Public sector procurement: A highly skilled profession

The Australasian Procurement and Construction Council (APCC) is the peak council for Australian and New Zealand government agencies with responsibilities relating to procurement, construction and asset and real property management. APCC's Australian members include, at the Commonwealth level, both the Department of Finance and the Department of Defence. At a State level, members include, for example, the NSW Treasury and the Department of Regional NSW. A key part of the APCC's role is to provide leadership in relation to procurement practices and to enhance the knowledge base of members.

Reflecting its role, in late June 2021, the APCC released the Public Sector Procurement Profession Role Statement and the Procurement Capability Framework. The release of these documents is a key step in implementing the APCC's five-year Procurement Capability and Workforce Development Strategy. The aim of the strategy is to establish a standardised level of requirements for procurement professionals that will apply in every Australian and New Zealand public sector jurisdiction. The Role Statement and Procurement Capability Framework will be able to be used to develop educational programs, for universities and both vocational and professional training bodies, assisting in the development of the necessary skilled workforce for the profession.

The Role Statement and Framework were developed following not only community and private sector consultation in Australia and New Zealand, but also consultation with international procurement professional bodies.

The Role Statement:

  • Defines what is meant by the procurement function of government agencies. This function is responsible for the delivery of value for money procurements that achieve the necessary public outcomes.
  • Provides the basis for the creation of the Procurement Capability Framework. The key capabilities for that Framework are governance and assurance; planning; sourcing; evaluation and negotiation; and contract development and management. These capabilities are supported by relevant business skills and risk capabilities.
  • Spells out the need for a recognised and common professional structure for procurement officers. This will assist in ensuring procurement functions across different agencies at different levels of government "have the right people, with the right skills, in the right procurement jobs, supported by quality data and a shared professional terminology".1

The Procurement Capability Framework is a comprehensive document that sets out the core procurement capabilities and business skills for the procurement profession and how these will be assessed. The Framework distinguishes between unique core procurement capabilities, on the one hand, and more general business-related skills on the other. General business-related skills are, like the core procurement capabilities, key requirements, but are not exclusive to the profession.

The Framework is divided into five main topics:

  • Capabilities: These are the capabilities – including skills, experience, competencies and behaviours – necessary to deliver required procurement outcomes.
  • Proficiencies: These are the levels a professional needs to achieve for their role. The identified proficiencies are awareness; foundation; practitioner; and expert.
  • Procurement Capabilities and Business Skills as a Scale: The development of a proficiency scale will enable a determination to be made as to the requirements for simple through to the most complex procurements.
  • Procurement Capabilities Template: A template will be able to be used to provide a consistent approach to determining a procurement professional's procurement capabilities.
  • Business Skills: This section of the Framework identifies the key business skills required by a procurement professional. These include data literacy; decision making; digital literacy; financial management; grants management; leadership; managing innovation; policy development and implementation; workforce management and more.

And, finally, the Framework contemplates that a list of relevant government-endorsed qualifications and certifications will be made available through the APCC.

The APCC's work supports work that has been undertaken by different Australian governments, including in New South Wales, over time. The New South Wales government, for example, published a Procurement Professionals Capability Set in 2015, which identifies critical skills and establishes more structured training outcomes for New South Wales public sector procurement employees.

By ensuring that the public sector procurement workforce is skilled and well qualified, Australian governments will have greater confidence that their procurement processes provide maximum value for money, accountability and transparency, serving the interests of its taxpayers. Accordingly, the APCC's strategy is to be applauded, as it rightfully acknowledges the professionalism of officers working in a core public sector function.

Footnote

1Page 5 of the Public Sector Procurement Profession Role Statement

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