Tiria te Māra he puāwai nō runga nō raro - A garden bears fruit from efforts seen and unseen

What is procurement? The traditional view of procurement is finding and agreeing to terms to acquire goods, services, or work from an external source. This is often through a tendering or competitive process.

Parininihi ki Waitōtara (PKW) continues to extend its commitment to the collective Taranaki Māori economy with an updated 2022 – 2027 Progressive Procurement Strategy.

The new strategy continues to encourage sustainable procurement practices, and includes social, economic and environmental factors in its decision-making. These were all key considerations of the inaugural procurement and purchasing strategy implemented in 2017, reflecting the core values that make up Te Ara Putanga, PKW’s outcomes framework.

The update came after a series of workshops and assessments reflecting on the organisation’s recent achievements and learnings.

Joe Hanita, PKW Te Rau Māhorahora/Chief Financial Officer, says the last five years have provided some excellent results and a strong platform to continue to lead the way in progressive procurement.

“We have always known that through building great supplier relationships we can not only obtain the goods and services we need, but we can unlock a multiplier effect, growing small and medium Māori businesses, who in turn can employ more of our whānau. We are always looking for opportunities to add greater value and impact.”

During the 2020/21 financial year alone, PKW spent $2.3 million with Māori businesses and put 25 scholarships, internships, and training and employment opportunities in place with key suppliers and partners.

Continuing this mahi to build value-add propositions remains key, with an ambitious goal to have 95% of suppliers and customers under some form of agreement. The strategy also highlights looking for opportunities where shareholders can benefit directly from PKW procurement activity.

The update includes initiating holistic approaches that foster growth and capability of Māori businesses and employment opportunities for Taranaki Māori, and engaging Ngā Iwi o Taranaki to further explore potential collective procurement opportunities.

Jenny Feaver, PKW Te Rau Mātorotoro/Procurement Coordinator, is proud of the commitment and direction PKW has taken in this strategy.

“This is an important piece of mahi. It’s great to see our whole organisation embrace this strategy. I’m looking forward to working alongside businesses to share our expectations and values with them.”