More about procurement

Procurement

Procurement includes all aspects of acquiring products, services and works. Procurement starts with identifying and specifying something we need. It includes engaging with suppliers, entering into contracts, and managing supply arrangements. It finishes when the service ends or when a product or asset is no longer useful.

Some of our procurement is funded through the National Land Transport Programme and is subject to Waka Kotahi’s procurement procedures.

The type of deal we choose

At Kāpiti Coast District Council, we collaborate with other organisations to get better deals where we can, utilising ‘All of Government’ and ‘syndicated’ deals where they meet Council’s needs.

If we have an ongoing need for the same or similar things and our needs can’t be met by a single supplier, we often establish a supplier panel. 

Competition for our business

We encourage competition for our business where it makes sense to. Depending on the situation, Council uses open competition, closed competition, or direct sourcing. If we use open competition, we advertise the contract opportunity on the Government Electronic Tender Service (GETS).

We look to specify requirements in a way that keeps our options open and doesn’t unnecessarily exclude potential solutions or suppliers.

We seek to understand the market and our effect on it.

Value for money and whole of life costs

When we compare deals, we will consider whole of life costs rather than just the initial up-front cost. We will seek the best value for money, which is not necessarily the lowest price.

Being a good and fair customer

We work to be reasonable and transparent in our dealings, ensuring that everyone involved in procurement work acts responsibly, lawfully and with integrity. We protect suppliers’ commercially sensitive, private or confidential information, which won’t be disclosed unless the supplier has consented, or the disclosure is required by law.

We aim to be clear about what we need and how we’ll assess suppliers’ responses. We communicate throughout our procurement processes to keep suppliers well informed. We listen to what our suppliers have to say.

We do our best to ensure our processes are efficient and well implemented, looking for ways to make it as easy as possible for suppliers to deal with us.

It’s important to Council that our suppliers can compete fairly for our business. We identify and manage any conflicts of interest so that we remain impartial. Unsuccessful suppliers have the opportunity of a debrief so they know how to improve their responses next time.