The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released a document seeking feedback on the Government Procurement Rules, 4th edition.
The Rules support good practice for procurement planning, approaching the supplier community and contracting.
Government departments, the Police, NZ Defence Force and most Crown entities must follow the Rules if procurement is worth more than $100,000 (or $10 million for new construction works). All other government agencies are encouraged to follow the Rules.
In 2018 Cabinet agreed that government contracts could be more explicitly leveraged to support the Government’s economic strategy and broader outcomes, and that the Government Rules of Sourcing should be updated to enable this.
MBIE says it is consulting with government agencies, suppliers and interested public to get their feedback before it presents suggested amendments to Government. This will be the 4th edition of the Rules, since their inception in 2013.
“These changes reflect Government’s decision to prioritise a set of outcomes for agencies to leverage from procurement – achieving greater collective impact, and we are keen to hear stakeholder’s thoughts before finalising the next edition,” says the General Manager of New Zealand Procurement and Property, John Ivil.
The consultation on the Rules runs until 5 March. Feedback will be incorporated and submitted to Cabinet for final decisions in the second quarter of 2019.
MBIE says it is also seeking feedback on a proposed Supplier Code of Conduct which will be referenced in the 4th Edition of the Rules. Feedback on the Supplier Code of Conduct runs until 19 February.