Finance & Integrated Services launches Procurement Programs within Strategic Sourcing

Procurement Programs is a new team within Finance & Integrated Services’ Strategic Sourcing within VP Finance & Operations. The team is responsible for leading the development of UBC’s strategic sourcing and procurement approach based on three fundamental pillars: Indigenous Procurement, Sustainability (Environment), and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Procurement.

The team is focused on Indigenous procurement initiatives, and research and development are underway for Sustainability and EDI Procurement. This includes improving UBC’s supplier categorization and management by enabling improved inclusion of Indigenous suppliers in upcoming work at UBC, and increasing visibility of Indigenous suppliers to UBC Procurement teams.

What are we doing?

Two key products that the team is currently working on are developing an Indigenous businesses supplier directory and an Indigenous suppliers mailing list to improve UBC’s supplier categorization and management, as well as finance reporting at UBC. The directory includes businesses that have self-identified as an Indigenous supplier, and the mailing list includes self-identified Indigenous suppliers that have confirmed they would like to be contacted for business when there is a sourcing opportunity at UBC. The directory and mailing list are near completion and we anticipate this will be operational soon. Our planned next steps include building awareness regarding this initiative and increasing engagement of Indigenous suppliers.

This project is intended to increase supplier diversity opportunities for Indigenous businesses and improve inclusion of Indigenous suppliers in upcoming work at UBC. The project aligns with Goal 5 of UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP) to implement an Indigenous procurement strategy which prioritizes the provision of goods and services from Indigenous businesses and vendors. The initiative is pursuant to Action 20 and Action 23 of the Indigenous Strategic Plan.

Work with us to identify opportunities

We are asking for your support by engaging with your faculty/department to gain a better understanding of their commitments under the Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP), Sustainability (Environment), and Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism Framework (StEAR). The Procurement Programs team has expertise in Indigenous procurement and can work with you and your team with developing an Action Plan for procurement that would contribute to moving this procurement initiative forward.

If you are working with Indigenous suppliers, please reach out to the Procurement Programs team to discuss options for including your suppliers to this database, and/or integrating this initiative into your business practice.

Carolyn Arthur, Procurement Programs Manager: carolyn.arthur@ubc.ca.

Vriti Gupta, Indigenous Procurement Administrator - Co-op Student: vriti.gupta@ubc.ca