2013-14 Report on Plans and Priorities

Strategies / Comments:

A key element of PCO’s approach to setting and meeting green procurement targets is to leverage Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) procurement instruments. PWGSC’s procurement instruments are designed to meet federal government green procurement standards. For a small department like PCO, it makes sense to leverage the benefits of PWGSC’s existing green procurement instruments.

Approach:

In addition to leveraging the benefits of PWGSC’s green procurement instruments, PCO’s strategy for maximizing green procurement involves creating a department-specific green procurement strategy. PCO’s department-specific green procurement strategy targets awareness, training, performance measures and associated evaluation and control measures. For fiscal year 2013–14, as part of this strategy, PCO will focus on staff awareness and training regarding the department-specific green procurement strategy and increasing awareness of green procurement objectives with budget managers.

Awareness:

As part of its awareness promotion strategy, in 2013–14, PCO will continue to review the commodities that it acquires and will begin consulting managers to develop specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely targets for department-specific performance measurement and reduction initiatives.

Training:

In 2013–14, PCO will train key personnel involved in the materiel management life cycle and will implement strategies to reinforce green procurement practices amongst cost centre managers. In addition, all procurement and materiel management staff in the Administration Division will be required to complete the Canada School of Public Service’s Green Procurement course (C215). New staff that join the division will be expected to complete this course within six months of joining PCO.

Performance Evaluations:

The manager of Procurement and Assets in the Administration Division will have a green procurement objective included in his or her performance agreement for the 2013–14 fiscal year. The objective will be to increase PCO managers’ awareness of the importance of including environmental performance considerations, where appropriate and operationally feasible, in the establishment of requirements for goods and services.

Management Processes and Controls:

PCO will comply with federal policies and strategies for the re-use and disposal of materiel assets. PCO will continue to handle surplus electronic and electrical waste (e.g., computer equipment and electrical wiring) in an environmentally appropriate manner. For example, whenever possible, re-use strategies will be considered. This includes donation to the Industry Canada Computers for Schools Program and appropriate recycling for the disposal of electronic and electrical waste.

Green Commodities:

In 2013–14, where operationally feasible, PCO will purchase stationery, office supplies, paper and computer equipment using PWGSC green procurement instruments. PCO will seek further opportunities to strengthen awareness and application of environmental performance criteria in the selection of key commodities.

Meeting Targets:

PCO will report against the green procurement performance objectives described above in its 2013–14 Departmental Performance Report.