Description
Purchasing website
Pre-requisites: none.
Pre-work: none.
Overall Aim:
The courses in this series are aimed at all staff who are involved to a
greater or lesser extent with purchasing (see particular courses for
more on their suitability). This particular course is suitable for
anyone who is involved in the decision-making process for procuring
goods or services for the University. This includes end users/decision
makers, procurement staff (all levels) and faculty/service finance
staff. It aims to inform staff about various initiatives within the
University concerning sustainability and University procurement.
Intended Outcomes:
To educate staff on University initiatives regarding sustainability and
University procurement; to provide a networking opportunity for members
of staff who have a desire to change the way we view purchasing to meet
and share ideas.
Indicative Content:
Every purchase decision that University staff make will in some way have
environmental and sustainability consequences. Sustainable procurement
is a national & international agenda item; the education sector at all
levels is being encouraged to promote procurement policies that
encourage sustainability.
Sustainability can be incorporated into the whole procurement process:
defining the need, evaluating options, design and specifying, supplier
selection, tender evaluation, post-contract management and supplier
development.
Within the public procurement rules, the key opportunity to consider
environmental issues is at the earliest stage of the process, in
defining the user requirements. Including criteria such as materials
with recycled content, energy efficiency, take back of old equipment or
packaging are amongst the many options to achieve a more sustainable
purchase. Including this criteria will help to achieve the best value
for money option based on the ‘Whole Life Cost’ principle.
With major purchases environmental criteria can be used at the award
stage provided they are relevant to the subject of the contract and
deliver a value for money benefit for the awarding authority. However,
it is preferable to introduce these criteria up front, as part of the
specification, to avoid any potential conflict later in the procurement
process between buying green and securing value for money.
Tutor:
Richard Lewis is Procurement Systems Officer at the University of Leeds
and has specific expertise in the area of purchasing contracts and
agreements.
Related courses:
Sustainability: The role of the manager
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