President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined seven priorities for the country in his State of the Nation Address this year. Five of these priorities will be discussed at the Smart Procurement World Indaba, being held from 16 – 19 September 2019 in Johannesburg.
The conference, which attracts delegates from both the public and private sectors, provides great impetus for illustrating how the role of procurement and supply chains can be a delivery tool for these priorities. Unpacking these priorities, the experienced speakers will provide key examples of how theory can be translated into practice.
Priority 1: A capable, ethical and developmental state
The sessions on ‘Procurement as a cure for South Africa’ will discuss the value of strong ethical business practices in economic development and addressing imbalances of the past. Listen to Dr John Carlisle, Macro and Micro Economic Research, Sheffield University, United Kingdom; and well-known South African author of The President’s Keepers – Jacques Pauw.
Priority 2: Economic transformation and employment creation
‘Reducing the SMME mortality rate’. This centres on how one can develop an effective exit strategy for SMMEs after a corporate ESD programme.
Priority 3: Consolidating the social wage through reliable and quality basic services
This global case study, presented by Mark Kuipers – Team Leader: Technical Cooperation Programme to Promote Good Governance in South Africa and GOPA Worldwide Consultants GmbH, takes a look at how SCM can be transformed to become a service delivery enabler.
Priority 4: Spatial integration, human settlements and local government
The inaugural Annual Municipal Supply Chain Management Summit will be headed by Abbey Tlaletsi, Chief Executive Officer, Chartered Institute of Government Finance Audit and Risk Officers (CIGFARO).
Priority 5: Education, skills and health
Mpho Nxumalo, Chief Director: SCM Policy and Legal, and Chair: Interim Supply Chain Management Council (ISCMC) National Treasury, outlines why having an adaptable and flexible talent pool can provide competitive edge for companies. Another complementary session is ‘Key features of the Swiss Public Procurement System: How to conduct public procurement audits, ensure value for money, competition and innovation’ by Franziska Spörri – Economist/Programme Manager, Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, Macroeconomic Support Division, Switzerland.
CIGFARO President, Peet du Plessis, says: “We need to ensure that we have the right people in the right positions to execute the plans and to deliver to the public we serve. Moreover, staff productivity is a key issue to ensuring service delivery. We are employing more staff and paying them more, yet there is more outsourcing and more overtime, with lower productivity at the end of the day. This is unsustainable. We need to look at interventions to increase productivity, such as the transfer of skills to minimise reliance on consultants, considering new shift systems, and ultimately enhance service delivery.”
He adds that CIGFARO members and non-members in municipalities are encouraged to assess the performance of the municipality or departments regarding service delivery over the past few years, identifying the weaknesses and addressing them through implementing sound policies and procedures that will improve the quality of life for respective communities and customers.
For more information on the Gauteng Indaba and the upcoming series of Smart Procurement World events for 2019, please visit the website at https://smartprocurementworld.com/indaba/
