by Nancy Gardiner
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 29/97) - While the NWT's Ferguson Simek Clark won a contract to build a new school in Old Crow, one of the other eight bidders -- Charles McLaren -- is not happy with the award process.

McLaren says he feels Yukon's local-hire process left him out in the cold. While he says he has no problem with the firm awarded the contract, he believes the process itself is flawed.

The Yukon government has a Business Incentive Policy that recognizes the use of local hires, local apprentices and the like.

"It looks at end results, but doesn't close the door on contractors," says Betty Tomlinson, director of contract administration with Yukon government.

But it doesn't pertain to consultants, says McLaren.

Michael Cowper, senior project manager with Government Services Yukon, says consultants want to be included in the policy and meetings have been ongoing.

Why is the Yukon lagging behind the NWT in protecting its consultants in the bidding process?

One reason is there's a small consultant pool in Yukon compared with the NWT, says Cowper.

The Yukon Hire Commission is conducting a public consultation about local hires and construction contracts is one area it will look at. Other professional contracts will be scrutinized, including government purchasing.

"Our mandate is how to maximize local content from government spending," says Luigi Zanasi, deputy commissioner for the Yukon Hire Commission.

His commission's consultation process is twofold -- first visiting every rural community in the Yukon and meeting with anyone who wanted to talk.

"Now, we're putting together a series of workshops to discuss possible solutions, policies and recommendations following the initial round to communities," he says. The commission's mandate ends on Dec. 31, 1997.

"Our process is to develop these policies in consultation with industry and we'll have a workshop specifically for consultants and other professionals to discuss potential solutions and what the Yukon government should be implementing," says Zanasi.

But McLaren is not optimistic.

"The reason I have some skepticism is it's been a long, ongoing process with no results. Under a previous NDP administration back to 1988, the then deputy minister of government services wrote in a letter that is was 'certainly the objective of the government to place as much work as possible in the hands of local enterprise,'" says McLaren.

McLaren has tried the "educational approach" but he describes change as "slow and minuscule".

Another problem in Yukon on the bidding process is there's never been a residence requirement, McLaren adds.

Four firms submitting bids on the Old Crow school contract were from Whitehorse, four was from Vancouver and one from Yellowknife.

A call for proposals was advertised in July and McLaren submitted a bid.