Treasury Board Common Services Policy

The Treasury Board Common Services Policy was a Government of Canada policy that set the strategic direction and provided authority for reforming administrative management and the role of common service organizations. Its stated objective was to let departments and agencies obtain responsive, cost-effective support for program delivery. The Treasury Board policy record holds the text and its status.

The policy is now rescinded and archived. Federal sources usually call it the "Common Services Policy", and the word "Treasury Board" identifies the issuing authority. It still appears in older procurement material, so suppliers may meet the reference in federal documents even though it no longer governs current contracting.

What the policy required of departments and common service organizations

The policy governed the relationship between client departments and common service organizations (CSOs). CSOs were expected to deliver services in a timely, effective and economical way. Departments that exercised procurement authorities, including authorities delegated by a CSO for mandatory services, had to follow the applicable government and Treasury Board policies and standards.

The policy also separated optional common services from mandatory ones. Its direction was to make as many common services optional as possible and to keep a service mandatory only where there was an overriding reason. It applied to departments and agencies listed in schedules I, I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act, and to commissions of inquiry designated as departments for that Act.

Rescission and archiving dates

• Treasury Board rescinded the policy on May 13, 2021, except for the Guard Services provision in Appendix E.
• The remaining Guard Services provision was rescinded on March 31, 2023.
• The PSPC Supply Manual records that the policy would be archived in its entirety on April 1, 2023.

The Treasury Board record confirms the rescission dates, and Chapter 1 of the Supply Manual confirms the archiving.

Where the policy appears in PSPC procurement material

The term appears in the archived Supply Manual as section 1.30.10. It is a policy reference there, not a supplier-facing technical requirement. The Supply Manual is written for contracting officers in the PSPC Acquisitions Program and regional acquisitions offices, so the reference sits in internal guidance for buyers.

The policy also helps explain the institutional setup behind federal procurement. Public Services and Procurement Canada acts as a common service provider and, where applicable, is the contracting authority for procurements conducted for other federal departments, as described in the Treasury Board horizontal internal audit on procurement governance. The policy shaped how procurement authorities were shared between service organizations and the departments they served.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

A supplier does not take a separate action because a solicitation or manual cites the Treasury Board Common Services Policy. It is not a certification, an evaluation criterion, a contract clause or a deliverable.

Current procurement practice runs through the Treasury Board Directive on the Management of Procurement and current PSPC and CanadaBuys guidance. The CanadaBuys page on planning and management of procurement is the better reference for the rules that apply today. Mandatory PSPC standing offers and supply arrangements bind federal departments, including the Canadian Forces, where the procurement rules require their use. The CanadaBuys guide on choosing a method of supply covers how buyers make that choice. Bid teams should read their solicitation documents against those current instruments.