The Procurement Advisory Panel was formed in November 2015 by the Minister of Highways and Public Works to identify and clarifylocal vendor concerns about Yukon government procurement practices, and to then prioritize and propose actions to address those concerns.

The panel is comprised of representatives who bring insights from the local business community and expertise in public procurement practices from Yukon and other jurisdictions[1]. The panel has interviewed 54 people (37 representatives from the vendor community and 17 Yukon government employees) and has received 30 written submissions, resulting in input from a total of 84 people to date. There has been representation from different market segments, with participation from the IT sector, aviation, large and small building contractors, architects and engineers, environmental services, management consultants, media and film, as well as the Whitehorse and Yukon Chambers of Commerce.

The panel is in the process of analysing the input received, and has grouped the issues identified into a preliminary set of three main themes, with six key findings and two general findings (see below). The Panel will be testing these findings further at the Industry Conference on February 23/24 in Whitehorse, and is beginning to formulate recommended actions based in part on best practices and experiences in other jurisdictions. A final report will be prepared in March, 2016 that further describes the issues and recommendations.

Theme 1: Increase Opportunities for Yukon Vendors to Participate in Procurement

Key Finding: There is a strong desire to improve mechanisms to use procurement to support local suppliers

Finding: There are opportunities to increase awareness of local vendor capabilities and YG procurement needs

Finding: There are opportunities to improve access for local vendors to public sector procurement across Yukon public agencies

Theme 2: Reduce Barriers for Yukon Vendors to Participate in Procurement

Key Finding: There is a need to streamline procurement processes

Key Finding: There is a need to increase clarity, consistency and transparency in procurement processes

Theme 3: Increase Dialogue and Build a More Collaborative Culture

Key Finding: There is an opportunity to increase information and resources to support local participation

Key Finding: The mechanisms to address vendor concerns and complaints need to be improved

Key Finding: There is a need to build more constructive relationships between local vendors and YG procurement authorities

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[1] For further information about the Panel, see the Department of Highways and Public Works website at