CPPM Procedure Chapter O: Internal Vendor Reference Check

This procedure provides direction on how to perform an Internal Vendor Reference Check (IVRC) required for Procurements of services where the estimated value of the Procurement is equal to or above $10 million. This process is required for activities covered under CPPM Procurement Policy but is not required under CPPM Government Transfers.

Consult the Procurement Practice Standard for additional information. 

Once the requirement to complete an IVRC has been met, a review of a Vendor’s past performance on provincial government service Contracts (including Contracts with a goods component) equal to or above $1 million is required and must include:

• current Contracts; and
• Contracts that expired or were terminated within the previous three fiscal years from the posting date identified in the current Solicitation document.

Only Vendors that pass the IVRC can continue in the Procurement process.

Review Process

The procuring ministry must request Vendor reference checks from all ministries, including their own.

Responding ministries review the Vendor’s performance for all Contracts meeting the requirements stated above, which could include reviewing the following information:

• For expired contracts: post-contract evaluations and additional information in the contract file (monitoring logs, correspondence, etc.) 
• For current contracts: the contract file and consulting with the Contract manager.  

Responding ministries determine if there were any significant or persistent deficiencies in the performance of any substantive requirement or obligation by the Vendor, determine whether the Vendor passes or fails their ministry's reference checks, and notify the procuring ministry with a pass/fail result only.

The procuring ministry reviews all the pass/fail results provided by the responding ministries and provides an overall pass/fail determination on whether the Vendor passes or fails the IVRC.

• If the vendor passes all the responding ministry’s reference checks:
  • The procuring ministry notifies the Vendor of the result, and the procurement process continues. 
• If the procuring ministry receives one or more failed ministry reference checks:
  • Consult those ministries who provided the failed references to discuss the circumstances that resulted in the failed reference.
  • If the procuring ministry determines that overall, the Vendor passes the IVRC, the Vendor is notified of the result and the Procurement process continues.
  • If the procuring ministry determines that overall, the Vendor fails the IVRC, the Vendor is notified that they have been disqualified from the Procurement process and is provided details of the review process.
  • If the Vendor submits a request for review of their disqualification the Procurement process must pause and cannot continue until the review process has concluded. If no requests for review are submitted in accordance with the Disqualification Review Process, the Procurement process can continue.

Vendor Disqualification Review Process

A Vendor who has failed an IVRC can request a review by submitting the Vendor Disqualification Review Form (PDF).

The request for review must be submitted to the Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) within five (5) business days of receiving written notification of the results of the IVRC.

If a request for review is submitted, OCG will request from ministries all information which supported the disqualification decision and will make reasonable efforts to complete a review within ten (10) business days of receipt of all relevant information related to the request.

Ministries are responsible for providing the OCG with all information and records relevant to the review.

The Procurement process cannot continue until OCG completes the review.

The Comptroller General will either:

• confirm the disqualification; or
• determine that the Vendor has passed the IVRC

OCG will notify both the Vendor and the ministry Procurement contact of the OCG determination under the Vendor Disqualification Review Process.

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