2017 to 2018 Departmental Plan
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Raison d'être
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) plays an important role in the daily operations of the Government of Canada. It supports federal departments and agencies in the achievement of their mandated objectives as their central purchasing agent, real property manager, linguistic authority, treasurer, accountant, pay and pension administrator, and common service provider. The Department's vision is to excel in government operations, and its strategic outcome and mission is to deliver high-quality, central programs and services that ensure sound stewardship on behalf of Canadians and meet the program needs of federal institutions.
As per the mandate letter to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the Minister's overarching goal is to ensure that the services provided by her portfolio are delivered efficiently, and in a way that makes citizens feel respected and valued. At the same time, the Minister ensures that the government's internal services are held to an equally high standard and that procurement processes reflect modern best practices. The delivery of government services, including procurement practices, reflects public expectations around transparent, open, and citizen-centered government and serves the Government of Canada's policy goals of sustainable economic growth that grows the middle class.
Mandate and role
The department, founded in 1841, was instrumental in the building of our nation's canals, roads and bridges, the Houses of Parliament, post offices and federal buildings across the country.
The Department of Public Works and Government Services Act (the act), passed in 1996, established the current department and set out the legal authorities for PSPC's services. The act established PSPC as a common service organization providing government departments, boards and agencies with support services for their programs that today include:
- procurement
- office accommodation and facilities
- architectural and engineering services
- construction, maintenance and repair of public works and federal real property
- pay and pension services
- Receiver General, treasury of Canada administration, and maintenance of the Accounts of Canada
- linguistic services
- industrial security services
- specialized programs, including government-wide applications
PSPC's goal is to manage its business in a way that demonstrates integrity, innovation, accountability, efficiency, transparency, and adds value for its client departments and agencies, and Canadians.
The portfolio of the Minister of Public Services and Procurement includes Shared Services Canada, which reports separately. It also includes three Crown corporations (Canada Lands Company Limited, Defence Construction Canada and Canada Post Corporation), two quasi-judicial bodies (Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal and Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board) and the Public Service Commission, an independent government agency. The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman (OPO) also reports to the Minister and operates independently. Details of the operations of the Crown corporations and OPO are provided in separate annual reports that are tabled in Parliament by the Minister.
For more general information about the department, consult section VI: Supplementary information.
For more information on the department's organizational mandate letter commitments, consult the Minister's mandate letter from the Prime Minister of Canada.
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