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If you missed the earlier sessions, there’s one more opportunity to join the series.

Week 4: Capital Planning to Project Delivery | Public Sector Procurement

📅 Register by March 25, 12:00 PM ET
🗓 Thursday at 1:00 PM ET | Free for OPBA Members

Melissa Jackson and Jamie Cook will share practical insights on how Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) can be used alongside traditional procurement approaches to support capital planning, budget development, project financing, and project delivery across municipal and broader public sector environments.

The session will draw on real-world procurement experience, including Melissa’s previous role in a publicly funded hospital where she supported long-term capital planning and worked directly with internal stakeholders to deliver capital and infrastructure projects within strict funding timelines and governance requirements.

Participants will gain insight into how procurement teams assess sourcing options, manage risk, and make policy-compliant decisions in complex public sector environments.

👉 Register now to join the final session

Buy Ontario Act (Bill 72) Consultation Update: OPBA Submission

The Province recently invited feedback through the Ontario Regulatory Registry on proposed policies under the Buy Ontario Act (Public Sector Procurement), 2025.

The consultation period has now closed.

OPBA submitted comments to the Province reflecting perspectives and considerations raised by public procurement professionals across our membership. For reference, our submission is available below.

📄 Read OPBA’s submission

We are also sharing a related submission from several construction industry associations — TARBA, OSWCA, GTSWCA, and HCAT — which outlines similar concerns regarding implementation timing, domestic supply realities, and the proposed Domestic Supply Chain Plan requirement.

📄 Read the industry associations’ submission

OPBA will continue to monitor developments and share updates with members as additional information on the proposed policies becomes available.

OPBA attended the session alongside several OPBA members and other public sector procurement professionals from across the province. The discussion event provided an opportunity to hear perspectives from government, Supply Ontario, and innovators leaders on how procurement policy and can support innovation adoption and domestic economic growth.

Speakers included:

• The Hon. Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement
• James Wallace, CEO, Supply Ontario
• Mohammad Qureshi, Ontario’s Chief Information and Corporate Officer

Thank you to Skaidra Puodziunas at CCI and John Bianchini, Chairman and CEO of HATCH, for hosting this event. Events like this help facilitate dialogue between government, innovators, and the public procurement community on the evolving role of procurement in supporting economic development and innovation.

Public Procurement Benchmarking Survey – Now Closed

Thank you to all agencies who participated in OPBA’s Public Procurement Benchmarking Survey.

We received responses from 79 public agencies across Canada, providing valuable data to support a sector-wide benchmarking initiative.

OPBA is now preparing the Public Procurement Benchmarking Report, which will highlight procurement structures, processes, and emerging trends across the public sector. The report is scheduled for release in early May.

OPBA members will receive complimentary access upon release.

As part of our participant thank-you, the winner of the draw for unlimited registrations to one Coffee with Counsel session and one OPBA Ignite Pro-D session is:

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board

Congratulations, and thank you again to all who contributed to this initiative.

Watch for the report release (coming soon).

Share Your Procurement Insight — Your Article Could Win the Dick Brimmell Award

Have an idea, insight, or lesson learned from your procurement work?

OPBA members are invited to contribute articles to Caveat Emptor, OPBA’s newsletter for public procurement professionals. Sharing your experience helps strengthen the profession by providing practical insights and ideas that others across the public sector can learn from.

Articles can cover a wide range of topics — procurement strategies, process improvements, policy updates, case studies, lessons learned, or emerging trends impacting public procurement.

Dick Brimmell Award for Best Article

Contributing to Caveat Emptor also makes you eligible for the Dick Brimmell Award, established in 1996 in honour of OPBA’s first newsletter editor.

Each year, two articles published in Caveat Emptor are recognized:

• Best Article – $500
• Honourable Mention – $250

Winning articles are selected by the OPBA Board of Directors.

Articles are evaluated on their relevance, practical value, and potential to benefit public procurement professionals across different types of public agencies.

Winners are recognized at the OPBA Annual Conference Awards Dinner.

Read Last Year’s Winning Articles

Joseph Adekale (Best Article 2025)
Understanding Project Delivery Models in Construction: A Guide to Procurement and Management

Victoria Mirlocca (Honourable Mention 2025)
Navigating Political Pressure in Public Procurement: Upholding Integrity and Principles

👉 Interested in contributing an article? Email: Wendy Gan, wendy@opba.ca.

Community Beyond Procurement

Public procurement professionals bring a wide range of talents, interests, and passions to their work and beyond it.

OPBA is introducing a short Member Spotlight feature called “Community Beyond Procurement.” This quick feature highlights what our members are involved in outside of their professional roles.

Do you volunteer in your community? Run marathons? Play music? Coach youth sports? Garden, paint, or pursue another passion?

We invite members to share a short spotlight about what they enjoy outside of procurement, up to 100 words. Your story may be featured in an upcoming issue of Caveat Emptor.

👉 Interested in being featured? Send your submission to: Wendy Gan, wendy@opba.ca.

Let’s celebrate the people behind the profession.

OPBA Leadership Day 2026
April 28 | Mississauga Living Arts Centre | In-Person | $299

The session will be facilitated by leadership development specialist Nicole North (Whiteboard Learning), who works with leaders across organizations to strengthen communication, accountability, and team effectiveness through practical, applied leadership tools.

Participants will explore practical approaches to:

•   Coaching team members toward accountability and engagement

•   Delivering clear, empathetic feedback

•   Addressing resistance or defensiveness during difficult conversations

•   Navigating performance discussions with greater confidence

This session is grounded in real-world public sector procurement leadership dynamics — not theory.

Who Should Attend

Managers, senior managers, and directors in procurement who supervise staff and are responsible for team performance and engagement.

To support meaningful discussion and peer learning, capacity is intentionally limited.

This event qualifies for 6 contact hours toward professional development requirements.

OPBA Mentoring Program

Looking to grow your career — or give back to the profession?

The OPBA Mentoring Program connects public procurement professionals across Ontario to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and support professional growth.

For emerging professionals, it’s an opportunity to gain practical insight and guidance from experienced leaders. For seasoned practitioners, it’s a chance to share expertise, support the next generation, and make a meaningful impact on the profession.

This unique OPBA member benefit creates valuable connections beyond your own organization and helps strengthen the public procurement community.

👉 Learn more about the program and how to participate

Whether you join as a Mentor or Mentee, the experience is designed to help you develop, grow, and build lasting professional relationships.

Questions? Contact members@opba.ca

Membership Renewal Deadline – March 31

A reminder that the deadline to renew your 2026 OPBA membership is March 31, 2026.

To maintain uninterrupted access to member benefits, please ensure your dues are submitted before this date. Memberships not renewed by March 31 will lapse and will no longer be considered in good standing.

If your membership lapses, the following member benefits will be suspended:

• Member pricing for courses, events, and the Annual Conference
• Access to the MemberConnect community and online portal
• Other member-only resources and opportunities

You can renew anytime by logging into your member profile:

Billing Info → Pay Membership Dues/Fees

If you have any questions or need assistance reinstating your membership after the deadline, please contact members@opba.ca.

Renew today to continue accessing OPBA’s professional development opportunities, peer network, and member benefits.

New Members

OPBA warmly welcomes the following new members: 

Jinxuan Hu, Good Shepherd Centres

Sharon McGuire, Ontario One Call

Megan Jovic, Canadian Mental Health Association Durham

James Munro, iGaming Ontario

Brenda Blair, Municipal Property Assessment Corporation

Braden Lachance, Haldimand County

Daniel Abbott, City of Hamilton

Jennifer Arcari, City of Hamilton

Taylor Cinq-Mars, City of Hamilton

Gail Hallawell, City of Hamilton

Mohammad Haque, City of Hamilton

Rachel Luan, City of Hamilton

Sadegh Rasoul, City of Hamilton

Christina Rossini, City of Hamilton

OPBA warmly welcomes the following new associates: 

Brett Pettigrew, City of Kawartha Lakes

Angeline Clarke, City of Brampton

NIGP Foundations Pilot – May 2026

This May, OPBA will be piloting three NIGP Foundations courses to help address access barriers some members have experienced and to ensure more members can participate in core professional development opportunities.

These courses focus on three key areas of public procurement practice: strategy and policy, planning and analysis, and sourcing and contracting.

Designed primarily for early-career public procurement professionals (generally those new to the profession up to five years of experience), each course offers practical knowledge and skills that support professional development and career growth.

Participants who complete individual courses will earn a certificate that can be applied toward the NIGP-CPP designation. Those who complete all three courses may earn the Public Procurement Associate Designation.

Note: Registration fees are offered at a special rate as part of this pilot.

Course Schedule

Foundations of Strategy and Policy
May 7–8 | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET
Focuses on legal and ethical considerations, procurement functions, and strategic value within public sector organizations.

Foundations of Planning and Analysis
May 13–14 | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET
Develops skills to identify procurement goals, design effective strategies, and support informed decision-making.

Foundations of Sourcing and Contracting
May 27–29 | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET
Provides foundational tools to support sourcing decisions and effective contracting practices in public procurement.

Questions? Contact members@opba.ca

Register for Upcoming Course

As the cornerstone of OPBA's educational offerings, PPLL provides a more comprehensive and meaningful learning experience through a blend of self-paced online modules and a virtual classroom session via Zoom in the final week.

Additional Upcoming Course

Public Procurement Specialty - Advanced Procurement for Construction

April 21 + 22, 2026
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET
Virtual Learning
Registration closes Tuesday, April 14, 2026

This course is delivered via the Zoom delivery method, happening in two (2) three 3-hour sessions.

The Advanced Procurement for Construction course is for procurement professionals in the public sector who are called upon for their expertise in developing and administering large, sometimes complex procurement for construction. This course is part of OPBA's Public Procurement Specialties (PPS).

👉 Click here to register

Advertising and Sponsored Content in the Caveat Emptor enews:

The OPBA is diversifying its revenue sources so that we are not solely reliant on revenue generated through membership fees. Our goals are to strengthen the financial health of the association and continue to deliver valued member services while maintaining a reasonable cost of membership. We appreciate the support of our partner vendors and suppliers, many of whom have advertising and sponsored content in this enews. Articles provided by advertisers are solely for the purpose of raising awareness. OPBA does not endorse, promote, or advocate any products and services..

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The Ontario Public Buyers Association (OPBA) is a not-for-profit professional association representing public procurement professionals throughout Ontario. We promote the ethical and effective expenditure of public funds and encourage excellence in public purchasing through our continuing professional development opportunities, the encouragement of certification programs and through networking among our members.

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