SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT POLICY 53
... Supplier Diversity to rule at the GLA
In January 2007, the Greater London Authority( GLA) launched a‘ sustainable procurement policy’ which has been billed as the first procurement policy of its kind, from a large public sector organisation in the UK. engage’ s Gloria Wyse went along to the GLA offices to interview Mr Lee Jasper, currently Director of Equality & Policing and responsible for implementing this new policy.
Q. Why does London need a sustainable procurement policy. There are a number of reasons: it is important that all communities have an opportunity to access public procurement contracts on an equal basis, so there is an issue of equity that we are very keen to see brought to the surface. We have large areas of London in which communities, particularly black communities, are suffering high rates of youth unemployment. We need to foster an environment that can develop an entrepreneurial class within the ethnic minority community and build upon what we already have so that we can develop some economic independence and strength within the capital. The policy applies equally to women-owned / disabled-owned businesses in London; all will have an opportunity to tender for contracts where the public purse is being used.
I also think the issue is about the environment because the extent to which we are all now acutely aware of the contribution that can be made by having green sustainable policies as a recyclement, is very important. For our communities, we need to remember that when you are, for example, Caribbean, a one
per cent rise in the temperature of the Caribbean sea doubles the rate of hurricanes in that region and we all spend a lot of money sending remittances home when those crisis’ s occur. Therefore, having a green recyclement policy is not just good for us here in London, its also good globally. Bringing these two issues together by aligning the extent to which we can get public procurement to tackle issues of social inclusion and using the public purse to ensure that green policies and recycling policies are put in place by those who win local government contracts is critical.
Where we are pushing ahead is on the supply side and that is the current
“ We need to foster an environment that can develop an entrepreneurial class within the ethnic minority community and build upon what we already have so that we can develop some economic independence and strength within the capital”.
focus of the sustainable procurement policy. This is not to say that we are not equally concerned about the environment and green issues and we will, in the forthcoming year, when we have consolidated our position on supply side diversity, be making similar efforts around environmental and green policies.”
ISSUE ISSUE THREE THREE 2007 2007 engage engage | uk