Traveller Kiosk and Iris Recognition Technology Project

Table of Contents

• 1. Background and Introduction
• 2. Project Requirement
• 3. Attestation of Assurance
• 4. Methodology
• 5. Reference Documents

1. Background and Introduction

As Fairness Monitor, Knowles Consultancy Services Inc. and Hill International Inc. in Joint Venture (hereafter referred to as the Fairness Monitor) was engaged as a Fairness Monitoring (FM) to observe the competitive procurement process for the acquisition of Traveller Kiosks for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). This competitive process was undertaken by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) through Solicitation Number 47054-124625/A. Knowles Consultancy Services Inc. and Hill International Inc. in Joint Venture is an independent third party with respect to this activity.

We reviewed all of the information provided and observed all relevant activities.

We hereby submit the Final Report covering our activities, commencing with a review of a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) through the posting of the RFP to the evaluation of proposals received in response to the RFP.

This report includes our attestation of assurance, an overview of the project, the methodologies applied to our assignment, activities undertaken, and any relevant findings.

2. Project Requirement

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has a requirement for a Contractor to replace existing self-service kiosks and current iris biometric technology with new self-service kiosks and biometric technology for delivery to multiple locations across Canada. The Contractor must supply, deliver and assemble self-service kiosks including all hardware, licensed system software, warranty, maintenance and support, training, professional services and technical documentation. The Contractor must dismantle, remove and dispose of the existing kiosks. The Requirement includes options to purchase additional kiosks and individual iris cameras and to extend the term of the Contract beyond the warranty period.

Self-service kiosks are the core of Canada's Trusted Traveller Programs. These Programs are designed to expedite the border clearance process for low risk travellers. Self-service kiosks allow program members expedited passage by providing member authentication, passage risk assessment and custom traveller declaration functionality that would otherwise be done via a conventional primary inspection.

3. Attestation of Assurance

The FM hereby provides the following unqualified assurance statement concerning the competitive process for the Traveller Kiosk and Iris Recognition Technology procurement project.

It is our professional opinion that the competitive process we observed was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner.

Note: While in the course of the process fairness related comments were provided to project officials, it is confirmed that, as necessary, project officials provided clarification to the Fairness Monitor or took appropriate action to address the comments, and as a result no fairness deficiencies were recorded.

___________________
Bruce Maynard P. Eng.
FM Specialist

4. Methodology

Knowles Consultancy Services Inc. and Hill International Inc. in Joint Venture was engaged as the Fairness Monitor (FM) to observe the competitive procurement process for the Traveller Kiosks and Iris Recognition Technology project undertaken by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) through Solicitation Number 47054-124625/A, and to attest to the fairness, openness and transparency of this monitored activity.

In accordance with the terms of our engagement, we familiarized ourselves with the relevant documents; reviewed draft versions of the RFP and the final version posted on MERX (Document 1); reviewed Questions submitted by potential bidders and Answers in draft and final form provided by the Crown (Q's and A's); reviewed Amendments 1 to 17 to the RFP (Documents 2 to 18) in draft and final form; observed the orientation session provided to evaluators, observed the evaluation of bids received during which consensus was reached on mandatory requirements; reviewed clarification questions submitted to bidders; and provided fairness related comments to the Contracting Authority while ensuring that responses and actions were reasonable and appropriate.

All proposals received failed to comply with mandatory requirements. The evaluation was terminated prior to any evaluation consensus discussions on rated requirements.

5. Reference Documents

The following documents are referenced by number in the attached report. Unless otherwise indicated, these documents are available through the Traveller Kiosk and Iris Recognition Technology project office.

Table Summary

The following table includes a list of documents referred to in the report such as the RFP, amendments, clarification letters, debriefing letters, etc. Each row is numbered, followed by the document title, then a document identifier such as a date or document number.

No.	Document	Additional information
1	Request for Proposal (RFP)	Published on MERX on July 31, 2012
2	Amendment 1 to RFP	Published on MERX on August 23, 2012
3	Amendment 2 to RFP	Published on MERX on August 27, 2012
4	Amendment 3 to RFP	Published on MERX on August 29, 2012
5	Amendment 4 to RFP	Published on MERX on August 30, 2012
6	Amendment 5 to RFP	Published on MERX on September 7, 2012
7	Amendment 6 to RFP	Published on MERX on September 14, 2012
8	Amendment 7 to RFP	Published on MERX on September 18, 2012
9	Amendment 8 to RFP	Published on MERX on September 19, 2012
10	Amendment 9 to RFP	Published on MERX on September 21, 2012
11	Amendment 10 to RFP	Published on MERX on September 24, 2012
12	Amendment 11 to RFP	Published on MERX on September 25, 2012
13	Amendment 12 to RFP	Published on MERX on September 26, 2012
14	Amendment 13 to RFP	Published on MERX on September 28, 2012
15	Amendment 14 to RFP	Published on MERX on October 1, 2012
16	Amendment 15 to RFP	Published on MERX on October 2, 2012
17	Amendment 16 to RFP	Published on MERX on October 2, 2012
18	Amendment 17 to RFP	Published on MERX on October 3, 2012

Addendum to the Final Report
January 14, 2013

Addendum to Fairness Monitor Final Report dated December 20, 2012 for the Traveller Kiosk and Iris Recognition Technology Procurement Project

This Addendum to the Fairness Monitor Final Report covers the period following the early termination of the evaluation phase and includes the notification and debriefings provided to the bidders.

During the period December 5, 2012 to December 20, 2012, we reviewed letters to the bidders in draft and final form advising them that all proposals that had been received had been evaluated and deemed non-compliant, that the solicitation had been cancelled and that a new solicitation would be issued in January, 2013. The letter to each bidder also provided an explanation as to the reasons that their proposal had been found non-compliant and advised the bidders that rated requirements and financial proposals had not been evaluated on any of the bids.

Fairness Monitor Attestation of Assurance

It is our professional opinion that the debriefing stage of the competitive procurement process for the Traveller Kiosk and Iris Recognition Technology Procurement Project was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner.

___________________
Bruce Maynard P. Eng.
FM Specialist