Setting targets
The Queensland Government's State Procurement Policy requires agencies to select at least three sustainable procurement targets, which they must achieve, measure and report upon.
It is a better use of government resources to concentrate sustainable procurement efforts and resources on those areas where the greatest improvements in sustainable procurement outcomes can be achieved (while remaining consistent with broader procurement objectives).
The State Procurement Policy provides agencies with flexibility to select targets that are suited to the environmental, social, strategic and operational contexts and impacts of the agency.
Thus agencies should prioritise their sustainable procurement efforts and determine the key areas that the agency will focus on each year.
The question to ask is "Where do you have the biggest opportunity to make sustainability improvements through procurement?" and in doing so consider -
- which products/categories to focus on
- which supply markets to focus on
- which sustainability issues to focus on
When selecting areas to target, consider the following factors, and select areas:
- where there is a medium to high dollar spend
- where there are high sustainability risks
- where there is scope for sustainability improvements
- where there is market influence, or precedent
- that are suited to the agency's context, eg where timing is good, where change can be achieved.
A checklist may be used to consider and rank all these aspects.
Once an area has been selected as a target, then a target measure should be determined for each target area. The measure could be expressed in a number of ways. Some examples include:
- a sustainability outcome (e.g. a % reduction in energy use, % or volume reduction in emissions, reduced volume of resource use, % change in type of resource used),
- a particular dollar spend or % spend on sustainably preferred products, or
- a supplier requirement, e.g. number of suppliers that have a system of environmental management.
The measure depends on the type of target that is set. The Operational Concept - Sustainable Procurement of the State Procurement Policy describes different categories that agencies may derive targets from.
Points to note :
- In the earlier years of implementing sustainable procurement, it is expected that targets will include the building of agency internal capability in sustainable procurement. This will build a strong framework and foundations for enabling sustainable procurement outcomes. The Sustainable Procurement Roadmap provides guidance relating to sustainable procurement capability milestones and targets.
- In the earlier years of implementing sustainable procurement, agencies have flexibility to set targets that are more readily achievable. However, targets are required to be progressively reviewed and adjusted to reflect the increased sustainable procurement capability of agencies. Thus, over time, as agencies demonstrate increased capability with regards to achieving sustainable procurement, they will be required to set more rigorous targets.
- It is also expected that over time sustainable procurement targets will be linked within a broader agency-level sustainability strategy and integrated into the corporate strategy.
Last updated May 2009
