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Procurement News
 
DECEMBER 2020
WALGA
Issue 76

In this issue...

 
Preferred Supplier Transition
WALGA continues to transition its Preferred Supplier Program (PSP) into a new structure. Broad details of the new PSP activity is on the WALGA website.
Recent milestones in the transition process are as follows;
  • The drafting of new legal terms has been completed and the first of the new Member Conditions templates will be rolled out at the start of 2021 alongside guidance notes for the new model
  • Short term extensions have been processed for some suppliers on the Roads (C017_18) and Business Systems Software (C032_16) panels to provide for alignment to the transition timetable
  • WALGA has activated the first four of the new PSP panels for Worklplace Goods and Services (PSP008), Roads Infrastructure and Depot Services (PSP009), Professional Consultancy Services (PSP003) and Fleet (PSP006).  As suppliers are transitioned from their old panel to the new contract the supplier listings in the new PSP will continue to grow
  • The transition work is anticipated to continue until June 2021, by which time more than 1,200 contracts will have been resigned and activated under the new and simplified Preferred Supplier model. Throughout the transition period it is important for Members running quotation processes through eQuotes to select both the old and new Panels to obtain a full list of vendors. The wizard within eQuotes guides this step by allowing buyers to filter by category

Once the transition of the old panel has been complete the panel will be deactivated for future use, but still visible to provide for the completion of quotations in progress.  
Please direct any enquiries regarding vendor selection to eQuotes@walga.asn.au

For enquiries relating to the transition process please contact commercial@walga.asn.au
 
Purchasing Policy – A Reminder to Review! 
WALGA has become aware that some Local Governments are still operating with an outdated Purchasing Policy which is affecting the ability to efficiently and effectively manage purchasing activities under the tender threshold.
As confirmed by the Department of Local Government at the recent Procurement Network Forum, these threshold changes are here to stay. WALGA strongly encourages all those Members who have not yet made changes to take the opportunity to review their purchasing policies both with regard to thresholds, and principles to guide purchasing decisions. WALGA has reviewed and comprehensively updated its template Purchasing Policy to address all recent changes.
For more information regarding better practice purchasing policies, please email Senior Procurement Advisor Ellinore Buchan or call 08 9213 2006.
 
Local Government Review Panel – Procurement Recommendations
The Minister for Local Government released the Local Government Review Panel final report, which outlines recommendations to guide the development of a new Local Government Act for Western Australia. 
The expert report provides five (5) recommendations pertaining specifically to procurement practice in Local Government. In our recent Procurement Network Forum, Lyn Fogg unpacked some ideas about how Officers may start to engage and prepare for these changes. WALGA’s advocacy position is that we broadly support the recommendations to align procurement practices with those of the State Government to encourage open, transparent and fair processes with adequate market testing, value for money and local consideration as key components. We encourage you to review the recommendations and welcome your feedback.
If you have any comments, concerns, questions or ideas please contact Senior Procurement Advisor, Ellinore Buchan via email or call 9213 2006.
 
Consult Australia Productivity Report
Consult Australia have released a report called Uplifting Productivity with a focus on infrastructure and built environment projects. The paper sets out recommendations to help maximise the economic benefits from projects via procurement reform. Included in the summary report is the following comment:
“The Uplifting Productivity report shows that procurement reform needn’t be an invention test, instead we can learn from past projects around the country, implementing the best initiatives into the next project. The recommendations strike a balance of delivering benefits to clients and the industry. All participants in the construction industry want to improve the culture and practice for the future – these reforms ensure we are heading in the right direction. In addition to assisting the economy, these recommendations could also assist in alleviating some of the pressure in the professional indemnity (PI) insurance market. That is, more collaborative initiatives including standardised contracts that prioritise problem-solving instead of disputation will assist in de-risking the Australian market.”
A copy of the report is on the Consult Australia website.
 
Procurement Network Forum – Feedback Invited
Thank you to those who participated in our recent Procurement Network Forum held on Friday, 4 December.
It was great to see and hear from so many of you after the hiatus. During the Forum we ran out of time to discuss potential changes and improvements to the program so I’d like to extend the invitation to contribute to planning for 2021.
Any feedback regarding relevant content, themes, format and structure is welcomed. Please send through to Senior Procurement Advisor, Ellinore Buchan via email or call 9213 2006.
 
Preferred Supplier Update
WALGA has 36 Preferred Supply panels and details of these panels are available by logging into eQuotes or by visiting the Preferred Supplier Directory of the WALGA website.
Contract Extensions
  • Road Building Contractors, Materials & Related Services (C017_18) has been extended to 30 March 2021.
  • Business Systems Software & Services (C032_16) has been extended to 30 June 2021.
Contract Novations
The Trustee for the TWA Trust t/as Tyres 4 U (ABN 60 455 036 246) have changed their entity name to Tyres 4 U Pty Ltd t/as Tyres 4 U (ABN 71 642 540 690).  They are preferred suppliers on the C021_19 Tyres, Tubes & Associated Services contract.
For more information, email preferredsupplier@walga.asn.au
 
eQuotes (VendorPanel) Training
Did you know that WALGA offers free eQuotes Training?
eQuotes, WALGA’s free online request for quotation system, is an essential tool for all the staff of Members involved in purchasing goods and services through the Preferred Supplier Program (PSP).
 
WALGA provides free training and demonstrations for staff, as well as user support via telephone and email, in addition to the online videos and FAQs which are available in eQuotes. The training is relevant to Local Government officers who would like refresher training, or who are new to eQuotes.
For more information about eQuotes or to organise a demonstration, email eQuotes or call 08 9213 2057.
 
Christmas Shutdown
WALGA holiday closure
We would like to advise that the WALGA office will be closed from Friday, 25 December and will reopen on Monday, 4 January 2021.

We hope you have a safe and happy festive season! 
WALGA
ONE70, LV1, 170 Railway Parade,
West Leederville, WA 6007
PO Box 1544, West Perth, WA 6872
Tel: (08) 9213 2000 | Fax: (08) 9213 2077
Email: info@walga.asn.au
www.walga.asn.au
© Copyright Western Australian Local Government Association 2014






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WALGA · ONE70, Level 1, Railway Parade · West Leederville, WA 6007 · Australia