The Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee

The Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee (OSAPAC) is made up of regional representatives of the school boards of Ontario. These representatives are elected biannually by the Regional Computer Advisory Committees. The Ontario Ministry of Education (EDU) also appoints a few school board members when required to ensure an equitable... mix of representatives (gender, language etc.). The monies for the OSAPAC program are budgeted year to year. Vendors should clearly understand the respective roles of OSAPAC and EDU in the priority setting, ranking, negotiating and contractual process. OSAPAC surveys the teachers and computer consultants to establish OSAPAC priorities for software licenses. EDU reviews these priorities to determine that they meet EDU curriculum criteria for the given year. OSAPAC members conduct all software reviews and ranking. EDU is not involved in this part of the process except to facilitate the delivery of software and to ensure that the ranking is carried out in a fair, effective and orderly process. Once priorities are established in any given year, Requests for Qualification (RFQs) or Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are posted on www.merx.com. Qualified respondents to individual RFQs are then invited to submit pricing for the deliverables through a Request for Tender (RFT). If only one respondent qualifies in a RFQ or only one product is submitted, then EDU can negotiate directly for terms, conditions and price. RFPs contain qualifying criteria, rate bid forms and a Form of the Agreement. The highest scoring qualified product wins if it is within budget.Read More