KEITH LAMB Social value and supplier coordinator at the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO).
Tell us about your role at NEPO.
I provide advice and support to NEPO’s procurement teams as well as to our member authorities on our policy and approach to social value. I also manage and support the delivery of the NEPO Business Club programme. This provides free training to North East suppliers on understanding and preparing how to identify, access and submit to public sector tender opportunities. As part of my role I also develop stakeholder relationships to support the development and promotion of our social value work.
What services does the organisation provide?
NEPO achieves benefits across the public sector through collaborative procurement across major strategic areas of high value spending. These include construction, energy, facilities management, fleet, food, ICT and professional services. They are delivered on behalf of our member authorities consisting of the 12 North East local authorities. Our frameworks are also available for use by the wider public sector including, but not limited to, government departments and their agencies, non-departmental public bodies, NHS bodies, emergency services and educational establishments.
What’s your proudest business achievement?
Prior to my current role, I was the procurement specialist managing a portfolio of fleet contracts. As this market is based on a well-established international supply chain, NEPO has had to partner up with external bodies in order get the buying power and leverage needed to get value. When I took up the fleet lead, a new partnership had been agreed with an external private sector buying body known as The Procurement Partnership Ltd (TPPL). I managed the TPPL relationship to ensure the contracts met our fleet requirements and delivered for our Member Authorities. This was successfully achieved with spend and revenue returns significantly growing from 2018 to 2021 demonstrating use and effectiveness. This was reflected in an expansion of the agreement to include a contract for another spend category and the renewal of the partnership agreement in early 2020 for a further five years.
What challenges have you encountered?
The Covid-19 pandemic presented a whole new level of challenge. However, individually and collectively, the NEPO team adapted quickly to virtual working and forming teams online. We did this very successfully and adapted to another way of working whilst ensuring we continued to deliver effectively for the region. Personally, my most recent challenge was switching to a new career in procurement following redundancy from a 26-year career in the civil service. Not only the move from the huge civil service system to a small service orientated organisation like NEPO but also having to go ‘back to school’! I’m working towards getting my full Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) qualification which has meant me sitting exams again more than 30 years after I last sat one.
How has the industry changed since you began your career?
While I have only been in procurement for six years, I’ve seen changes already and there’s more to come. Relevant to my role is the growth and prominence of social value as part of the public sector tender process and the increasing use of this as a lever to deliver on wider government and regional priorities around the economy and climate change. The combined impacts of Brexit, Covid recovery and the Ukraine conflict, creating unprecedent turbulence and pressure in supply chains. This has created challenges to procurement professionals around supply security and cost pressures and more frequent demands for price increases. At the same time, Brexit means the UK public sector procurement regulations and processes have been subjected to a major government programme of consultation and proposals for reform. These reforms will inevitably bring significant changes to the way we operate but NEPO is up for the challenge!
Who are your heroes in and out of business?
The term hero should be used sparingly and only in circumstances where lives are truly saved or safeguarded, such as the frontline health workers, who operated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This may seem like a cop out but can a sportsperson or other celebrity really be a hero just for doing their job? In business I prefer to think of people I admire or who inspire me. These are individuals who act with integrity and professionalism and those with a clarity of purpose or message which they communicate in a simple and effective way. One example is Martin Lewis of ‘Money Saving Expert’ fame.
Is there a mantra you always aspire to do business by?
Sometimes called the serenity prayer, I came across it as part an organisational quality improvement programme which stuck with me. It has various forms but for me it boils down to ‘Give me the strength to do or change the things I can, accept the things I can’t and the wisdom to know the difference’. Put simply, make things better where you can and don’t waste time worrying about the things that are outside your control.