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CCG/6102 National Standard Operating Procedure (NSOP)
523 COVID-19 - Provision of Food and Refreshment for Emergency Management

Original: 2020-07-08 Revised: n/a Approved by Daniel Breton, Director General, Response, on July 8, 2020.

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523 COVID-19 - Provision of Food and Refreshment for Emergency Management
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Purpose

The purpose of this National Standard Operating Procedure (NSOP) is to provide a common and consistent methodology across the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) regarding the mechanism to provide food and refreshments for response personnel engaged in emergency management efforts including response to incidents, events or deliberate operations, and also those participating in operational exercises or team training.

Background

Emergency management activities are complex and involve a broad cross-section of personnel from across CCG. The operational environment of response efforts often require long hours with little time for breaks. Further, the CCG conducts operational exercises and team training in the same manner in which it responds to emergencies. In this regard, the on-site provision of food and refreshments is critical to the wellbeing of response personnel, helps to ensure effective continuity of effort, and, ultimately, contributes to the success of emergency response, operational exercises, and team training. Further, this methodology to provide provisions to response personnel was written in consultation with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and chief financial officer staff, and fully considered the direction and guidance within the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conferences & Events Expenditures.

Application

This NSOP applies to individuals who are part of a structured team for emergency response, operational exercises or team training at any level within the CCG. This includes the on-scene tactical level, the operational level within a region, and the strategic, national headquarters level. While not an exhaustive list this could include but not be limited to the provision of food and refreshments for incident management team members within an incident command post, a joint information centre, an area command, an emergency coordination centre and regional/national incident management teams. In the context of operational exercises, it could include the provision of food and refreshments during the conduct of live exercises, command post exercises and other team and collective team training workshops which simulate emergency management efforts.

Procedure

The CCG employee that has the delegated financial authority for the emergency response, operational exercise or team training event is responsible for initiating the provision of food and refreshments for any given activity. This is based on either their own delegated financial authority as a Responsibility Centre (RC) manager or as supported by DFO Procurement on those occasions where it is necessary for a DFO contracting officer to provide assistance in establishing contracts greater the limit authorized for any RC manager. Furthermore, the RC manager is responsible for the tracking and timely reporting on all costs related to the provision of food provided through this procedure.

Procedure for the provision of food and refreshment during response
Step Procedure
1.
  1. Low dollar value contracting can be completed by any RC manager. The RC manager is authorized to procure goods or services with a value no greater than $10k inclusive of taxes. To initiate a low dollar value contract the RC manager enters a Purchase Order to their RC using line object 4426 (expenditures incurred for food and beverages provided during Incident response and Incident exercising and training).
    1. 1.1. RC managers should contact the Procurement Hub as soon as possible for advice on contracting procedures.
2.
  1. Purchases above $10k require a formal contracting process. The Procurement Hub will provide assistance to establish (an) urgent contract(s) in the event that the low dollar value contract is insufficient to provide food and refreshment for the course of the incident.
3.
  1. Exemptions
    1. 1.1. Employees on travel status are not eligible to claim meal allowance under the National Joint Council Travel Directive for the meals they receive.
    2. 1.2. Low dollar value, regular, or urgent contracting authority may not be used to provide food and beverages to employees when they are asked to work in excess of their scheduled hours of work on a scheduled working day for routine job-related tasks.
    3. 1.3. Emergency contract authority may not be invoked. Emergency contracts are only used to procure goods or services above the standard departmental contracting delegation in the case of an emergency. Only the most senior official available can initiate the contract.

Enquiries

Enquiries regarding this procedure should be directed to:

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