The Professional Services Performance Evaluation (PSPE) is a standardized internal tool to encourage suppliers to improve their performance and will be used consistently across all City of Toronto divisions to assess performance and when considering a supplier’s eligibility for future awards. The PSPE is applicable to contracts for engineering and architectural services.

The purpose of the Professional Services Performance Evaluation (PSPE) is to provide an evaluative record, both positive and negative, of a supplier’s performance on a contract for engineering or architectural services that has been awarded by the City of Toronto.

The PSPE is a standardized internal tool to be used to encourage suppliers to improve their performance and will be used consistently across all City of Toronto divisions to assess performance and when considering a supplier’s eligibility for future awards

The PSPE will be included in all solicitations for engineering and architectural services issued as of August 23, 2021, and will be applicable to the resulting awarded contracts.

The frequency of PSPEs that a supplier can expect depends on the complexity and duration of the project, and will be based on the following suggested guideline:

Table 1: Frequency of PSPEs by Project Duration
Project Duration Frequency of Professional Services Performance Evaluations (PSPE)s
up to 1 month The option to conduct a final PSPE
1 – 3 months A final PSPE at the end of the project with the option to conduct one interim PSPE, at minimum at the end of each phase of work (where applicable)
3 – 6   months A final PSPE at the end of the project with the option to conduct one to two interim PSPEs, at minimum at the end of each phase of work (where applicable)
6 – 12   months A final PSPE at the end of the project with the option to conduct one to three interim PSPEs, at minimum at the end of each phase of work (where applicable)
Over 12 months A final PSPE at the end of the project; one mandatory interim PSPE per year, with the option to conduct up to three interim PSPEs per year, at minimum at the end of each phase of work (where applicable)

 

The expected frequency will be communicated to the supplier at the project kick-off meeting. Only the determined number of PSPE reports will be issued to the supplier for performance evaluation purposes.

Using the PSPE, the supplier will be evaluated on how they perform the work in the following major categories, with several criteria in each category (please refer to the example of the PSPE Form for a listing of criteria). An appropriate measure of weight has been allocated to each criterion and will be used in the evaluation process to calculate the score.

Note: While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this site. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding the PSPE form or any other content, please contact us at 416-397-4141 or supplychain@toronto.ca.

Table 2: Professional Services Performance Evaluation (PSPE) Weight
Category Weight
(A) Health & Safety 12.6%
(B) Quality of Deliverables 26.9%
(C) Organization 18%
(D) Execution 26.9%
(E) Administration 15.6%

 

The supplier is rated on each criterion with one of the following:

Table 3: PSPE Rating Definitions
Rating PSPE Definition of Rating
EX (Exceptional Performance) Far exceeded expectations due to exceptionally high quality of performance and work in all areas of responsibility adding value to the project.
EE (Exceeds Expectations) Consistently exceeded expectations in all essential areas of responsibility and overall quality of performance and work excellent.
ME (Meets Expectations) Consistently met expectations in all essential areas of responsibility with few if any issues.
I (Improvement Needed) Performance failed to meet expectations in one or more essential areas of responsibility. Usually required some additional staff time and resources.
U (Unsatisfactory) Consistently below expectations in most essential areas of responsibility.  Usually required much additional staff time and resources.

 

The score generated by an approved PSPE form results in the following:

Table 4: PMMD Actions According to PSPE Score
Score Action
  • Total score below 50% – (weighted average)
  • Criterion check of 20% or 40% for A1 “Compliance with OSHA / Legal Health & Safety requirements (applicable for CPE and PSPE)”
  • Warning letter to supplier indicating risk of suspension
Any one of the following:

  • A final score of 40% or less
  • Two interim/final scores below 50% within 5 years
  • Two interim/final criterion checks of “20” or “40“ within 5 years for A.1 “Did the contractor comply with OHSA requirements?”
  • One final criterion check of “U” for A.1: “Did the contractor comply with OHSA requirements?”
  • May initiate report to Council recommending suspension of supplier for specific professional services work category(s) for a minimum of one year

In the event that the supplier does not agree with the PSPE score, they must submit objections in writing with supporting evidence within five (5) business days following receipt of the report to the attention of:

  1. the Division Manager for Interim PSPEs.
  2. the Division Director for Final PSPEs.

Based on the information provided, it shall be at the City of Toronto’s sole discretion whether the score shall be amended and a replacement completed PSPE form issued.

In the event a staff report is submitted to Council recommending suspension in professional services specific work category(s), the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) shall inform the supplier of their right to make a deputation before the Standing Committee dealing with the suspension and shall advise the supplier to contact the City Clerk’s Office for further information on the deputation process. Upon hearing the deputation and considering the staff report, the standing committee shall make a recommendation to Council with respect to the suspension.

Other than contracts/subcontracts that the supplier is already performing work under at the time of suspension, the supplier is not eligible to bid on City of Toronto contracts for the specific professional services work category(s) specified in the suspension and may not perform work as a subcontractor for the work category(s) covered by the suspension for the duration of the suspension. The suspension of the supplier also applies to:

  1. any legal entity that is affiliated with the supplier within the meaning of the Business Corporations Act;
  2. any related person of the supplier within the meaning of the Business Corporations Act; and
  3. other legal entities having the same operating mind as the supplier, as determined in consultation with Legal Services.

After the suspension period, the supplier may bid on City of Toronto contracts and/or work as a subcontractor.