Northern Lights School Division needs to do better when it comes to purchasing goods and services. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

northern education

NLSD, Northlands College need to purchase goods and services better: provincial auditor

Jun 10, 2019 | 5:49 PM

Provincial Auditor Judy Ferguson is reporting the need for improvements in how the Northern Lights School Division (NLSD) and Northlands College purchase goods and services.

In her report released June 6, she states each institution needs to better align its purchasing requirements with good purchasing practices. That includes setting requirements for the use of single or sole-source purchasing, requiring staff involved with purchases to declare real or perceived conflicts of interest, and recognizing the requirements of applicable external trade agreements.

“Annually, Northern Lights purchases nearly $26 million and Northlands purchases about $9 million of good and services (2017-2018),” the report states.

Ferguson also notes Northern Lights has a few additional areas for improvement including developing guidance for handling all types of purchasing methods such as request for quotes and tenders. She added the division should consistently follow its purchasing policy and purchase cards guidelines, document supplier evaluations when tendering, and sufficiently separate incompatible purchasing duties like receipts of goods and services and approval of related invoices for payment.

A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS

'They are family': Sakewew High School honours resilient Class of 2025

A few minutes ago

Playoff Ready

Beavers beat Standard Hill, prepare for re-match to end regular season

21h ago

diversity

Wildfire devastation will lead to a rebirth of the boreal forest

22h ago

She mentioned buying goods and services in Northern Saskatchewan present challenges given the availability of fewer suppliers and, at times, logistics in transporting goods and services. She addedstrong processes to purchase goods and services supports transparency, fairness and achieving best value in purchasing activities.

“We found the division did not consistently adhere to its purchasing policy or purchase card guidelines,” the report states. “For example, almost 90 per cent of the tenders we tested, the division did not document its evaluation of the suppliers using the selection criteria it established for the tenders. Without documenting supplier evaluations when tendering, the division cannot support its supplier decisions and demonstrate achievement of best value for purchasing decisions.”

In four out of 17 tenders tested, NLSD did not publicly tender the purchases of heating fuel and propane on the SaskTenders website as required by the external trade agreements. Those purchases range in value from about $92,000 to $276,000.

In two of the tenders tested, NLSD used its local supplier preference provision in awarding tenders for student transportation. The value of each of those tenders exceeded the minimum threshold of $75,000 set out in the external trade agreements.

“For five purchases we tested where the division did not tender the purchases and where obtaining quotes may be reasonable, we found the division obtained quotes for only one of those purchases,” the report states.

larongeNOW reached out to NLSD for comment on this article, but no one was available by deadline.

–

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno