Public procurement has long been measured by how well contracts are delivered “on time and on budget.” But what if we asked a deeper question: What good did it do?
Did the contract create local jobs? Build long-term capability? Deliver community outcomes? Or did it simply tick the boxes and move on?
Projects Ue and Uaki called for a shift - from transactional tracking to outcome-focused performance. This article explores the tools, systems, and kaupapa needed to make that shift real.
The Challenge: What Gets Measured Gets Managed
Currently, contract performance is often assessed through invoices, progress reports, and compliance checklists. But this approach misses key dimensions - especially the broader social, environmental, and economic outcomes that many councils now seek through procurement.
Worse, performance tracking is often fragmented across multiple platforms, poorly aligned with impact goals, and disconnected from what actually matters to communities.
Vendors and procurement teams alike raised concerns:
- “There’s no standard way of tracking contract performance.”
- “We have to log into three different systems to manage one contract.”
- “Impact is talked about, but not measured.”
The Solution: The Contract Performance Platform
In response, Project Ue proposed the Contract Performance Platform - a unified, digital tool designed to monitor both contract deliverables and wider outcomes in real time.
Its features include:
- Live dashboards for tracking milestones, outputs, and spend
- Two-way communication between buyer and vendor (archived with the contract record)
- Broader outcome indicators, such as jobs created, social impact, and environmental contribution
- Automated alerts and performance insights
- Post-contract review features, including case studies and testimonials
This platform becomes a living record of the contract - not just a filing system.
The Benefits
For vendors:
- Increased visibility into how they’re performing
- Opportunities to build a verified track record
- Recognition for outcomes that often go unseen
For buyers:
- Easier reporting on LTP, REDP, and ESG indicators
- Early identification of risks or underperformance
- Evidence for continuous improvement and accountability
For the system:
- Shared data, clearer outcomes, and a more transparent procurement culture
Impact Measures That Matter
The platform also enables councils to track metrics such as:
- FTEs created through procurement
- Local income retained
- Reduction in benefit dependency
- Contribution to regional GDP
- Supplier diversity engagement
In the Project Uaki report, modelling showed that a $1 million contract awarded to a Māori, Pasifika, or local business could return $4.60 in social and economic value for every $1 invested. But to realise this value - we must track it.
Embedding Performance in the Procurement Lifecycle
The platform is designed to operate across all phases:
- During Contract: Tracking deliverables, maintaining open dialogue
- Post Contract: Capturing lessons learned, identifying success stories
- Pre-Contract: Using past data to inform future decisions
It also supports meaningful procurement conversations - not just transactions.
Trust and Risk
Some vendors were initially cautious about sharing real-time data. But many acknowledged that transparency builds trust - and that when metrics are clear, both parties are better off.
What’s needed is a high-trust environment, with:
- Clear data governance and ownership rules
- Respectful use of information
- Tools that reflect the realities of small business workflows
Making Impact Visible
We often say we want procurement to “do more.” But that’s only possible if we know what “more” looks like - and we can measure it.
This kaupapa asks procurement leaders across the region to evolve their thinking. To move beyond compliance as the goal. To see contracts not just as agreements - but as opportunities to create lasting value for our people and places.
