The journey of Projects Ue and Uaki has offered not just a vision for better procurement - but a practical pathway for getting there. Across eight articles, we’ve explored tools, relationships, digital platforms, readiness systems, impact tracking, and continuous improvement.
This final article turns to the question: What will it take to make this stick? Because tools on their own don’t shift the dial. People do.
Embedding the Framework
The procurement ecosystem is complex - and so are the challenges facing diverse small businesses. But the solution doesn’t need to be complicated. It needs to be:
- Shared: owned by multiple stakeholders across councils, agencies, buyers, and suppliers
- Practical: grounded in real-world delivery, not theory
- Adaptive: able to evolve with changing needs, policy, and technology
- Values-based: built on kaupapa that reflect our region’s people and place
To embed this approach, we need more than implementation. We need commitment.
The Pillars of Embedding Change
- Supplier Capability
Māori, Pasifika, and small local businesses need tools, support, and consistent opportunities to build capability over time. Not just training, but trust. Not just templates, but relationships. - Buyer Confidence
Councils and agencies need to see that engaging with new suppliers isn’t risky - it’s smart. The WOR, Connect & Thrive, and Contract Performance Platform help reduce perceived risk by making quality visible and communication consistent. - System Coordination
This framework works best when it’s not siloed. Regional partners should align their procurement platforms, capability programmes, and policy levers - so the whole system moves together.
This is the foundation of a kaupapa-led procurement ecosystem.
Te Pae Tawhiti - The Distant Horizon
This work is not just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about imagining something new. A system where local suppliers thrive, procurement delivers meaningful outcomes, and relationships sit at the centre of how we do business.
As the whakataukī reminds us:
Ko ngā pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko ngā pae tata, whakamaua kia tina.
Pursue the distant horizons so they may become close; hold fast to those already near.
The Distant Horizons
- A procurement system where supplier diversity is the norm, not the exception
- A regional economy that grows by investing in its own communities
- Procurement leaders who see their role as builders of equity and resilience
The Near Horizons
- Councils adopting the WOR as part of their procurement readiness checks
- Buyers engaging early through Connect & Thrive events
- Vendors supported with real tools, not just advice
- Contract outcomes tracked and shared to celebrate success
An Invitation to Act
This strategy is not a static document. It is a living kaupapa. Its success depends on action - and not just from WellingtonNZ or Te Ara Hiranga.
We invite councils, procurement professionals, ecosystem partners, and business networks to:
- Trial the tools
- Share feedback
- Invest in adoption
- Champion this approach within your own organisations
The tools are ready. The evidence is clear. The time is now.
Mahitahi - collaboration - is not a nice-to-have. It is the only way forward.
