CONTRACTING POLICY NOTICE 1996-10 
FILE NO:		3800-000-005
DATE:		December 16, 1996
TO:			Functional Heads,	Administration/Finance of all Departments and Agencies
SUBJECT:	Aboriginal Business Procurement Policy
SUMMARY
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES ARE REMINDED TO INFORM THE DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT (DIAND) WHEN CONTRACTS ARE SET ASIDE PURSUANT TO THE ABORIGINAL BUSINESS PROCUREMENT INITIATIVE.
BACKGROUND
1.	Contracting Policy Notice 1996-6, dated September 19, 1996, provided departments and agencies with additional information concerning the administration of the Aboriginal Business Procurement Policy.  A more detailed set of procedural guidelines is being developed through consultation with the Treasury Board Advisory Committee on Contracts.
IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT
2.	Your attention is particularly directed to paragraph 13 of Contracting Policy Notice 1996-6 which states: “In the interim, to ensure that a set-aside procurement is included for the audit process,  DIAND should be notified when a procurement is to be set aside.  Notification that a procurement is to be, or has been, set aside should include the commodity or service, dollar value of the procurement, solicitation number, closing date and telephone number of the contracting officer.  It should be sent to Nancy Kenyon, Director, Access to Federal Procurement, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.  The facsimile number is (819) 994‑0445 and the telephone number is (819) 997‑8383.”
3.	Very few notifications have been received to date and it is requested that internal procurement procedures be reviewed to insure DIAND is kept informed when procurements are carried out under the policy.  To be more precise procedurally, notice should be sent when it is decided to set aside a procurement, and again when the contract is awarded.  Contracting officials may wish to incorporate into their contracting process some type of automatic reminder that will ensure that DIAND is kept informed.
EVALUATION OF THE POLICY
4.	When the Government approved the establishment of the Aboriginal Business Procurement Policy, it was also stipulated that DIAND and the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) are to complete a program evaluation of the strategy and policy by March 31, 2001.  In preparation for this study, an evaluation framework is being developed by DIAND and TBS in co-operation with other departments.  This framework will be completed in 1997/98 and is to be interdepartmental in its scope.  If your officials wish to offer suggestions or comments related to this requirement, it is suggested they contact Mr. Terry Hunt,
Departmental Audit and Evaluation Branch, DIAND at telephone (819) 997‑8338 or facsimile at (819) 994‑7260.
CONTRACTING MANUAL
5.	These revisions will be included in the Treasury Board Manual-Contracting shortly.  In the meantime, departments and agencies are encouraged to reproduce copies of this notice for internal use and to ensure that all managers with contracting authority are made aware of it.
INQUIRIES
6.	For further information, please contact the Contracting Management Group, Office of the Deputy Comptroller General, Treasury Board Secretariat, at (613) 957‑2526 or facsimile at (613) 952‑1381.
R.J. Neville
Assistant Secretary and Assistant Comptroller General
Financial and Contract Management Sector

Distribution: TB06, TB07, T004, T005, T006, T009, T010, T022, T023, T024, T035, T036, T041, T161