The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) and government officials from the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Commercial and Procurement Functions are pleased to announce a new collaboration.

This relationship will focus on:

• Sharing and benchmarking best practice and exploring approaches to common challenges
• Developing procurement and commercial capability by advancing global standards and sharing program insights
• Promoting procurement as a career of choice, engaging with young people, and enabling diversity and progression in our profession
• Leveraging academic research and innovation to assist long term decision making
• Meeting the challenges of modern procurement, doing more with less and exploring new technology

While this is a non-legally binding relationship which does not form commercial commitments or advantage, our shared aim is to learn from each other and advance procurement knowledge and insights, helping to maximize impact and outcomes through the power of procurement, raising the profile of our profession as the global standard.

The organizations will champion global procurement standards for the public sector and lead innovative approaches to attract, develop and retain talent – promoting procurement as a career of choice, sharing resources and knowledge, and reaching out to colleges and universities on both sides of the Atlantic. We also plan to promote opportunities to bring together and share some of the brightest minds in public procurement and commercial activity.

Key focus areas will include but are not limited to increasing awareness of how we can target our respective procurement practices and approaches to: help drive positive economic, social and environmental outcomes, boosting economic growth and wellbeing; build diverse, resilient and ethical supply chains; and explore the use of emerging technologies within our processes. Through this relationship, we will seek, share, or undertake targeted research to increase the understanding, development and advancement of procurement knowledge and insights.

This exciting new endeavor, agreed at the NASPO Exchange, between NASPO and the four nations of the UK will help to promote our profession and produce positive benefits for the communities we serve.  We look forward to what lies ahead as we tackle impactful initiatives moving forward together.

Media Contact:
Kate Davila
kdavila@naspo.org