Job Specification

Purpose :

To provide strategic procurement/contract development and management advice and expertise in developing and implementing procurement initiatives and to monitor procurement/service arrangements to ensure that they are completed according to terms and conditions of agreement for the Education Quality and Assessment Office (EQAO).

Key Responsibilities :

1. Contract and Procurement Services
- Provides timely information, analysis and advice to facilitate implementation of EQAO province-wide assessments, consulting with senior management, managers and project leads to determine acquisition/contract requirements for logistical projects.
- Advises on operational and business plans for procurement, including development of procurement strategies, business cases and procurement plans, cost- benefit analyses, advising on supply options, changing business practices, and the preparation of solicitation document.
- Advises clients on the interpretation and application of corporate procurement and contract management policies, procedures and guidelines to assist them with managing vendors contracted to provide goods/services and resolve problems in procurement, supply and/or contract management.
- Provides advice and leadership in the competitive tender process to ensure RFP's comply with procurement rules and legal requirements to ensure that vendors have access to a fair and transparent procurement opportunity, within timelines, budget and deliverables.
- Provides guidance and support during the evaluation process including the development of evaluation criteria, review/assessment of proposals by clients, selection of successful bidders and the preparation and execution of contracts resulting from the competitive process. Negotiates or participates in the negotiation of contracts with vendors and service providers.

2. Consultation and Liaison
- Acts as the primary contact and conduit of information between potential vendors and agency including facilitating vendor briefings, responding to and/or coordinating Q's& A's, and ensuring successful and unsuccessful vendors are advised of outcome.
- Develops and maintains an ongoing liaison with business partners including stakeholders in the OPS (e.g., Shared Services Bureau risk management staff) to seek/coordinate expertise related to specific procurement initiatives.
- Liaises with legal counsel in the development of final procurement documents to ensure the inclusion of relevant contractual terms and conditions and compliance with legal standards.
- Develops and maintains good working relationships with vendor community to provide information on the application of procurement policies and procedures, and to help prevent and/or resolve vendor and contract performance issues.

3. Analysis of Market, Products and Services
- Reviews existing and potential goods, services and suppliers by conducting analyses of market, products and services, and consulting with management to ensure that procurement arrangements are aligned with business needs.
- Researches and analyzes procurement trends, identifies to find alternate goods/services to meet EQAO procurement requirements.

4. Administration
- Checks the accuracy and completeness of procurement arrangements according to established and agreed schedules and ensure that assets are recorded and mechanisms are in place to monitor asset activity.
- Prepares memos for senior management on updates to current policies, changes to directives and new procedures.
- Attends EQAO management meetings to provide updates on procurement projects, and participate on assessment project teams.

5. Procedures/guidelines/systems Development and Implementation
- Revises and/or develops agency procurement and contract management operational policies, administrative procedures, guidelines and systems following corporate OPS directives to improve administration of procurement of good and services, and management, monitoring and control of contracts and expenditures.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
- Procurement practices, supply and contract management principles and practices, procurement policies, directives and standing agreements to provide expert advice and guidance to management in developing procurement strategies, determining the choice of vendors/contractors and in developing the appropriate RFP/tender specifications and issuing and awarding contracts.
- Ministry/EQAO strategic directions, programs and project initiatives to plan and coordinate procurement services to meet agency needs.
- Project management and organization to ensure tasks are performed within time and resource requirements, and to coordinate procurements with project life cycles.
- Administration to sustain continuous improvements in effectiveness of procurement policy and procedures for management and monitoring of contracts and expenditures, agency business/programs objectives and related markets to identify products/services that meet requirements, and to provide support in the development of business case.
- Financial, economic, and analytical/evaluative techniques to assess market products and advise management in choice of products/services that meet business needs.
- Practices related to contract agreements such as contract law, competitive bidding case law, risk management to advise management on risks in business decisions for procurement through the tendering process and the implications of the terms and conditions of contracts.
- Oral and written communications to provide advice to management, prepare informational memos, represent the agency in consultations/negotiations with vendors, and to prepare RFP's/tenders and reports.
- Operation of common office software (including word processing, spreadsheet, database, project management and presentation capabilities) to create analytical reporting on vendor usage, distribution of expenditure, buying trends, tracking of work in progress, presentation material for educating management on procurement processes.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Communication and persuasion skills to advise and inform managers about procurement services.
- Advisory skills to provide information to managers on procurement options and to maintain good working relationships with vendors to encourage delivery of services as agreed in contract arrangement; and to promote fair and transparent process for procurement of contracts/services.
- Negotiation skills to negotiate contracts and resolve procurement/contract problems with vendors/suppliers.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analyzing and problem-solving skills to:
- Evaluate and assess business cases to ensure compliance with OPS procurement processes, and to ensure a fair, open and transparent competition process.
- Examine information from different sources to develop and recommend improvements in business practices in the area of procurement and contract management.
- Review administrative procedures, guidelines and systems related to management, monitoring and control of contracts and expenditures to recommend new initiatives and/or revisions.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
- Assessing and identifying client needs to advise on RFP development, vendor selection, and contract negotiations.
- Providing advice and guidance to senior management and managers on the interpretation and application of procurement policies, procedures and systems.
- Administering and reporting on procurement budget/expenditures and contract monitoring.
- Making recommendations on the standardization of the procurement process, tools, templates and policy directives.
Has latitude to develop procurement strategies to meet EQAO product/service requirements and complete comprehensive reviews of existing practices to develop and recommend new policies/guidelines for implementation.
Decision making is guided by private/public sector procurement practices, supply and asset management principles and practices, legal practices related to contract agreements, the provisions of OPS/EQAO corporate policies, directives/guidelines and the corporation mandate and programs.
Position consults with the Manager on specific and/or contentious issues.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

- Consultation with internal and external stakeholders regarding government procurement, contract management, government policies, priorities and, guidelines with the ability to interpret and apply government legislation - External resources, legal counsel to resolve contractual matters.
- Risk management staff to seek advice for insurance requirements.
- Private sector suppliers and bidders to provide information, explain policy, resolve problems and conduct negotiations leading to successful business transactions.
- Provides technical guidance and expertise to EQAO senior management, managers and staff on procurement matters to assure compliance with
procurement processes and through providing recommendations on approving business cases, RFP development, vendor selection, contract negotiations, business case review and corporate policy.
- Provides technical guidance and instructions to administrative and logistics staff on a project basis regarding procurement procedures and processes.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

Regular unexpected/conflicting work demands; changes to deadlines in delivering on the EQAO's mandate, Act, and MOU.

Mental / Sensory :

Frequent periods of concentration to a normal degree of intensity to review contracts and legal tenders for accuracy; listening in meetings with clients/vendors.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.