In implementing the ISO 37001 international standard on anti-bribery, the government positions itself as a leader

QUÉBEC CITY, June 13, 2018 – Robert Poëti, Minister for Integrity in Public Procurement and for Information Resources, announced that the Government of Québec would continue its counter-corruption efforts by developing a major pilot project aimed at implementing ISO standard 37001 within various public entities. This will make Québec a leader, since this international certification standard is usually implemented in the private sector.

This certification standard, published in October 2016 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), aims to prevent and counter corruption by assisting organizations in elaborating and implementing an anti-bribery management system.

ISO 37001 includes nine measures to implement in each participating entity, as appropriate. The primary measures are the following:

• analysis of risks of corruption for the organization;
• adoption of an anti-corruption policy;
• training of personnel;
• implementation of controls.

Hydro-Québec, the Ministère des Transports, de la Mobilité Durable et de l’Électrification des Transport, the Ministère de la Famille and the Centre de Services Partagés du Québec have volunteered to test this standard. The City of Québec will also participate, thereby allowing the standard to be tested in a municipal setting.

At the end of the pilot project, the Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor will create an assessment and make recommendations for the standard’s implementation within the public service.

Quotes: 

In recent years, the government has put several measures in place to reinforce the integrity of public contracts, including the creation of the Autorité des marchés publics, the adoption of the Act to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings relating to public bodies and also the directive regarding contract management policy. This pilot project is another action aiming to keep Québec at the forefront of best practices.

– Robert Poëti, Minister for Integrity in Public Procurement and for Information Resources

I commend Hydro-Québec, a major employer, for participating in this pilot project that demonstrates the importance we place on best practices in government.

– Pierre Moreau, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Plan Nord

As one of the government’s major employers, the Ministère des Transports de la Mobilité Durable et de l’Électrification des Transports had a duty to take part in this pilot project. Our ministry must continually maintain very high standards that demonstrate its diligence and neutrality.

– André Fortin, Minister of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transport Electrification

The Ministère de la Famille’s participation in the pilot project will aid the Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor to better outline the applicability of ISO 37001 to many public organizations on a much more local level. I believe that it’s important for any ministry that reflects this ever-present government reality to participate in this initiative.

– Luc Fortin, Minister of Families

Key points:

Since June 2016, the Government of Québec has put in place several anti-corruption measures:

• the directive on risk management for corruption and collusion in the contract management process, adopted by the Conseil du trésor in June 2016;
• the Act to amend various municipal-related legislative provisions concerning such matters as political financing, assented to on June 10, 2016;
• the Act to give effect to the Charbonneau Commission recommendations on political financing, assented to on June 10, 2016;
• the Act to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings relating to public bodies, assented to on December 9, 2016;
• the Act to facilitate oversight of public bodies’ contracts and to establish the Autorité des marchés publics, assented to on December 1, 2017;
• a contract management policy concerning the strengthening of certain measures in the call for proposals process for public contracts.

Lastly, we should note that some acts have also been passed:

• the Anti-Corruption Act (Bill 15), which led to the creation of the UPAC and its commissioner;
• the Integrity in Public Contracts Act (Bill 1), which gave the government additional means to address collusion and corruption in the process of attributing contracts.