Vendors

Vendor support is required for the Ministry of Health to be able to meet its goals of helping to support the health and well-being of British Columbians. By providing their expertise and ensuring value for money, they are an integral part of the ministry’s strategic and operational priorities in the delivery of a provincial system of responsive and effective health care services.

Vendor Complaint Review Process

The ministry is committed to fair, open and competitive procurement of goods and services. The vendor complaint review process is an integral part of this commitment.

If you have a concern about a contract competition or award, the following steps are available as part of the review process.

Step 1 - Informal Review

Contact the procurement contact (person named in the procurement notice or package). Your question or complaint may be satisfied in an informal manner.

If the procurement contact is unknown, get in touch with the ministry's contract services advisor who will forward it to the appropriate person:

Contract Management
Financial Analysis and Decision Support Branch
4th Floor, 1515 Blanshard St
PO Box 9647 STN PROV GOVT
Victoria BC V8W 9P4

Phone: 236 478-2106
Fax: 250 952-2089

Email:  hlth.contractmanagement@gov.bc.ca

Step 2 - Formal Review

If you are still unsatisfied, the next step is the vendor complaint review process where you can submit your complaint in writing to the procurement contact or contract services advisor and it will be addressed.

Complaints must concern a contract competition or a pending or awarded contract. A complaint can be submitted any time during the competition and up to thirty (30) business days after you have received notification from the ministry of the final outcome of the competition.

The vendor complaint review process is limited to issues of procurement policy and procedures. It is not available for issues related to vendor or ministry contract performance or conduct during a contract. These issues are dealt with through the dispute resolution processes identified in the contract.

Please use the Vendor Complaint Review Form, or a similar format that provides all of the requested information. This will assist the ministry in responding to your complaint in a timely manner. It may be submitted by mail, fax or email, or as indicated in the procurement notice.

The ministry will review your complaint in accordance with the procedures outlined by the Procurement Governance Office. Specifically the ministry is committed to the following timelines:

• Acknowledge receipt of a complaint within five (5) business days.
• Investigate a complaint and provide a written response within thirty (30) business days.When unable to respond within thirty (30) business days, the ministry will advise you of the reason for the delay and when you may expect a response.

Step 3 - Formal Complaint Escalation

Failing resolution at the second step, you would contact the contract services advisor, with your wish to escalate and he/she will start the process. The complaint will be elevated to a senior official, delegated by the deputy minister.

Please note, the Formal Complaint Escalation will only be considered if you have made attempts to resolve it with the ministry office.

Step 4 - Final Escalation

As a final step, your complaint may be directed by fax or e-mail to the Procurement Governance Office. This office is responsible for managing the vendor complaint review process on behalf of government and it will, only in exceptional circumstances, consider a complaint that has not been submitted to the ministry.

Chief Procurement Officer
Procurement Governance Office
Ministry of Finance, Office of the Comptroller General
PO Box 9413
Victoria BC V8W 9V1

Fax: 250 356-6164
E-mail: procurementgovernance@gov.bc.ca