The Department of Finance has launched a new awards program to recognise leadership and excellence in the procurement of goods and services for the Australian Public Service.
An initiative of the Centre of Procurement Excellence (CoPE), the inaugural Commonwealth Procurement Awards for Excellence are now taking nominations.
The awards are open to all non-corporate Commonwealth entities and prescribed corporate Commonwealth entities who can nominate (including self-nomination) in one or more of the following award categories:
* Building Entity Capability;
* Delivering Innovation Through Procurement;*
* Engaging With Risk; and
* Engaging with Small and Medium Enterprises.
Calling for nominations, Finance said the awards would promote the important role procurement plays in delivering services and outcomes for Government, citizens and the business community.
“It promotes the development of case studies to showcase the commitment to excellence and achieving value for money outcomes demonstrated by entities, and builds a community of highly engaged procurement professionals,” the Department said.
“There are numerous benefits to entities in participating in the awards, in particular raising the profile of procurement within entities; lifting the capability of the procurement cohort; and contributing to activities aimed at showcasing better practice, effective private sector engagement, innovation and excellence in procurement.”
It said nominations should be for recent procurement activities or those conducted in the past two years where benefits had, or were, still being realised.
“Nomination is not restricted to the actual process or approach to buying goods or services and does not have to be for the end-to-end process,” it said.
“Entities are encouraged to consider other key elements such as stakeholder engagement, relationship and contract management, continuous improvement and application of lessons learned when identifying excellence in procurement.”
It said all award nominations must be endorsed by an official within the entity who had the authority to do so.
Nominations close on 9 October with winners to be announced at a date to be fixed in November.
More information is available from the awards’ information kit which can be accessed at this PS News link.
