The only way is up, by Stephen Veness

By Stephen Veness, Group Manager - Strategic Partnerships, Davidson

One of my highlights of the last few months came in what many would consider to be an unlikely place… a State Government Procurement Forum.

As was recently announced to members, APSCo now has a seat at the table as part of the Queensland Procurement Industry Advisory Group (QPIAG). QPIAG is a collection of stakeholders, representing the overall Queensland economy which meets at least twice every year with the most senior levels of the State Government (including Minister De Brenni – who holds responsibility for procurement within his portfolio).

The meetings allow for all areas of industry to collaborate, raise issues and have an important voice with government, helping to shape policy decisions and raise key concerns. In addition to the meeting with the Minister, a break-out workshop was held in which the senior stakeholders within the Department of Housing & Public Works (where central procurement sits) worked with the QPIAG members to work through challenges, areas of focus and opportunities.

While the topic can tend to be a little dry at times, the opportunity for APSCo and our members to have an opportunity to inform policy of such importance is a significant step forward. The ability to work constructively with government through fitfor-purpose procurement channels is essential to our membership within the state.

What made the process a genuine highlight was the realisation that the appetite within government to work with our sector (and all areas for that matter) felt genuine and constructive. There is a clear acknowledgement that the period that lies ahead is one of unprecedented growth and opportunity… and that with this comes a huge challenge to address skills shortages and access to the talent that can deliver on the growth.

Acknowledgement, however, does not always naturally translate into tangible, constructive progress and so the opportunity to bring these issues to the fore is an important step in allowing our members to partner with government in the best way possible.

Having this platform with government is a positive step forward for APSCo and our members and we are looking forward to giving a voice to the sector in Queensland around such important areas.

If the early signs are anything to go by it should be a very constructive dialogue and only see upside for our industry.