Infiltration of a tender by the family members of the SAAQclic's head executive.
In the midst of the Gallant Commission's investigation, the controversy surrounding the $458 million digital transformation contract awarded to SAP by the SAAQ in 2017 continues to unfold.
During a meeting on Thursday afternoon, Nicolas Vincent, the former coordinator of SAAQ's advisory committees, shared insights on the tender process that led to this contentious contract.
Three consortia had initially submitted bids for the transformation project, including the alliance between SAP and LGS, CGI in partnership with Oracle, and Deloitte collaborating with SAP. Given the immense scale of these bids, attended to by 21 specialized advisory committees, a conspicuous influence was discernible.
Each committee evaluated distinct sections of the bids according to their expertise before providing recommendations to the independent assessment committee. However, the vast array of criteria to be considered (approximately 1500) meant that the advisory committees fortified the selection committee's decision-making.
External consultants involved in the tender -- such as Madeleine Chagnon, Eric Beauregard, Louise Savoie, and Maurice Guénard -- were members of these advisory committees. These consultants had previously collaborated with Karl Malenfant, the SAAQ's Vice-President of Information Technology. Malenfant was also instrumental in implementing the SAP software during his tenure at Hydro-Québec.
Some observers suggest that the external consultants' allegiance to SAP was evident, especially in the cases of Madeleine Chagnon and Louise Savoie, who were directly involved in preparing the tender. "We had a perception that some of those who had prepared the tender had a preference for SAP," recalled Vincent, who documented notes taken during these meetings.
The minutes presented to the commission revealed the maneuvers of these consultants. For instance, some instated a score of 100% to submissions that incorporated SAP technology and 0% to those that featured CGI/Oracle solutions. This abrupt shift from zero to perfect scores raised questions.
Guylaine Leclerc, Quebec's Auditor General, had previously noted in her report that SAP had played a significant role in outlining the SAAQ's needs before the tender launch. The Gallant Commission's proceedings will continue next Monday in Montreal.
In the context of the testimonies at the Gallant Commission, it was revealed that political influences and allegiances in the tender process for the digital transformation contract, worth $458 million, were a matter of concern. Business interests appeared prevalent, as external consultants, such as Madeleine Chagnon and Louise Savoie, showed a clear preference for SAP in their evaluations, even going so far as to give SAP-related submissions a perfect score and zero to CGI/Oracle solutions. This raises questions about the appropriateness of politics intertwining with finance and general-news matters like business and politics in the awarding of significant contracts.
