16.10.1 Contracts with consultants or professionals may be entered into for specialized services when:
• the advice or services sought and the resulting expenditure can be justified as necessary to satisfy program requirements;
• the services can be defined well enough to form the basis of a contract;
• the services are available at reasonable cost; and
• their use is consistent with specific government policies.
Section 16.10 does not apply to the following:
• legal services,
• training and educational services,
• health and welfare services,
• protection services,
• advertising, printing and publishing services,
• data processing services,
• motion picture production and distribution,
• storage, warehousing and custodial services,
• building cleaning and laundry services,
• transportation and communication services,
• repair, overhaul, maintenance and upkeep services.
16.10.2 The requirements in section 16.10should be used with discretion on contracts valued at $25,000 or less.
16.10.3 Competition for consultants or professionals. Procedures and source lists should be designed to ensure that qualified individuals or firms are not omitted from consideration and that there is a fair opportunity for those qualified to obtain a share of the available work. Repeat commissioning of a firm or individual without competition should not become a practice, even if the value of the contract is under the mandatory threshold for the calling of bids.
16.10.4 Inventories and source lists. Representative and up-to-date inventories or source lists of firms that provide consulting and professional services and wish to do business with the federal government should be maintained for consistency, economy, effectiveness and fairness in selecting and procuring best value. These inventories should be consulted before inviting bids or proposals or recommending a non-competitive selection.
16.10.5 Contracting authorities who frequently engage the services of consultants or professionals should establish and maintain at least one inventory containing a representative number of firms and individuals from which consulting and professional services can be obtained. These inventories should be established initially by recording those firms and individuals who have provided consulting and professional services to the department or have expressed an interest in doing so. Contracting authorities may solicit expressions of interest by inviting firms and individuals to complete a questionnaire providing standard information such as that shown in Appendix J. To avoid duplication of effort, contracting authorities should cooperate in exchanging lists and data held in their respective inventories. Inventories should contain the following data:
1. Identification
o Name: of firm or individual as it will appear on contracts.
o Address: branch offices indicated where appropriate.
o Affiliation: names and addresses of other firms and their relationship.
o Ownership: country in which controlling interest is held.
2. Qualifications
o Field(s): of expertise.
o Type(s): of service offered.
o Language(s): in which services are available.
o Principals and senior officers: names and résumés showing experience and qualifications.
3. Capacity
o Business volume: total sales for each of the past five years.
o Number of staff: in total and by specialty, employed in each of the past five years.
o Facilities: any specialized equipment or facilities such as instruments, computers, special mobile units or laboratories that are owned or generally leased.
4. Work History
o Recent contracts: are representative of the firm's experience and capability (value, type of work and client's name should be stated). When the client was a federal department or agency, the location, date, dollar value, responsible contracting authority and file reference number should be given.
5. Evaluation
o evaluation reports on recent government contracts completed by the consultant or professional, included in the inventory as sensitive information requiring protection (see article 16.11.6). Firms should be asked to report at least once a year any changes in previously-reported information.