On December 17, 2025, the Office of the Procurement Ombud (OPO) took another step toward the implementation of foundational changes to improve the federal procurement system by hosting the first in a series of Solution Forums.
This initiative builds on OPO's Knowledge Deepening and Sharing study, Top 5 Foundational Changes Needed in Federal Procurement, which identified longstanding systemic issues and proposed actionable solutions to improve the system.
The first session brought together procurement leaders, including Associate Deputy Ministers, Senior Designated Officials, and members of the federal procurement community to discuss one of the study's key recommendations: the establishment of a federal Chief Procurement Officer (CPO).
Panelists Chris Mitchell (CPO for Nova Scotia), and Frank Butler (CPO for Newfoundland and Labrador) shared success stories and valuable lessons learned in implementing the CPO role within their jurisdictions. Their insights included strategies for streamlining processes, saving taxpayer dollars, professionalizing the procurement function, measuring success, and improving accountability in federal procurement. Having senior procurement officials at the table ensures that the perspectives of those shaping and implementing federal procurement policies are front and center.
OPO is proud to champion solutions for the procurement community that will result in better outcomes for all. The mission remains the same but today it seemed one step closer to reality. We will continue on this path with the next solutions forum focussing on vendor performance management in the coming months. Please stay tuned!
