Procurement Strategy 2023-27

Responsible procurement objectives

Society & Communities

Key Issues

• Community Benefits (CB)
• Fair Work (FW)
• Foundation Economy (FE)

 

Improvement Targets

 

Key issue: Community Benefits (CB)

• Target: Consider all contracts for inclusion of Community Benefits where appropriate.
• Date: Ongoing

Key issue: Community Benefits (CB)

• Target: For all contracts over £1M which include community benefits we will record the results using the Welsh Governments  Community Benefits Measurement tool or agreed alternative 
• Date: May 2023

Key issue: Fair Work (FW)

• Target: Ensure that appropriate questions relating to the Ethical Code of Practice and Guidance are incorporated into all formal tender exercises. 
• Date: Ongoing

Key issue: Foundation Economy (FE)

• Target: We will ensure that Project Bank Accounts are included in all relevant construction contracts.
• Date:  Ongoing

 

Economy

Key Issues

• Local Supplier Development (LSD)
• Circular Economy (CE)
• Foundation Economy (FE)

 

Improvement Targets

 

Key issue: Local Supplier Development (LSD)

• Target: Update and reissue 'How to Tender Guide'
• Date: October 2023

Key issue: Local Supplier Development (LSD)

• Target: Advertise tender opportunities on Social Media
• Date: April 2023

Key issue: Local Supplier Development (LSD)

• Target: Publish our Forward Procurement Plan on our website
• Date: November 2023

Key issue: Local Supplier Development (LSD)

• Target: Publish contract opportunities over £25k on the National Procurement Website.
• Date: Ongoing

Key issue: Local Supplier Development (LSD)

• Target: Introduction of Quick Quotes to target local Suppliers where possible for under tender threshold procurements.
• Date: June 2023

Key issue: Local Supplier Development (LSD)

• Target: Monitor and record our annual Procurement spend with all Pembrokeshire based businesses.  
• Date: Annually

 

Environment

Key Issues

 

• Circular Economy (CE)
• Climate Change (CC)
• Biodiversity (B)
• Decarbonisation (D)
• Clean Air (CA)

 

Sustainable Procurement Spend Review

The Council has worked closely with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to undertake a Sustainable Procurement Spend Review and a copy of the resulting Action Plan is at Appendix A .

Service Areas were approached to review their operational methods and use of materials. Application of single-use plastics, or where high volumes of textiles or other materials are in use was challenged, to tease out where other projects could evolve. In each division that discussions took place, potential quick wins were found for a shallow dive to develop their scale and viability. 

The principles applied during the review follow those of a circular economy and the waste hierarchy approaches to reduce (buy less), re-use (no single-use), buy recycled content (RC) or reused (RU) content in repurposed or newly designed goods, recycle (collect and sell) and so on. When considering how to buy well for WB goals, it is critical to apply new thought paths, upfront, at the procurement design phase and product design stages.

We recognise that delivering sustainable procurement across a large, dispersed and complex organisation takes time. Many of the recommendations made in this report will need to be incorporated into policy, tested and put into practice. This approach requires timely tracking of re-procurement timelines and robust contract management processes.

Projects that aid increased procurement of goods with RU and RC are set out in a traffic light system based upon:

•  Quick wins that are in control of the Council (Green).
• Actions needing more work with suppliers, or training or require a short trial period  (Amber).
• Those that require a business case or further detailed carbon or cost impact evaluation or a whole life assessment for a product change (e.g. plastic item versus a new wooden or glass material) or that are two or more years from re-procurement (Red).

The traffic light system reflects the added time required for more complex changes to thoroughly challenge and test ideas both in the supply chain or across Council services, and to provide assurance against unintended consequences. In doing so, several carbon-reduction and potential cost savings have also been identified that not only benefit the Council’s Well-Being Objectives but also supports our Zero Carbon target.

  

Improvement Targets

Circular Economy (CE)/Climate Change (CC)/Decarbonisation

• Complete all Green actions detailed in the WRAP report - From September 2023
• Complete all Amber actions detailed in the WRAP report - From January 2024
• Complete all Red actions detailed in the WRAP report - Ongoing

Biodiversity (B)

• Undertake review of Phosphates used by the Authority - Ongoing
• Review use of weed killers used by the Authority - Ongoing