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Table 14 - Status Report on Major Crown Projects

a. Parliamentary Precinct Project - Long Term Vision and Plan

1. Description

In 2007, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) updated the Long-Term Vision and Plan (LTVP) for the Parliamentary Precinct. This update was undertaken in conjunction with the parliamentary partners - the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament - and established a comprehensive approach for rehabilitating the heritage buildings, providing additional parliamentary accommodations and creating a secure and welcoming environment for parliamentarians, staff, visitors and tourists. It confirmed the long-term vision and guiding principles for the Precinct and the extensive set of planning and design principles created to guide future development. A major component of the LTVP Update was the creation of a new implementation framework designed to improve results and enhance accountability. This framework establishes short-term objectives in the context of the long-term vision and provides a strategy for getting projects underway and completed in an efficient and timely manner. The implementation strategy is composed of a broad strategic direction and a series of rolling five-year programs. The strategic direction establishes the renovation of the core historic parliamentary buildings - the triad of the West Block, Centre Block and East Block - as the first priority. Since Centre Block cannot be renovated while occupied, the East and West Blocks will be renovated first. This will be done not only to accommodate the interim uses from Centre Block, but also to address the pressing restoration work that is required on these two buildings. This work initiates a series of projects to create interim accommodation for those functions displaced from the East and West Blocks and, in a cascading fashion, triggers further projects required to house those displaced from buildings renovated for interim Parliamentary uses.

The rolling five-year programs establish short-term cycles for the approval of specific projects to implement the strategic direction. These shorter cycles provide greater flexibility in responding to government and parliamentary priorities, building conditions and current market conditions, and allowing for better accuracy in determining functional requirements and establishing project costs and scheduling. Each five-year program is composed of three components:

The Major Capital Program, which includes primary projects necessary to advance the overall objective of restoring the key heritage buildings;

The Recapitalization Program, which includes a series of urgent building interventions (related mostly to exterior masonry repairs), required to ensure the ongoing viability of buildings and address health and safety issues. These projects will be part of the full restoration work that will ultimately be done on these buildings and by undertaking them early will ensure that future projects are less complicated and costly; and

The Planning Program, which includes the development of more refined plans and reliable cost estimates for projects in the next five-year program.

2. Project Phase

Accordingly, the first five-year program includes projects for each of the three components. The core focus of the Major Capital Program is the stabilization and renovation of the West Block. Other projects will provide appropriate interim space to sustain the operations of Parliament while the West Block is being renovated, and will create interim and permanent facilities that satisfy the operational needs of Parliament and allow future phases of the LTVP to proceed in a cost-efficient manner. Specific projects will be undertaken in La Promenade Building, the Wellington Building, the former Bank of Montreal Building and in several office buildings in downtown Ottawa.

The Recapitalization Program focuses on the core historic buildings and their physical state, and includes a series of projects for East Block, Centre Block and Confederation Building. These projects will ensure that the key buildings are consistently restored, as required; addressing problems that cannot wait until the major renovation projects can begin. The primary focus of these projects will be the long term restoration of discrete components of the buildings to extend their life.

With the West Block renovations planned and underway, the Planning Program will focus on preparing for the renovations of East Block. The intent is to ensure that West Block and East Block renovations are completed simultaneously so that work on the Centre Block can ultimately proceed without delay. The Planning Program will also include feasibility studies for future Centre Block renovations, a future security and visitor services facility, and a future West Terrace Pavilion to house parliamentary office and committee functions.

Funding for individual projects within this five-year program will follow the normal approval process for government expenditures and will be approved by Treasury Board on a project-by-project basis.

3. Lead and Participating Departments

  1. Lead Department or Agency: Public Works and Government Services Canada.
  2. Contracting Authority: Public Works and Government Services Canada.
  3. Participating Departments and Agencies: Senate of Canada, House of Commons, Library of Parliament.

4. Prime Contractor and Major Sub-Contractors

See separate notes for each specific project.

5. Major Milestones

See separate notes for each specific project.

6. Progress Report and Explanation of Variances

See separate notes for each specific project.

7. Industrial Benefits

See separate notes for each specific project.

b. Parliamentary Precinct Project - West Block

1. Description

The West Block, located within the Parliamentary Precinct, is the oldest of the parliamentary buildings located on the "Hill". It is a three-storey building that was built in three phases starting in 1859 and completed in 1906. The West Block provides accommodation for Members of Parliament (MPs) and for parliamentary functions and support services.

2. Project Phase

Renovations of the building are required for health and safety and asset integrity reasons. In order to implement the renovations, the building has to be completely vacated, thus requiring the provision of alternate accommodations for the MPs, parliamentary functions and support services. Consequently, the program of work will be undertaken in two phases.

Phase 1 involves:

  1. Emergency stabilization of towers;
  2. Repairs and conservation of the exterior masonry;
  3. Fit-up of alternate accommodations in the Clarica, C.D. Howe, and La Promenade buildings for MPs and support services; and
  4. The permanent relocation of the food production facility for Parliament Hill to a remote site.

Phase 2 involves:

  1. Fit-up of space for the relocation of Confederation Room 200 to the former Bank of Montreal building;
  2. Asbestos abatement, interior demolition, and general rehabilitation of the West Block building; and
  3. Associated infrastructure to support legislative functions during the renovation of the Centre Block, including a courtyard infill to accommodate Chamber activities and construction of a security screening facility.

The current schedule calls for MPs and support staff to vacate the West Block in late 2009 / early 2010, with construction to start on the South Wing of West Block shortly thereafter. Overall completion is scheduled for late 2018.

Current Treasury Board Preliminary Project Approval is $769.2 million, excluding GST.

3. Lead and Participating Departments

  1. Sponsoring Departments: Public Works and Government Services Canada
  2. Contracting Authority: Public Works and Government Services Canada
  3. Participating Departments: Senate of Canada, House of Commons, and Library of Parliament

4. Prime Contractor and Major Sub-Contractors

Prime Contractor (design consultant) for the West Block renovation and fit-up project is ARCOP/FGM, architects in joint venture, 1244 Ste-Catherine Ouest, 3rd floor, Montreal PQ, H3G 1P1

Prime Contractor (design consultant) for the La Promenade fit-up project is KWC Architects Inc. 110 Argyle Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1B4.

5. Major Milestones:

  • June 2005 - Revised Preliminary Project Approval
  • June 2005 - Partial Effective Project Approval (Phase 1)
  • December 2006 - $17.2 million Spending Authority Approved for the development of preliminary design to EPA for West Block, Bank of Montreal, Wellington Committee rooms and project management support services for the program
  • February 2007 - Effective Project Approval (Phase 1)
  • Late 2009 / Early 2010 - La Promenade swing space completion
  • Late 2009 / Early 2010 - Effective Project Approval
  • Late 2009 / Early 2010 - MPs Vacate West Block
  • 2010 - Major Construction start
  • Late 2018 - Major Construction Completion

6. Progress Report and Explanations of Variances

The West Block Program of work consists of sub-projects involving emergency stabilization of towers and masonry, several interim space projects, major renovations of the building and construction of a courtyard infill.

Stabilization:

The work presently underway is required in order to ensure the most at risk areas of the building envelope are stabilized. The work includes:

South East Tower masonry pilot project - presently under construction and scheduled for completion in late 2008.

North Towers - contract documents are 100 percent complete and slated for tendering in early 2008.

Tower scaffolding - contract documents for the MacKenzie and Laurier Towers, if required on an emergency basis, are 100 percent complete (if not required due to emergency, the work will be done in phase II as part of the overall building envelope program.

Masonry Wall Investigation and Research Project - conducted with the Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures (ISIS) Canada and three Canadian universities. This initiative is well underway. Its objective is to gain and share leading edge knowledge on seismic reinforcing methodologies for heritage masonry walls. PWGSC is presently in the process of constructing masonry wall sections, similar to those used in our Parliament buildings, in the University of Calgary seismic labs, in order to simulate seismic events and assess the reaction of various reinforcement methodologies.

Swing space:

La Promenade swing space - scope of the project consists of restoring the building and fitting up 62 MP suites and 3 committee rooms for parliamentarians. The demolition and building envelope remediation (phase I) contract was awarded and is well underway. It is scheduled to be completed May 2008. Design for phase 2 is in progress. As part of the design process, a mock up suite was constructed, tested successfully and approved by the House of Commons.

Bank of Montreal Building, located at 144 Wellington Street - has been identified as the permanent alternate location for West Block's Confederation Room 200 functions. A major RFP will be posted in early 2008 to engage a consultant for the main design work. Completion is scheduled for late 2012.

Wellington Building will be renovated and fit-up to accommodate 10 committee rooms (7 from West Block, two from La Promenade and one currently in Wellington Building), and 69 parliamentary office units in support of the LTVP strategy for the renovation of other buildings such as East Block. Move-in for Wellington is scheduled for late 2014.
Food Production Facility - will be permanently relocated off-site. The location is still to be determined, but conceptual design has been completed and solicitation for a design build contractor has been tendered and closed. Award is anticipated in early 2008.

7. Industrial Benefits

Several multi-million dollar contracts will be awarded over a ten-year period for building construction, information technology systems, multimedia systems, furniture and other equipment.

c. Parliamentary Precinct Project - Wellington Building

1. Description

The Wellington Building is located at 180 Wellington Street, across from Parliament Hill. It is a six-storey structure first built in 1925 and later enlarged in the 1950's by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The House of Commons has been the major tenant since the Crown expropriated the building in 1973.

Renovations of the building are required for health and safety reasons, to replace obsolete building systems and to meet building code requirements. The building will be completely vacated during the renovations.

This project is a key enabler of the West Block Building Program, as the Wellington Building will provide interim accommodations for the West Block Committee Rooms during its renovation. It will also provide interim office accommodations for parliamentarians during the restoration of the East and Centre Blocks.

2. Project Phase

The work will be completed in two phases to expedite project delivery. Phase 1 will include interior demolition, asbestos abatement and seismic reinforcement work. Phase 2 will restore the exterior envelope, renovate the base building and fit-up the interior space. The planned start of construction is April 2010. The ten committee rooms required to enable the West Block renovations are planned to be completed in October 2014. The remainder of the building, including 69 parliamentary offices to facilitate both East and Centre Block renovations, are targeted to be complete in October 2015. The current total cost estimate excluding swing space is $425.2 million (current dollars, excluding GST). Separate project approval has been received for alternate spaces at 181 Queen Street and 131 Queen Street.

3. Lead and Participating Departments

  1. Sponsoring Departments: Public Works and Government Services Canada
  2. Contracting Authority: Public Works and Government Services Canada
  3. Participating Departments: House of Commons and Senate of Canada

4. Prime Contractor and Major Sub-Contractors

No prime contractor is under contract at this time.

5. Major Milestones

  • July 2007 - Preliminary Functional Program Completed
  • March 2008 - Revised Preliminary Project Approval and Phase 1 Effective Project Approval
  • May 2008 - Final Functional Program
  • Semtember 2008 - Consultant Contract Award
  • July 2010 - Phase 2 Effective Project Approval
  • April 2010 - Phase 1 Construction Start
  • December 2011 - Phase 1 Construction Completion
  • January 2011 - Phase 2 Construction Start
  • October 2014 - Committee Rooms Operational
  • October 2015 - Phase 2 Construction Completion and Parliamentary Offices Operational

6. Progress Report and Explanation of Variances

Due diligence studies have been completed to support the revised Preliminary Project Approval and Phase 1 Effective Project Approval for the Wellington Building Renovation. Many occupants and functions have been relocated to locations including 181 Queen Street and 131 Queen Street. Alternate space locations for remaining occupants and functions continue to be defined.

The 2001 LTVP portion for the renovation of the Wellington Building including alternate spaces was approved at $150.1 million (constant dollars, excluding GST). The approval identified $125.8 million for the building renovation and $24.3 million for the alternate space program.

Total project cost increases can be attributed to three major drivers: change in the building's use, national building code changes, and project escalation. The shift from the original project scope of restoring the Wellington building to accommodate parliamentary support services to that of accommodating 10 committee rooms and 69 parliamentary suites has had a significant impact on project requirements such as structural design, information technology, and security. In addition, subsequent to the 2001 cost estimate, seismic and sustainability codes have changed significantly. These changes have direct cost implications, which are compounded when project escalation is considered. The total estimated cost is now in current dollars (including escalation cost) whereas previously it was in constant dollars.

7. Industrial Benefits

Several multi-million dollar contracts will be awarded over a seven-year period for building construction, information technology systems, multimedia systems, furniture and other equipment.

d. Pension Modernization Project

1. Description

The Government of Canada Pension Modernization Project (GCPMP) has been initiated to renew PWGSC's pension administration systems and business processes in order to ensure the sustainability of the pension administration and improve services to employees, employers and pensioners. The current pension administration processes and system infrastructure are nearly 40 years old. They depend on outdated technology that is expensive to maintain, limits the Government's ability to provide modern services such as web-based self-service, and relies on inefficient and error prone manual processes. The GCPMP will replace existing systems with commercial off-the-shelf software products, streamline business processes, and introduce broader, more flexible service delivery methods. Although the project is focused on the Public Service Superannuation Act administration, the project will implement a multi-plan solution that will provide for other pension plans within the public service.

2. Project Phase

The GCPMP began its Implementation Phase in July 2007, following receipt of Effective Project Approval from the Treasury Board. The GCPMP Implementation Phase will take approximately four and a half years to complete.

3. Leading and Participating Departments

  1. Sponsoring Departments: Public Works and Government Services Canada
  2. Contracting Authority: Public Works and Government Services Canada
  3. Participating Departments: Public Works and Government Services Canada

4. Prime and Major Subcontractor(s)


Prime Contractor EDS Canada Inc.
99 Bank St., 6th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6B9
Major Subcontractor(s) James Evans & Associates (JEA)
4th floor, 844 Courtney St., Victoria, British Columbia
V8W 1C4

Vangent Canada Limited
169 Colonnade Road, Nepean, Ontario K2E 7J4

Oracle Canada Inc.
50 O'Connor St., Suite 1301, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2


5. Major Milestones


Major Milestones Date
Preliminary Project Approval for completion of Project Definition Completed May 2004
Approval of contract award Completed October 2005
Contract Award Completed November 2005
Completion of Project Definition Completed June 2007
Effective Project Approval for Implementation Completed June 2007
Implementation Phase
  • Implementation of Release 1.0
    (Client Services)
October 2008
  • Implementation of Release 1.5
    (Case Management and Imaging functions)
July 2009
  • Implementation of Release 2.0
    (Contributor functions - except functions related to Service Purchase, Pension Benefits Division Act and Leave Without Pay)
February 2010
  • Implementation of Release 2.5
    (Contributor functions related to Service Purchase, Pension Benefits Division Act and Leave Without Pay)
July 2010
  • Implementation of Release 3.0
    (Annuitant and Accounting functions)
October 2011
  • Final maintenance transition
December 2011
Close-Out Phase January 2012

6. Progress Report and Explanation of Variances

Project Definition Phase (completed June 2007): At Preliminary Project Approval, the Treasury Board approved the completion of the Project Definition Phase and funding in the amount of $18.742 million (excluding GST). The GCPMP completed this phase at a cost of $18.335 million, although there was a delay of approximately six months in obtaining Effective Project Approval.

Implementation Phase (in progress): At Effective Project Approval, the Treasury Board approved implementation of the GCPMP and funding in the amount of $184.750 million. The amount budgeted from June 2007 to November 30, 2007, was $21.588 million. Actual expenditures for implementation activities from June 2007 to November 30, 2007, are $19.487 million. The GCPMP is on schedule and is currently involved in Release 1.0 activities. The cost variance resulted from lower than estimated costs for Human Resources, operations and maintenance. As well, there was no need to access the contingency funds included in the budgeted amount for this period of the Implementation Phase.

7. Industrial Benefits

A multi-million dollar contract has been awarded for the COTS products, as well as for the professional services to implement the new systems, and for support services and ongoing maintenance. The implementation will be conducted in several phases over a four and a half year period (2007-2011). During that time it is expected that there will be some temporary positions required to support the system implementation and business transformation activities. In the long term, the project will provide the infrastructure and processes essential to the sustainability of current pension administration operations, and positions, in Shediac New Brunswick.