Transportation and Works
June 11, 2015

Ensuring Fairness and Due Diligence

Minister of Transportation and Works Responds to Annual Report of the Auditor General

The Honourable David Brazil, Minister of Transportation and Works, today welcomed the recommendations contained in the Annual Report of the Auditor General regarding the use of external consultants, noting the department's commitment to an open and fair process.

"We appreciate the input of the Auditor General on the use of external consultants and will work to enhance the current process where needed. This will include a review of quality control and improvements to documentation and file management. The department has a long-established practice for engaging consultants, which we are confident is both fair and objective. While we are confident in this process, as well as the knowledge and expertise of the consultants hired, we welcome any opportunity to strengthen current practices where necessary."
- The Honourable David Brazil, Minister of Transportation and Works

The Department of Transportation and Works adheres to the following process for hiring consultants:

• Department officials, who have experience and knowledge of the services that are available in the market assess the expertise, experience and qualifications of consultants from the Consultant Registry;
• Officials will undertake a review of the service required and the consultants who best meet the requirements of a particular project;
• Based on that review, officials provide a list of consultants that are best qualified to perform the work to bring forward to the minister; and
• A selection is then made with the minister of the department, based on the list of consultants provided. The minister consults with Cabinet colleagues regularly and as needed.

"The department also employs requests for expressions of interest to identify consultants, which are an accepted method used in various fields and in other jurisdictions. In addition, request for proposals are used when the expertise needed for a particular project is not available through the consultant registry. This has been the practice on a number of occasions over the past several years."
- Minister Brazil

Minister Brazil also noted that the department has been and continues to complete evaluations of consultant's performance since the evaluation system was established in 2012.

QUICK FACTS

• The Honourable David Brazil, Minister of Transportation and Works, today welcomed the Annual Report of the Auditor General regarding the use of external consultants.
• The department will work to strengthen current practices where needed. This will include a review of quality control and improvements to documentation and file management.
• The department adheres to a long-established, multi-step process for engaging consultants, as well as Requests for Expressions of Interest and Requests for Proposals.

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Media contact:

Jacquelyn Howard Director of Communications Department of Transportation and Works 709-729-3015, 689-2624 jacquelynhoward@gov.nl.ca

2015 06 11                              3:55 p.m.