The government of Canada has issued an official Request For Information (RFI) on open source software and is looking for feedback and public guidance to help shape procurement policies. This move could be a prelude to broader adoption of free and open source software in the Canadian government's IT infrastructure.

Although Canada has weathered the global financial crisis better than many other countries, its government is looking for ways to compensate for a recent glut of stimulus spending that has generated the country's first budget deficit in over a decade. To help keep the economic recovery plan on track, Canada's government is looking for ways to spend smarter.

The language used in the RFI makes it pretty clear that cost reduction is priority number one. It uses the broad term "NO CHARGE LICENSED SOFTWARE", which it defines as software that is open source or available at no cost. According to the RFI, Canada is exploring no-cost software options on the desktop as well as the server, in categories that include operating systems, office suites, and automation systems.

A brief questionnaire is included to help direct responses. It covers a number of common concerns and considerations that often play into open source adoption decisions. Respondents are asked to comment on the potential for hidden costs, how to evaluate and manage compliance with open source licenses, and how open standards and interoperability should factor into the decision-making process. The RFI also includes a list of the standard criteria—such as performance, quality control, testing, and training—that the government considers today when evaluating commercial software. Checkboxes are placed next to each one so that respondents can indicate which are also applicable to open source software.

Open source software is no stranger to the north. Canada's Internet-savvy-but-largely-ignored Green party, which accounted for roughly 6.8 percent of the popular vote in the 2008 federal election, has long been a vocal advocate of open source software. The party's official platform declares that it will encourage broad adoption of open source software in government IT and mandate that all new software developed by the government is based on open standards.

Open source procurement has also been a topic of controversy in some parts of the country. A nonprofit group called FACIL sued the province of Quebec last year, alleging that the provincial government failed to comply with procurement regulations by granting millions of dollars of no-bid contracts to Microsoft.

FACIL contends that adopting open source software would save money, create new jobs, and reduce Canada's dependence on US companies. The Canadian Association of Open Source says that the most significant impediment that is holding back Canada's adoption of open source is a lack of awareness and understanding. The RFI demonstrates that the government is eager to remedy that problem.

The information that is accumulated from the RFI responses could provide valuable insight that will help the government craft more effective procurement policies. Although open source options aren't always as mature or powerful as proprietary alternatives in some areas, it's improving all the time and deserves close consideration. Articulating a strong interest in open source adoption might also give the government more negotiating leverage to secure some nice discounts from Microsoft.

Further reading