Recently, a third sector chief executive reminded me of the constant challenge of procuring supplier and services. 

In a public sector world where talk is about efficiencies, innovation and partnerships, I pose the question, where is procurement on this journey?  

I personally wouldn’t put innovative and procurement in the same sentence, but procurement has such a strong influence on key decisions in public services.

‘PRO’ suggested something positive and ‘CURE’, well, we all know what that means!  

What I see daily is short-term one-off decisions based on operational need with cost-saving taking a high percentage of the result score. 

What I should see is something that takes a longer-term strategic view with innovation and added value from providers as a key component of the work.  

So when does your senior leadership team give thought to the likely outcomes of procurement activity where there might be a longer-term implication?  

Some councils, like other providers, are asked for a quote for a single recruitment. Tell me what thought is given to how many hires there are likely to be over a year? Or, how a better deal with a transformation or OD focus might suit the challenges of top talent in the sector going forward and fit the ambitions of the council?

Are third sector organisa-tions prohibited from tendering as they cannot afford to get bogged down in lengthy, bureaucratic tender processes which they might win?   

These are just a couple of examples which highlight the key question: ‘Will you get the best outcome for your organisation from the way procurement operates at the moment?’ I’m not convinced.

Yvonne Skingle is director of Penna Recruitment Solutions and PPMA Transformation Lead Yvonne.skingle@penna.com