Procurement Community of Practice celebrates a year of success
The group, created in response to feedback received from the procurement community, was set up to support our vision of a unified government procurement system.
In April 2024, we launched the pilot Procurement Community of Practice (PCoP).
By working together we can continue to deliver better public value to New Zealanders.
Our aim with the group is to develop the capability of the government procurement workforce.
This can be achieved by raising the skills, knowledge, and connections of people who carry out our procurement work.
Over the last year we are proud to have:
- Established monthly virtual hui where community members can interact, sharing practice, tools, templates, guidance and advice.
- Over 40 agencies of varying scale and complexity have participated in secure discussion forums - sharing a wide range of procurement capability skills, tools, knowledge and insights
- Established an advocacy group, Te Tira Hapai (rough translation being ‘a group that supports and elevates’), made up of some of our strongest advocates across the procurement system to help guide and lead the community, and discussions.
- Established a safe and secure way for community members to interact, ask questions, and share ideas via a Hīkina hub.
In October, we asked members for their views on what we were doing so far.
Responses show the initiative is excelling in building collaboration, with high ratings for inclusivity, open discussions, and a sense of belonging.
Discussions and shared experiences are seen as enriching and provide meaningful insights into the procurement ecosystem.
Glenn Wilson, Senior Capability Development Advisor, who facilitates the PCoP hui, said it was wonderful to see this community take shape.
“The enthusiasm and participation of our pilot members has been fantastic. The New Zealand Government Procurement team have provided the wrap-around strategic and directional support needed to ensure we delivered a successful pilot."
“It’s an exciting initiative and we’re proud to see it move from a pilot phase into business as usual.”
As we look to expand the PCoP in 2025, our focus areas for the year are:
- Consistency of the community experience when participating
- Reinforcing the domain and desired outcomes of the PCoP
- Role modelling CoP best practice
- Broadening and extending membership in the PCoP in a manageable and deliberate way
- Facilitating a gradual shift to member lead interactions in the PCoP.