Earlier this month Carl Thomas, Welsh Government’s Procurement Reform Stakeholder & Policy Lead, delivered a keynote speech at Procurex Wales, on the upcoming changes with the Procurement Act.
Here’s a summary of the key points he shared, which Carl hopes will spark some useful thoughts for those of you who weren’t there or didn’t get chance to listen in – it was a full and lively space:
- Three Pillars of Readiness for Procurement Reform
To successfully implement the Procurement Act, we need to focus on people, processes, and systems:
- People: It’s crucial to upskill everyone involved in procurement—whether directly or indirectly—across all sectors of the public service. We need to ensure everyone understands the changes and feels supported in adapting to them.
- Processes: The new legislation offers us a chance to rethink how we do things. We need to update and streamline our processes to make them more flexible, innovative, and focused on achieving the best outcomes. Engaging with stakeholders—internally and externally—will help identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
- Systems: Digital systems will be key to managing procurement effectively under the new rules. We must understand how data is collected, stored, and accessed, so we can use it to make better decisions, monitor performance, and manage risks effectively.
- Shifting the Culture of Procurement
The biggest challenge is changing perceptions of procurement. For too long, procurement has been seen as a ‘back-office’ function—bureaucratic, slow, and inflexible. But procurement is a strategic tool that can drive outcomes for the organisation and the communities we serve. We need to move from being ‘blockers’ to ‘enablers,’ from ‘inefficient’ to ‘innovative,’ and from ‘risk-averse’ to ‘risk-aware.’ This won’t happen overnight, but the Procurement Act should be the catalyst for this cultural shift.
- Leadership and Ownership
For procurement to be truly embedded as a strategic function, it must be championed by senior leadership. However, for leadership to fully get behind procurement, we need to change how procurement is perceived across the organisation. If people still see it as bureaucratic or inefficient, it will be hard to gain their support.
- Resources and Ongoing Support
The Welsh Government has provided useful guidance documents and learning resources on the Procurement Act, and these will continue to be updated. I encourage everyone to stay engaged with these materials and keep up to date with new developments. In the new year, I’ll also be running webinars, including one focused on ‘Behavioural Change: Transforming Procurement Practices’. More details will follow soon!
Final Thought
These reforms are an exciting opportunity to transform how we approach procurement in Wales. But for them to succeed, we need to build on solid foundations: a clear focus on people, processes, systems, and, most importantly, cultural change. By working together, we can ensure that procurement becomes a driver of innovation and positive change for the public sector.
If you were at Procurex, we’d be interested to hear your thoughts now you’ve had chance to reflect, and if you weren’t I hope this sparks some ideas as we move forward into a new era of procurement!