Procurement

Guidelines

One of the AISN’s main priorities for 2021-2022 was to create Indigenous procurement guidelines for the firm and, where possible, ensure that at least one new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business is included in every procurement proposal or renewal.

As part of this process, we committed to auditing our internal procurement procedures across the firm, to better understand any barriers that may exist with regards to Indigenous procurement and to work with colleagues to address these barriers. We also committed to “matchmake” Indigenous businesses with clients and friends of the firm.

The AISN Procurement Working Group was responsible for delivering this commitment and has focused its initial efforts on auditing Arnold Bloch Leibler’s internal procurement procedures. The Procurement Working Group has gathered data on Arnold Bloch Leibler’s procedures and policies, and the procurement policies of other professional services firms, to properly understand them and consider the best approach. It has also considered, where appropriate, how external organisations may assist with formulating procurement guidelines and implementing procurement practices.

This audit process is an important step towards developing best practice Indigenous procurement guidelines for Arnold Bloch Leibler. It ensures that these guidelines will be based on a strong foundations.

The Procurement Working Group is working with the relevant department heads to formulate appropriate guidelines. The Procurement Working Group will continue to procure goods and services from Indigenous businesses where it is possible to do so until these practices are formalised and implemented by the guidelines it creates.

Procurement in the reporting period

Whilst undertaking the audit and formulating the guidelines as described above, the AISN has taken steps to, where possible, procure goods from Indigenous business including by:

• procuring food and drinks for AISN events from Indigenous-owned businesses
• procuring books for AISN book clubs from sources that ensure Indigenous authors or Indigenous-owned stores receive as much as possible from the sale of the book, and
• including food and drinks from Indigenous-owned businesses in gift bags gifted to all attendees at the 2022 Arnold Bloch Leibler retreat.

In the reporting period, this has resulted in over $15,000 being spent on procurement from Indigenous-owned businesses in connection with events organised and held by the AISN, including tickets, books and food and drinks. The money spent on various items in connection with events is detailed below. 

In procuring these items from Indigenous-owned businesses, we have been able to redirect funds that the firm would otherwise have spent at non-Indigenous-owned businesses. We have also had the chance to try some new and interesting products.