The MHCA is pursuing meaningful response to the numerous and substantive concerns industry members have expressed since the City of Winnipeg offered a sample of what its social procurement requirements will look like in Public Works tenders.
“Our industry members raised valid concerns, including how the threshold for worker diversity on the projects will be set and, more importantly, verified by the City,” MHCA President & CEO Chris Lorenc said.
“We’ve not received any response on that, and the concern is real because contract awards must still be open, fair and transparent.”
The City of Winnipeg is planning to roll out a number of pilot projects that include social procurement clauses within some Public Works and Water & Waste tenders this year. These pilots are intended to test the industry’s ability to respond to requirements, which will include submitting a social procurement plan in order to qualify for the bid award process.
A sample of what a pilot tender might look like this year can be seen by clicking here. The city’s pilots will allow bidders to set their own thresholds (percentage diverse workforce), so data can be collected by the City on industry capacity, to help in preparing tenders with social procurement requirements in the future.
Lorenc said the industry regards the intent of the City’s plan as an opportunity to expand the opportunity to recruit workers for an industry facing shortages.
However, the action plan must be solid and workable, for it to provide meaningful jobs and careers to those it attracts.
The verification of such commitments within bids is a top concern, Lorenc said. The commitments will be based on voluntary surveys employers are being asked to distribute to their workforce, allowing employees to self-declare their identity status.
Winnipeg’s social procurement policy and action plan is intended to spread the benefit of it’s the City’s $400-million+ annual procurement spend to target equity groups, including Indigenous and racialized people, newcomers, Black, women, LGBTQ2SI+ and others. Contracts will include clauses regarding the recruitment, hiring, training and development of individuals from the equity groups.
