Financial Sector Deepening Africa

Formalizing FSD Africa’s Sustainable Procurement Commitment

Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa), a development organization that strengthens financial markets to drive economic growth across Africa, aimed to formalize its commitment to sustainable procurement. They engaged Reeve Consulting to develop comprehensive Sustainable Procurement Guidelines and supporting resources to operationalize this commitment. 

How Reeve Consulting Designed a Sustainable Procurement Program for FSD Africa

To better understand FSD Africa’s procurement landscape, Reeve conducted 12 interviews with staff across various departments, identifying key opportunities and challenges. Based on these insights, Reeve developed the following components of a high-performing sustainable procurement program:

• Sustainable Procurement Guidelines: A detailed guide covering category-specific and threshold-specific procurements, helping staff integrate sustainability into everyday and high-spend purchases. Click here to see the guidelines. 
• Tools: Practical resources, including a market research guide, sustainability prioritization worksheet, clause menu, evaluation guide, and two factsheets, supporting staff through each step of the procurement process. 
• Implementation Plan: To assist FSD Africa with the rollout of the Guidelines and ongoing program development, Reeve developed a three-year roadmap with actionable recommendations. 
• Key Performance Indicators: To monitor and measure progress, Reeve developed a list of program, process, and outcome performance metrics.  
• Training and Communications: Finally, to gain organization-wide awareness, Reeve developed and delivered a 60-minute training session to 70 FSD Africa staff, introducing the fundamentals of sustainable procurement, highlighting the guidelines, and the new tools to support their application. 
• Supplier Engagement: FSD Africa hosted a supplier conference to announce their commitment to sustainable procurement and to foster collaboration. As part of this initiative, Reeve supported the development of a supplier newsletter and produced a video showcased at the event, illustrating the business case for adopting sustainable procurement practices.
• Supplier Video: Reeve Consulting supported FSD Africa in developing a Sustainable Procurement Guidelines video to help suppliers understand how they can align their practices to meet with buyer expectations on new sustainability policies.

Empowering Action Through Sustainable Procurement

FSD Africa staff are now ready to prioritize sustainability, local suppliers, and women-owned businesses in procurement. The guidelines, tools, and training empower staff to transition theoretical concepts into actionable strategies for daily procurement activities. Additionally, the procurement team is prepared to sustain momentum by following the implementation plan and tracking progress through KPIs. 

Reeve Consulting is excited to continue supporting FSD Africa in the coming months and looks forward to seeing the long-term impact on local communities and women-owned enterprises.

Western University

Sustainable Procurement Program 

Western University is a global leader in sustainability, committed to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recognizing procurement as a key lever for sustainability, Western partnered with Reeve Consulting to develop and implement a comprehensive Sustainable Procurement (SP) Program. This multi-phase initiative has progressively embedded sustainability into procurement practices, policies, and supplier engagement, aligning with the university’s strategic priorities.

Recognition & Leadership

Western’s commitment and achievements were recognized with the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) Award for Overall Sustainable Procurement Program, showcasing their leadership and the strength of the collaborative work with Reeve Consulting.

Phase 1 (2022): Strategy & Roadmap Development 

Reeve Consulting assessed Western’s procurement maturity and co-created a strategic action plan, including: 

• Current State Assessment of sustainable procurement practices 
• Strategy & Action Plan to guide next steps 
• High Impact Procurement Opportunities (HIPO) list for piloting sustainability 
• Customized Toolkit for integrating sustainability into procurement 
• Staff guidelines and KPIs to measure program success 

This phase established a clear vision, goals, and prioritized opportunities for Western to pilot sustainable procurement. 

Phase 2 (2023): Implementation & Capacity Building 

Western began executing the Action Plan with a focus on: 

• Integrating sustainability criteria into HIPOs 
• Training & communications to embed SP across the university 
• Enhancing the SP Toolkit for usability and customization 

Phase 2 solidified foundational elements of the SP Program, ensuring stakeholder alignment and readiness for scaling. 

Phase 3 (2024): Refinement & Program Expansion 

Building on earlier work, Phase 3 advanced systemic adoption through: 

• Updated Procurement Policy & Procedures with SP commitments 
• Supplier Code of Conduct approval and compliance monitoring 
• Refined tools for supplier engagement and risk assessment 
• KPI tracking system to measure progress and STARS reporting 

Phase 4 (2025): Making an Impact

Western focused on deepening impact and expanding reach through:

• Impact Measurement: Tracking sustainability outcomes beyond compliance
• Supplier Risk Analysis & Human Rights Due Diligence: Strengthening ethical sourcing practices
• Advanced Training: Building capacity across decentralized procurement teams
• Supplier Engagement Strategy & Resources: Including a new supplier-facing video to explain Western’s sustainability expectations and how vendors can participate
• Social & Indigenous Procurement Development: Laying the groundwork for inclusive procurement practices

Setting the Standard

Western is setting an example for universities and the broader public sector by demonstrating how sustainable procurement can drive meaningful environmental, social, and economic impact. Their work proves that procurement is a powerful lever for change.