ARCHIVED - Contract Policy Notice 2003-1 - Revised Policies Related to Contracting for Advertising and Public Opinion Research Services
This page has been archived.
Archived Content
Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.
FILE NO.: CB 3855-002
DATE: January 10, 2003
TO: Functional Heads, Administration / Finance of
all Departments and Agencies
SUBJECT: Revised Policies Related to
Contracting for Advertising and Public Opinion Research
Services
SUMMARY OF POLICY CHANGES
- Treasury Board policies related to advertising and public
opinion research, namely the Contracting Policy and the
Common Services Policy, have been amended effective
January 1, 2003. The revisions aim to strengthen and clarify the
policies to achieve more effective and competitive approaches to
contracting for these services.
- As a result, Appendix Q of the Contracting Policy,
Supplementary Policy and Guidelines with Respect to Contracting
Procedures for Public Opinion Research and Advertising Services,
has been eliminated. Key policy provisions pertaining to
advertising and public opinion research are now included in
section 16.13 of the Contracting Policy.
- Definitions of advertising and public opinion research are
included in this new section. It should be noted, however, that
co-sponsorship activities are no longer covered by this policy.
Further direction and guidance is provided in the Treasury Board
Communications Policy. Key obligations to be noted also include
the roles of Communication Canada and Public Works and Government
Services (PWGSC) as mandatory service providers.
- The wording for new section 16.13 of the Contracting Policy
dealing with contracting of advertising and public opinion
research services is attached at Annex 1.
- The Common Services Policy has also been revised to reflect
the roles and responsibilities of Communication Canada PWGSC.
Coordination of government advertising and public opinion
research activities is a mandatory common service provided by
Communication Canada. Contracting for advertising and public
opinion research will remain a mandatory common service for
PWGSC.
- A key change of the Common Services Policy is the elimination
of a mandatory policy requirement to use a single agency of
record for the government's media placement activities.
- The revised wording of the Common Services Policy dealing
with the management and contracting of advertising and public
opinion research services is attached at Annex 2.
IMPLEMENTATION
- These policy changes are effective January 1, 2003. PWGSC
will be working with departments to establish new procurement
instruments related to advertising requirements in the next few
months. Communication Canada and PWGSC are working with the
communications community to complete this work. The Treasury
Board Secretariat (TBS) will also provide information to the
contracting community through the Treasury Board Advisory
Committee on Contracts.
- To ensure that the system works as intended and the policy
changes are fully implemented, Communication Canada and PWGSC
will complete an audit of the system related to advertising two
years after the creation of the renewed procurement instruments
and an audit of public opinion research activities once other key
audits and reviews are finalized.
- Departments remain responsible for ensuring that their
expenditures in these areas fully comply with Treasury Board
policies and the Financial Administration Act, most specifically
sections 32, 33 and 34 of the Act. Departments must ensure that
appropriate management systems and measures are in place for the
approval of contracts, the receipt of these services and the
payment of invoices.
-
CONTRACTING POLICY WEBSITE
- This Contract Policy Notice and the revised Contracting
Policy are available on the TBS Website (www.tbs-sct.gc.ca),
under the Policies and Publications Contracting section. The
updated Common Services Policy is available on the TBS website,
under the Policies and Publications Common Services section.
-
ENQUIRIES
- For policy advice and guidance, please contact:
Treasury Board Secretariat at
(613) 957-2487.
Roberta Santi
Associate Deputy Comptroller General
Comptrollership Branch
Distribution : TB06, TB07, TB21, TB23, T022,
T023, T024, T083, T161, T222 et T223.
Attachments include:
Annex 1 – Revised wording for Contracting Policy
Annex 2 – Revised wording for Common Services
Policy
ANNEX 1
Wording Included in the Main Contracting
Policy to Replace Deleted Appendix Q
4.2.21 Related Requirements
All contracts for public opinion research and
advertising must be entered into according to the requirements
set out at section 16.13 of the Contracting Policy.
16.13 Contracting for Advertising and Public
Opinion Research Services
16.13.1 When contracting for public opinion
research and advertising, reference should also be made to the
Communications Policy, the Common Services Policy and the
Management of Government Information Holdings Policy.
16.13.2 At the beginning of a project planning
process for public opinion research and advertising, departments
and agencies must notify Communication Canada, if the project may
result in the award of a contract. A project registration number
will be provided by Communication Canada to authorize Public
Works and Government Services Canada to award a contract for
these services on behalf of departments.
16.13.3 Public Works and Government Services
Canada is responsible for awarding public opinion research and
advertising contracts.
16.13.4 As part of its contracting
responsibilities, Public Works and Government Services Canada
ensures that a significant level of Canadian participation is
achieved by having the advertising work performed in Canada in a
manner consistent with the nature of the requirements.
16.13.5 Advertising is defined as:
- All activities involved in the purchase, by or on behalf of
the government, for the development and production of advertising
campaigns and associated space or time in print or broadcast
media, or in other mass media, such as outdoor and transit
advertising.
- It also includes any collateral materials such as posters,
counter displays, and printed material such as inserts that are a
direct extension of an advertising campaign. Public Service
Announcements are also considered advertising.
- Public relations, special events, direct marketing and
promotion activities that are an extension or form part of an
advertising campaign are included in the definition of
advertising.
- Paid announcements such as public notices regarding tenders,
sales, public hearings, offers of employment, and business hours
and addresses may be placed directly with the media by
departments and agencies.
16.13.6 Public Opinion Research is defined
as:
- The planned gathering, by or for a government institution of
opinions, attitudes, perceptions, judgements, feelings, ideas,
reactions, or views that are intended to be used for any
government purpose, whether that information is collected from
persons (including employees of government institutions),
businesses, institutions or other entities, through quantitative
or qualitative methods, irrespective of size or cost.
16.13.7 The information gathering may be
associated with a broad range of activities for example:
- Policy research;
- Market research;
- Communications research, communication strategies and
advertising research;
- Program evaluation;
- Quality of service/customer satisfaction studies;
- Omnibus surveys (placement of one or more questions);
- Syndicated studies; or
- Product development.
16.13.8 The following research and/or methods for
obtaining opinions and/or advice are not considered to be opinion
research:
- Literature reviews or reviews of secondary sources, including
reviews of already conducted public opinion research;
- Secondary analysis of previously collected public opinion
research data; and
- Verification of performance of services or delivery of goods
in contract situations.
ANNEX 2
Revisions to the Common Services
Policy
(These are largely housekeeping changes
arising from the Creation of Communication Canada)
New Section 2 - Communication Canada
When contracting for public opinion research and
advertising, reference should also be made to the Communications
Policy, the Contracting Policy and the Management of Government
Information Holdings Policy.
2.2 Advertising
Coordination of government advertising activities
is a mandatory service provided by Communication Canada.
As a common service organization, Communication
Canada provides departments and agencies with a number of
communication services to ensure overall consistency with
government policies and priorities. Communication Canada assists
departments and agencies in monitoring the public environment and
in responding to citizen needs for information on the
government's overall direction, priorities and broad range of
policies, programs, services and initiatives. In advertising, the
focus is on ensuring coherence in government messaging,
appropriate staging of campaigns, the quality of campaigns and
adherence to key government standards as set out in key policies
and legislature (e.g. the Communications Policy and the Official
Languages Act).
This role includes:
- Reviewing departmental plans as specified in the
Communications Policy. Departments must submit their advertising
plans to Communication Canada upon request;
- Assigning a project registration number authorizing PWGSC to
contract for advertising or media placement services on behalf of
departments;
- Reviewing pre-test and post-campaign results for major
advertising campaigns;
- Providing advisory services to departments and agencies for
advertising agency selection, media planning, budgeting, creative
design and related administrative procedures.
Before entering into any advertising contracts,
departments must consult Communication Canada. Communication
Canada coordinates its activities with Public Works and
Government Services Canada who is responsible for awarding
advertising contracts.
Paid announcements such as public notices
regarding tenders, sales, public hearings, offers of employment,
and business hours and addresses may be placed directly with the
media by departments and agencies.
A definition of advertising is provided in
section 16.13 of the Contracting Policy.
2.3 Public Opinion Research
Coordination of government public opinion
research activities is a mandatory service provided by
Communication Canada.
Departments use public opinion research to better
understand Canadian society and to identify citizen needs and
expectations. It is used to assess the public's response to
proposals or to possible changes or initiatives; to assess the
effectiveness of policies, programs and services; to measure
progress in service improvement; to evaluate the effectiveness of
communication activities such as advertising; and for marketing
purposes, among other applications.
It is Communication Canada's mandate to
coordinate public opinion research activities, as well as to
advise and inform on effective related practices and
policies.
This role includes:
- Reviewing departmental plans as specified in the
Communications Policy. Departments must submit their public
opinion research plans to Communication Canada upon request;
- Providing advisory services to departments and agencies;
- Reviewing proposed projects to ensure consistency with
government priorities;
- Assigning a project registration number authorizing PWGSC to
procure public opinion research services on behalf of the
department.
Before entering into any related contracts,
departments must consult Communication Canada concerning all
decisions to undertake government information collection that
qualifies as, or contains a significant component of public
opinion research. Communication Canada coordinates its activities
with Public Works and Government Services Canada who is
responsible for awarding public opinion research contracts.
A definition of public opinion research is
provided in section 16.13 of the Contracting Policy.
Section 6 - Public Works and Government
Services Canada
6.6 Advertising
Contracting for advertising is a mandatory
service provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada
working in collaboration with Communication Canada. It should be
noted that advertising does not include paid announcements such
as public notices regarding tenders, sales, public hearings,
offers of employment, and business hours and addresses that are
placed directly with the media by departments and agencies.
6.7 Public Opinion Research
Contracting for public opinion research is a
mandatory service provided by Public Works and Government
Services Canada working in collaboration with Communication
Canada.