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December 22, 2022 In

Western University

Sustainable Procurement Strategy & Action Plan 

Western University ranks as a global and national leader amongst post-secondary institutions based on its efforts and commitment towards sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). With sustainability being a main theme for the university, the Senior Finance and Procurement staff identified procurement as a priority area for Western’s continued advancement and excellence in sustainability. Western looked for a roadmap and guidance on developing a strategic sustainable procurement program that better aligns their values with their existing priorities and sustainability commitments.

Reeve Consulting supported Western in understanding the maturity of its existing sustainable procurement. Reeve learned about the university’s current practices and key strategic opportunities by engaging with internal business units and stakeholders. Reeve then developed a Sustainable Procurement Action Plan to inform Western on first steps and to adopt a set of customized tools and procedures.

Deliverables for this project included:

  • Current State Assessment
  • Strategy and Action Plan to guide Western on next steps
  • High Impact Procurement Opportunities (HIPO) list and support on initial implementation
  • Toolkit to assist in applying sustainability within procurement services
  • Guidelines for staff across all departments
  • Short list of processes and outcome KPIs to measure effectiveness of the program

This project provided staff members and the core project team with common understanding of a high performing sustainable procurement program and equipped them with confidence to pilot sustainability within their procurement opportunities. The university now has clear visions, goals, and a roadmap for building an effective Sustainable Procurement program and a prioritized list of procurement opportunities for which to pilot sustainability within.

Next Steps: Reeve Consulting will be working with Western University for Phase 2 of this project in 2023 to further develop their sustainability commitments through this Implementation Phase.