Government of Canada Mainframe Legacy Application Migration Project
Fairness Monitor Contractor's Final Report
May 16, 2014
Submitted to: Director General Operational Integrity Sector
Submitted by: Hallux Consulting Inc.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Project Requirement
- Attestation of Assurance
- Scope and Objectives of the Fairness Monitor Assignment
- Methodology
- Reference Documents
Fairness Monitor Final Report
1. Introduction
Hallux Consulting Inc. was engaged as a Fairness Monitor (FM) to observe the competitive procurement process for the Government of Canada Mainframe Legacy Application Migration Project (MLAMP), issued by Public Works and Government Services Canada on behalf of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRDSC) as a result of Solicitation Number G7638-130001/C. Hallux Consulting Inc. is an independent third party with respect to this activity.
We reviewed all of the information provided and observed all relevant activities.
A three phase approach was used for this procurementFootnote 1. Bidders needed to demonstrate that they could meet certain mandatory criteria as part of Phase One to proceed to Phase Two of the procurement. During Phase Two, bidders developed a detailed solution to the requirements which was evaluated using both mandatory and rated criteria. Both bidders who moved on to Phase Two also participated in Phase Three of the procurement, which entailed an evaluation of their proposed solution against mandatory and rated criteria using a Measured Use Case (MUC).
We hereby submit the Final Report, covering the activities of the Fairness Monitor, commencing with the review of the draft Request for Proposal (RFP), continuing through Phase One which was utilized to select qualified bidders for subsequent phases of the procurement, Phase Two and Three during which bidders developed and submitted detailed solutions to the requirement, and the final consensus evaluation and selection process.
This report includes our attestation of assurance, a summary of the scope and objectives of our assignment, the methodologies applied and relevant observations from the activities undertaken.
2. Project Requirement
The request for proposal was provided to all qualified Solutions-Based Informatics Professional Services (SBIPS) suppliers under Domain 7 Legacy Support and Transition.Footnote 2 The procurement is part of the Mainframe Legacy Application Migration Project in HRSDC and Shared Services Canada (SSC). A code and data conversion is being undertaken in this phase of the project, and then migrated to a new hardware platform. L is responsible for providing the hardware platform environment under a separate agreement with HRSDC.
Since 1968, HRSDC has used the Unisys MCP platform (previously Burroughs Corporation) to run mission critical applications. These applications are coded in Unisys LINC and COBOL; data are in Unisys CODASYL-style DMSII database and in industry-standard flat file formats using the EBCDIC standard character set and collating sequence. The current contract with Unisys expires in December 2016 after which point, an alternate platform is required for the applications, components and data directly residing on the Unisys mainframe. Through this procurement, HRSDC plans to have the multiple applications hosted on the Unisys mainframe migrated to the new platform by May 31, 2016.
3. Attestation of Assurance
The FM hereby provides the following unqualified assurance statement concerning the Government of Canada Mainframe Legacy Application Migration Project: It is our professional opinion that the competitive procurement process we observed was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner.
Elizabeth Buckingham, CPA, CMA, CIA
FM Specialist
Sylvie Girard,
FM Specialist
Marthe Girouard, CPA, CA
FM Specialist
Howard DuBois, CIA
Contractor Representative and FM Team Leader.
Date: 16 mai 2014
4. Scope and Objectives of the Fairness Monitor Assignment
The overall objective of the assignment was to provide PWGSC with an impartial opinion on the fairness, openness and transparency of the activity being monitored.
Our Fairness Monitor Services included the provision of fairness related observations during the period following the issuance of the RFI and up to the completion of the evaluation of bids from Phase Three of the procurement.
5. Methodology
Hallux Consulting Inc. was engaged as a Fairness Monitor to observe the competitive procurement process for the Mainframe Legacy Application Migration Project, 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 the draft RFP, observed Phase One, Phase Two, and Phase Three activities, identified fairness-related matters to the Contracting and Technical authorities and ensured that responses and actions were reasonable and appropriate.
Key activities during the three phases of the solicitation included:
- review of a draft RFP and the final RFP sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7.
- review of all questions submitted by bidders and proposed responses and amendments to the RFP. During the period December 16, 2013 and April 22, 2014, 272 written questions were submitted, and 100 amendments were issued, of which 16 were initiated by Canada and the balance were in response to the questions posed.
- review of materials prepared for the orientation of bidders. A Bidder's Conference was held December 20, 2013 at the start of Phase One to provide an overview of the procurement process.Orientation sessions were provided February 18, 2014 and February 19, 2014 on the planned logistics for Phase Two and the operations of the Reading Room. Another orientation session was held February 25, 2014 to provide information on the requirements associated with the Measured Use Case (MUC), a component of the final evaluation process. We observed all of these orientation sessions.
- observation of the consensus evaluation meetings at the end of Phase One on February 5, 2014 and February 7, 2014.
- review of correspondence to the bidders from Phase One of the solicitation advising them if they were successful or unsuccessful. The results of the bid evaluation from Phase One were communicated to the unsuccessful bidder on February 10, 2014 and to the successful bidders on February 12, 2014. A written debriefing letter was provided to the unsuccessful bidder on March 4, 2014.
- observation of any direct interactions between Canada and the bidders in the Reading Room during the period February 18, 2014 to March 31, 2014. The Reading Room was a mechanism through which HRSDC provided access to technical documentation, source code, database schema, test case materials and other information relevant to the solicitation.
- observation of each bidder's demonstration of their MUC on April 24-25, 2014 and April 28-29, 2014.
- observation of the final consensus evaluation meetings April 30-May 2, 2014 and May 4-5, 2014.
A total of three bidders responded to Phase One of the solicitation and two bidders responded to Phase Two and Phase Three of the solicitation.
6. Reference Documents
The following documents are referenced by number in the attached report. Unless otherwise indicated, these documents are available through the PWGSC procurement office.
Table Summary
The following table includes a list of documents referred to in the report such as the Request for Proposal (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 | Bid solicitation documents sent by email December 13, 2013 to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7 |
| 2 | MLAMP Mainframe Migration Project Tender Notice | Released on buyandsell.gc.ca on December 16, 2013 |
| 3 | Notice of Bidders Conference December 20, 2013 | Sent by email December 17, 2013 to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7 |
| 4 | Amendment to Notice of Proposed Procurement | Closing date amendment to February 24, 2014 released on Buyandsell.gc.ca on December 19, 2013Footnote 3 |
| 5 | Presentations made by Canada at the December 20, 2013 Bidders Conference | Copy of presentation used at Bidders Conference and the questions asked and answers provided sent out by email December 20, 2013 to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7 |
| 6 | Amendment No. 001 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, December 16, 2013 |
| 7 | Amendment No. 002 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, December 17, 2013 |
| 8 | Amendment No. 003 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, December 19, 2013 |
| 9 | Amendment No. 004 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, December 24, 2013 |
| 10 | Amendment No. 005 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 6, 2014 |
| 11 | Amendment No. 006 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 7, 2014 |
| 12 | Amendment No. 007 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 7, 2014 |
| 13 | Amendment No. 008 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 7, 2014 |
| 14 | Amendment No. 009 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 7, 2014 |
| 15 | Amendment No. 010 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 8, 2014 |
| 16 | Amendment No. 011 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 8, 2014 |
| 17 | Amendment No. 012 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 8, 2014 |
| 18 | Amendment No. 013 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 9, 2014 |
| 19 | Amendment No. 014 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 9, 2014 |
| 20 | Amendment No. 015 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 9, 2014 |
| 21 | Amendment No. 016 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 10, 2014 |
| 22 | Amendment No. 017 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 10, 2014 |
| 23 | Amendment No. 018 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 10, 2014 |
| 24 | Amendment No. 019 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 10, 2014 |
| 25 | Amendment No. 020 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 13, 2014 |
| 26 | Amendment No. 021 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 13, 2014 |
| 27 | Amendment No. 022 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 13, 2014 |
| 28 | Amendment No. 023 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 14, 2014 |
| 29 | Amendment No. 024 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 14, 2014 |
| 30 | Amendment No. 025 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 15, 2014 |
| 31 | Amendment No. 026 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 15, 2014 |
| 32 | Amendment No. 027 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 15, 2014 |
| 33 | Amendment No. 028 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 15, 2014 |
| 34 | Amendment No. 029 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 15, 2014 |
| 35 | Amendment No. 030 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 16, 2014 |
| 36 | Amendment No. 031 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 17, 2014 |
| 37 | Amendment No. 032 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 20, 2014 |
| 38 | Amendment No. 033 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 21, 2014 |
| 39 | Amendment No. 034 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 21, 2014 |
| 40 | Amendment No. 035 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 21, 2014 |
| 41 | Amendment No. 036 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 22, 2014 |
| 42 | Amendment No. 037 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 23, 2014 |
| 43 | Amendment No. 038 | Sent by email to all qualified SBIPS suppliers under domain 7, January 24, 2014 |
| 44 | Technical Evaluation Report (Phase One) | Dated February 7, 2014 |
| 45 | Communication of Phase One Results to Bidders | Communication of Phase I results to unsuccessful bidder by letter attached to an email February 10, 2014 and to the successful bidders by letter attached to an email February 12, 2014 |
| 46 | Debriefing Letter to Unsuccessful Bidder | Debriefing provided to unsuccessful bidder in a letter dated March 4, 2014 |
Table Summary
The following table includes a list of documents referred to in the report such as the Request for Proposal (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 |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Presentation made by Canada at the Bidders' Orientation Session February 17, 2014 and February 19, 2014 | Copy of agenda and presentation used at the orientation session for the two remaining bidders February 17, 2014 and February 19, 2014 on the contractual requirements for Phase Two and the logistics associated with the Reading Room. |
| 48 | Presentation made by Canada to bidders February 25, 2014on the Measured Use Case | Copy of presentation used at the orientation session for the remaining two bidders February 25, 2014 on the Measured Use Case |
| 49 | Amendment to Notice of Proposed Procurement | Closing date amendment to April 14, 2014 released on Buyandsell.gc.ca on April 1, 2014 |
| 50 | Amendment to Notice of Proposed Procurement | Closing date amendment to April 22, 2014released on Buyandsell.gc.ca on April 16, 2014 |
| 51 | Amendment No. 039 | Sent by email to the three firms that submitted bids in Phase I of the procurement, February 6, 2014 |
| 52 | Amendment No. 040 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, February 14, 2014 |
| 53 | Amendment No. 041 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, February 14, 2014 |
| 54 | Amendment No. 042 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, February 25, 2014 |
| 55 | Amendment No. 043 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, February 28, 2014 |
| 56 | Amendment No. 044 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, February 28, 2014 |
| 57 | Amendment No. 045 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 5, 2014 |
| 58 | Amendment No. 046 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 6, 2014 |
| 59 | Amendment No. 047 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 6, 2014 |
| 60 | Amendment No. 048 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 7, 2014 |
| 61 | Amendment No. 049 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 10, 2014 |
| 62 | Amendment No. 050 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 11, 2014 |
| 63 | Amendment No. 051 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 11, 2014 |
| 64 | Amendment No. 052 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 12, 2014 |
| 65 | Amendment No. 053 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 13, 2014 |
| 66 | Amendment No. 054 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 17, 2014 |
| 67 | Amendment No. 055 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 19, 2014 |
| 68 | Amendment No. 056 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 19, 2014 |
| 69 | Amendment No. 057 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 20, 2014 |
| 70 | Amendment No. 058 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 21, 2014 |
| 71 | Amendment No. 059 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 24, 2014 |
| 72 | Amendment No. 060 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 24, 2014 |
| 73 | Amendment No. 061 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 25, 2014 |
| 74 | Amendment No. 062 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 25, 2014 |
| 75 | Amendment No. 063 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 25, 2014 |
| 76 | Amendment No. 064 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 26, 2014 |
| 77 | Amendment No. 065 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 26, 2014 |
| 78 | Amendment No. 066 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 26, 2014 |
| 79 | Amendment No. 067 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 26, 2014 |
| 80 | Amendment No. 068 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 27, 2014 |
| 81 | Amendment No. 069 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 28, 2014 |
| 82 | Amendment No. 070 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 28, 2014 |
| 83 | Amendment No. 071 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 28, 2014 |
| 84 | Amendment No. 072 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 31, 2014 |
| 85 | Amendment No. 073 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, March 31, 2014 |
| 86 | Amendment No. 074 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 1, 2014 |
| 87 | Amendment No. 075 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 1, 2014 |
| 88 | Amendment No. 076 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 1, 2014 |
| 89 | Amendment No. 077 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 2, 2014 |
| 90 | Amendment No. 078 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 3, 2014 |
| 91 | Amendment No. 079 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 3, 2014 |
| 92 | Amendment No. 080 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 4, 2014 |
| 93 | Amendment No. 081 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 4, 2014 |
| 94 | Amendment No. 082 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 7, 2014 |
| 95 | Amendment No. 083 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 7, 2014 |
| 96 | Amendment No. 084 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 8, 2014 |
| 97 | Amendment No. 085 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 8, 2014 |
| 98 | Amendment No. 086 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 10, 2014 |
| 99 | Amendment No. 087 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 10, 2014 |
| 100 | Amendment No. 088 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 10, 2014 |
| 101 | Amendment No. 089 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 11, 2014 |
| 102 | Amendment No. 090 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 11, 2014 |
| 103 | Amendment No. 091 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 11, 2014 |
| 104 | Amendment No. 092 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 11, 2014 |
| 105 | Amendment No. 093 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 11, 2014 |
| 106 | Amendment No. 094 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 14, 2014 |
| 107 | Amendment No. 095 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 14, 2014. The amendment was further amended April 15, 2014 and sent by email to the two bidders who qualified to proceed to Phase Two. |
| 108 | Amendment No. 096 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 14, 2014 |
| 109 | Amendment No. 097 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 15, 2014 |
| 110 | Amendment No. 098 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 16, 2014 |
| 111 | Amendment No. 099 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 17, 2014 |
| 112 | Amendment No. 100 | Sent by email to the two bidders that qualified to proceed to Phase Two, April 22, 2014 |
| 113 | Guidelines for Evaluation Team Members | Guidelines for the bid evaluation team members outlining the process to follow while evaluating bids sent by email by the contracting officer on April 15, 2014 |
| 114 | Technical Evaluation Report (Phase Two and Three) | Dated May 5, 2014 |
Addendum to the Final Report
July 4, 2014
Addendum to Fairness Monitor Final Report dated May 16, 2014 on the competitive procurement process for the Government of Canada Mainframe Legacy Application Migration Project (MLAMP).
This Addendum to the Fairness Monitor Final Report covers the period following the conclusion of the evaluation phase.
FM Activities Related to Contract Award and Debriefings
The successful bidder was selected and the contract awarded on June 17, 2014. A letter was sent to the unsuccessful bidder on June 13, 2014 advising of the result. Pursuant to a request from the unsuccessful bidder, additional feedback on the bid for Phase Two and Three was provided verbally on June 27, 2014.
FM Attestation of Assurance
The FM hereby provides the following unqualified assurance statement concerning the Government of Canada Mainframe Legacy Application Migration Project: It is our professional opinion that the competitive procurement process we observed was carried out in a fair, open and transparent manner.
Elizabeth Buckingham, CPA, CMA, CIA
FM Specialist
Sylvie Girard,
FM Specialist
Marthe Girouard, CPA, CA
FM Specialist
Howard DuBois, CIA
Contractor Representative and FM Team Leader.
Footnotes
- Footnote 1
-
Phase Three was established through an amendment to the RFP.
- Footnote 2
-
Prior to the involvement of the Fairness Monitor, a Request for Information (RFI) (G7638-130001/A) was published on buyandsell.gc.ca June 7, 2013, and a draft RFP (G7638-130001/B) was published on buyandsell.gc.ca. August 1, 2013. Domain 7 (Legacy Support and Transition) refers to the Solutions-Based Informatics Professional Services (SBIPS) supply arrangement.
- Footnote 3
-
Bidders were subsequently advised in Amendment 38 issued January 24, 2014that the close date for Phase 2 had been extended to April 2, 2014. As of January 31, 2014, a revised Notice of Proposed Procurement had not yet been posted on buyandsell.gc.ca.
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