Introduction
It is hard to believe that three years have passed since I wrote the introduction to
our previous strategy. But when I look back on all that has been achieved since
then, it seems even more remarkable that it all took place in just three years!
Local government is truly leading the field in the
impact it is delivering through procurement, and I am
proud that Scotland Excel has played a pivotal role
in helping to achieve this. I say this not to gain credit
for our organisation, but to applaud the difference
that procurement is making for communities across
Scotland.
In our sector, procurement has always been about
people – getting the best for those who use essential
public services. With demand continuing to rise,
and the pressure on budgets increasing, it is more
important than ever that we use the power of
procurement to help secure the future delivery of high
quality services at a sustainable cost.
It is no surprise therefore that our new strategy will
see us extending the reach of our social care portfolio.
Since 2011, we have steadily increased the number
of social care contracts we offer, all of which support
national policies to ensure the wellbeing of some of
the most vulnerable people in our society. This year,
we begin the development of two new frameworks for
older people’s care home services and adult care and
support services.
Another fundamental aspect of wellbeing is ensuring
that people have access to affordable homes. I am
delighted that Scotland Excel has secured funding to
develop a national framework for new build housing.
This contract will significantly shorten procurement
timescales for new build projects, helping to deliver
the Scottish Government’s commitment to build
50,000 affordable homes by 2021.
As champions of procurement, we remain committed
to increasing procurement and commercial capability
within our sector to ensure that councils get the most
from their local procurement activities. Over the past
two years, our learning and development and business
change services have been transformed to ensure
we can keep pace with the demands of our members
as their professional and organisational capability
matures.
In particular, our learning and development
programme has taken a leap forward with the
Scotland Excel Academy. Our new strategy will see
us roll out a wide range of accredited qualifications,
practitioner workshops and thought leadership
masterclasses that take a holistic view of the skills and
attributes of successful procurement leaders. These
professional learning opportunities will complement
a business change programme which includes both
sector-wide initiatives and local consultancy projects.
While our focus is first and foremost with our local
authority members, I have been pleased to welcome
new customers to our organisation in recent years. In
April 2017, we launched a programme of procurement
services for housing associations, and I firmly believe
that there are significant synergies and benefits to be
realised through councils and housing associations
working together with Scotland Excel.
Indeed, I am convinced that Scotland Excel has the
potential to deliver services for many other public and
third sector organisations. Over the past ten years, we
have developed a wealth of expertise in procurement,
learning and development and business change that
we can offer to new customers at a competitive cost.
And as a non-profit organisation, every penny made is
reinvested to develop, expand or sustain services for
all of our stakeholders.
Our new strategy is very much about growth. Scotland
Excel is at its heart a forward-thinking organisation,
and we are constantly identifying new opportunities
that have the potential to deliver substantial benefits
for customers, communities and people across
Scotland. To ensure that we can achieve these
ambitions, we will be looking at new services, new
markets and new funding models to underpin our
growth and secure our future.
I hope this strategy will convince you of our
commitment and capability to achieve our aims. As
we celebrate our tenth anniversary, I believe Scotland
Excel has an impressive track record to look back on,
and is in a great position to realise its future goals. I
would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our
staff, stakeholders and customers for your invaluable
support along the way. I look forward to working with
you as we continue on our journey.
Julie Welsh
Director, Scotland Excel
6 | Shared Vision, Shared Success. Our Corporate Strategy 2018–2023
Shared Vision, Shared Success. Our Corporate Strategy 2018–2023 | 7