Overview
Responsible Procurement ensures that when an organisation purchases goods, services and works, it does so in an environmentally, socially and ethically responsible way. Our Responsible Procurement and Commissioning Strategy (RPC) is a framework designed to translate the council's Fairer Westminster vision and wider societal goals into a clear and deliverable strategy for our procurement and commissioning activities.
Responsible Procurement and Commissioning Strategy
The RPC Strategy is based on four pillars of our Fairer Westminster Strategy, with themes related to ‘Fairer Housing’ running throughout. The four pillars cover the following areas:
Fairer Communities
Leveraging social value and partnering with contractors to help alleviate the impacts of poverty, tackle inequality and strengthen local communities. This pillar also aims to increase supply chain equality, diversity and inclusion.
Fairer Economy
Contributing to community wealth building by increasing spend with smaller, diverse, mission-led, local suppliers and increasing support for these organisations to plug skills gaps in their offer. This pillar also aims to increase employment, skills and training opportunities for Westminster residents and existing supplier workforces.
Fairer Environment
Mitigating environmental impacts associated with greenhouse gas emissions and waste and the public health implications of local air pollution. The aim is also to increase urban greening and biodiversity and embrace circular economy principles.
Fairer Council
This pillar aims to ensure that suppliers operate their businesses responsibly in terms of modern slavery due diligence, the way they employ and treat their workforce, and the ethics and sustainability of their own procurement activities.
Responsible Procurement and Commissioning is embedded at each stage of the procurement cycle, from reviewing existing contracts and testing existing markets to selecting and evaluating suppliers and on to contract management and supplier relationship management.
Modern Slavery Statement
Our modern slavery statement, the third the council has published, describes the steps taken to ensure modern slavery forms no part of our business or supply chain. It details our policies, procedures, training and procurement mechanisms used to mitigate the risks of modern slavery and includes an action plan for continuous improvement. Westminster City Council are rated as a ‘Leader’ in this field.
Supplier Charter
The Supplier Charter is a set of commitments that suppliers are asked to make to demonstrate that they share our responsibility for business ambitions. The requirements are tailored according to the contract's nature, value and duration. It covers a wide range of areas, including environmental sustainability, human rights due diligence, social value and prompt payment of suppliers.
Ethical Procurement Policy
The Ethical Procurement Policy is a set of core requirements on working conditions, freedom of association and collective bargaining, regular employment, humane treatment and blacklisting, and payment of the Living Wage. It will apply to all council contracts, initially over a value of over £100,000, of any duration and within any sector.
