Coordinating Procurement to Find Value-for-Money Opportunities - by Councillor Michael Ford, seconded by Councillor Stephen Holyday

The Government of Ontario spends $29 billion on goods and services every year and it is estimated that by centralizing the government's procurement processes, they could save an estimated $1 billion. The City of Toronto spends $2.5 billion on goods and services every year. Procurement at the City of Toronto is done through the Purchasing and Materials Management Division, which partners with all City divisions and designated agencies and corporations to coordinate the procurement of goods and services. Given the current financial burden on the City's budget, there has been a renewed focus on finding cost-savings and efficiencies within our municipal government. Addressing the financial impacts of COVID-19 is one of the main themes in the Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild Report, COVID-19: Impacts and Opportunities, which speaks to adopting new models of procurement to drive greater value, leverage additional monies and realize opportunities to support social and community infrastructure. Recently, the City of Toronto partnered with the Province's supply chain arm, Mohawk Medbuy. This effort was driven and supported by the City Manager and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to purchase critical Personal Protective Equipment and take advantage of coordinated procurement efforts. This Motion would build on these types of intergovernmental partnerships by directing the City Manager, the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the Chief Procurement Officer to communicate with the Province of Ontario to explore opportunities to coordinate procurement efforts through the new centralized agency, Supply Ontario. At a time when the City's finances are under immense pressure due to COVID-19, exploring value for money opportunities is essential now more than ever.