Market Me says IC report confirms its integrity and professionalism

Marketing and communications firm Market Me Consulting Limited says the Integrity Commission’s report on contracts it received from the Ministry of Health and Wellness affirms its "integrity" and "professionalism".

“For over 12 years, Market Me Consulting Limited has proudly served clients across Jamaica's public and private sectors, always guided by purpose, professionalism, and impact,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The report confirms what we have always known, that our work stands on integrity, professionalism, purpose and excellent value for money. With that addressed, we now return to what truly matters: doing great work for the clients and communities we serve,” it added.

It did not comment on any of the specific findings.

The statement came a few hours after the release of the IC's 107-page report detailing the results of a three-year probe into alleged procurement irregularities and conflicts of interest surrounding contracts awarded to Market Me between 2016 and 2021.

According to the commission, 15 contracts valued at more than $78.5 million were issued to the company during the period - 14 from the Ministry of Health and Wellness and one from the National Family Planning Board.

The investigation found that while Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton did not directly influence the award of a $15.8 million contract to Market Me, his introduction of the firm to ministry officials and comments that the company “be involved in all PR matters related to the Office of the Minister” could be “reasonably interpreted” as indirectly influencing the engagement of the firm.

That contract was for the Jamaica Moves physical-fitness campaign, which sparked the probe.

Director of Investigation Kevon Stephenson concluded that Tufton’s actions “gave rise to, at its lowest, a perceived conflict of interest and thereby contravened the principles of transparency and good governance.”

The report also said Tufton and Market Me’s co-managing director Lyndsey McDonnough failed to formally declare their “friendship” during the award of contracts, a breach of conflict-of-interest rules. Tufton told investigators the two had been friends since 2011 through a running club and that McDonnough had done voluntary work in his constituency.

“I have a personal relationship/friendship with McDonnough… I do not have a business relationship with McDonnough except in so far as the company in which she is a principal (Market Me Consulting Limited) has had contracts with the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” the minister was quoted as saying.

The IC also raised questions about whether the award of six Jamaica Moves-related contracts to Market Me, on the same day (May 1, 2019), was an attempt to splinter them to avoid competition.

The ministry has said there was no intent to circumvent the procurement process through contract splintering and that it addressed the issues that gave rise to the concerns.

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