Auditor-General critical of military purchase process

[GAP]

Auditor-General critical of military purchase process
Fraser plans to review defence deals, again blasts non-competitive contracts
DANIEL LEBLANC and HEATHER SCOFFIELD
Article Link

OTTAWA, MONTMAGNY, QUE. -- Auditor-General Sheila Fraser criticized Ottawa yesterday for buying billions of dollars worth of military aircraft through a non-competitive process, while Quebec's Premier said he wants his province to obtain more benefits from the purchases.

Ms. Fraser told a parliamentary committee she will start auditing the government's recent string of military acquisitions before the end of the year, although she did not state which will be part of the probe. Her findings will come out at the end of next year.

Ottawa is buying $3.4-billion in giant cargo planes, $4.9-billion in smaller transport planes, $4.7-billion in medium- and heavy-lift helicopters, $2.9-billion in ships and $1.2-billion in trucks.

Ms. Fraser was critical of the process being used to buy the C-17 cargo planes and the Chinook helicopters from Boeing Co., which is called an advance contract award notice, or ACAN.
More on link

 

[geo]

Competitive contract tenders & offers are all nice and dandy when you don't mind waiting 10 to 13 years for the process to run it's course BUT delaying the purchase of key items can & does cost lives.

I hope Mrs Fraser factors "that" into her equation.

 

[Fabius]

Ms Fraser has been critical of the Military purchase process before. In her 1998 report she outlined that the military was hampered by

an excessively complex and labour-intensive acquisition process;
inadequately trained project managers;
insufficient resources and underestimation of supportability costs;
an ineffective and untimely staffing of project management offices;
gaps and overlaps in project management responsibilities;
poor procurement practices;
poor application of program and project risk evaluation and risk management principles;
lack of an integrated information system; and
inadequate project management information.

http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/domino/reports.nsf/html/9804ce.html#0.2.2Z141Z1.RL0RBG.MYQPRE.G6
It would appear that the majority of these concern have been eliminated in the current round of military purchases, her critism of the contracts being non competive is rather short sighted. The very problems that she highlighted in 1998 have created a situation where these purchases are no longer merely the standard periodic upgrading and replacement of equipment. They have in effect become UORs due to the inability of currently operated systems to meet the demand  due to their age.

 

[geo]

ALSO... these purchases are a direct result of the previous problem..... delay, delay, delay, obsolescence makes equipment unsuitable for any use and all of a sudden, we have no other option but to ACT NOW!

 

[Flip]

As a small business owner I can state - The auditors are never happy.

If the worst she can say is "uncompetitive bidding process" in a field of
ONE supplier that meets the immediate needs of our military, that's not at all bad.

Not having the equipment should be considered the REAL scandal.

 

[Roy Harding]

As much as I am a "fan" of Ms. Fraser - I don't think she gets it right every time.

As someone above pointed out, auditors are "never" happy.

 

[retiredgrunt45]

Why doesn't someone invite the auditor general to take a ride in one of our old defunk aircraft and see how safe she feels! That's one person who is out of touch with reality. If our procurement process was a bit faster like a decade or two, fine, but without immediate purchases like this it takes years to get new equipment.

Were was the auditor general when the liberals were syphoning 100's of millions of dollars into the sponsorship fiasco?????????  Maybe because it was going to Quebec, so they turned a blind eye.

To hell with Quebec and gripping over their share of the pie, who the hell do they think they are, special? :rage:

At least Harper had the gonads and brains to figure out we needed this equipment yesterday and bought it.

Its garbage like this that gets me really p***** *** :rage:

Time for my high blood pressure medication .

 

[MarkOttawa]

Plus the fact that there is simply no real competition for the tactical and strategic airlifter progams.

A400M Engine Tests Slip
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/58042.0.html

Even if the A400M were available in good time, note the "Typical Missions":
http://www.airbusmilitary.com/missions.html

Based on European requirements related to the Middle East and Africa.  Not the transoceanic and transcontinental range Canada needs for strategic lift, and probably too big for our tactical needs.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[geo]

Grunt.... knock it off with the Quebec bashing

I AM QUITE FED UP WITH IT - UNPROVOKED & NOT REQUIRED

 

[MarkOttawa]

And I do wish our journalists would point out these are long term costs, not the actual price of the aircraft ex-factory.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Were was the auditor general when the liberals were syphoning 100's of millions of dollars into the sponsorship fiasco?????????  Maybe because it was going to Quebec, so they turned a blind eye.

To hell with Quebec and gripping over their share of the pie, who the hell do they think they are, special? :rage:

MOD WARNING: Thats your freebie.......

 

[retiredgrunt45]

Sorry i offended you Geo and Bruce, didn't mean to do that.

I was born and raised in Quebec, thats a different story for another time.

 

[mercury]

[flash=200,200][/flash]Take her for a five day drive in an iltis in the big A, Maybe it will give her a new perspective

 

[TCBF]

What the guvmint should do is announce TWO aircraft progams for the same role:

The first (already announced), an interim buy of the C-17 to immediately repair some of the criminally negligent policies of the past, and then:

The second, a long range ten or fifteen year plan to replace or augment the C-17s, with another aircraft, PREFERABLY built in Quebec, but only if they can design and build an aircraft that will win the competition. Start the competition now for "NHLA 2020".

Gives'em ten years to sort themselves out.  Can Bombardier do it?

 

[geo]

What the guvmint should do is announce TWO aircraft progams for the same role:

The first (already announced), an interim buy of the C-17 to immediately repair some of the criminally negligent policies of the past, and then:

The second, a long range ten or fifteen year plan to replace or augment the C-17s, with another aircraft, PREFERABLY built in Quebec, but only if they can design and build an aircraft that will win the competition. Start the competition now for "NHLA 2020".

Gives'em ten years to sort themselves out.  Can Bombardier do it?

WTF are you babbling on about?
Nowhere is there any discussion about a Quebec based contender for this.
Bombardier has expressed NO desire for such a program and don't have the capacity to produce in the 1st place.
Why don't you give it a break?
The only contenders for such a contract are American OR European

Keep to your arcs

 

[Fishbone Jones]

geo,

Ideas and opinions are just that. Everyone is entitled to their's. What they're not forced to take in response, is a condecending and snarky response and attitude for voicing them. Please watch your tone in the future.

Army.ca Staff

 

[MarkOttawa]

I wonder if the AG, our opposition parties and journalists will notice:

Airbus says problems could get even worse this year
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article1494994.ece

The A400M is a military transport aircraft. There has been speculation that it was running into difficulties, and Airbus confirmed this for the first time yesterday.

The A400M, which will be larger than existing Hercules transporters, will be delayed by three months, and Airbus acknowledged that there would be “significant challenges until first delivery”, which is scheduled for next year. Costs have blown out on this project, too, and EADS took a provision of €352 million to cover the “risk and technical challenges” of developing the aircraft...

Especially this journalist:
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2007/01/hatchet-job.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[geo]

based on the massive layoffs and the problems with the A380, the A400 isn't about to fly anytime soon....
France, the UK, Germany, Italy & Spain are on the hook no matter what, cause Airbus is their baby but..... it isn't going to b pretty.