The sixth Annual Report of the NT Buy Local Industry Advocate, Mr Denys Stedman was released today.
Under his Terms of reference Mr Stedman is required to publish an Annual Report commenting on the effectiveness of the Buy Local Plan and the delivery of Value For Territory.
The Buy Local Industry Advocate is an independent link between local business and the Northern Territory Government and his Annual Report is an important way of reporting his observations and recommendations in respect to government procurement.
Mr Stedman’s report is widely regarded as an independent assessment of the NT Government’s progress in delivering on its commitments which are contained in the Buy Local Plan and also in measuring the effectiveness of the procurement framework.
Findings from Mr Stedman’s report are as follows:
Mr Stedman identified that NT Government spending with Territory Enterprises in 2022/23 reduced from the levels reached in 2021/22. The proportion of the annual local procurement spend in 22/23 was the fourth lowest since the introduction of the Buy Local Plan, at 81.9%.He went on to conclude that in the last year, the Buy local Plan could have been more effective in ensuring the largest possible proportion of every dollar spent by the NT Government was retained within and delivered benefits for the Territory economy and community.Mr Stedman noted however that across the NT Government as a whole the delivery of Value For Territory is being achieved at its highest level since the introduction of the Buy Local Plan, and added that the delivery of best Value For Territory procurement outcomes continues to improve.He still holds concerns around ongoing data accuracy and limitations, and has again called upon the government to implement a whole of government procurement management and reporting system capable of accurately capturing all government procurement transactions.Mr Stedman expressed frustration at the slow progress made by the government in delivering the Value For Territory Assessment Framework due to the implementation problems and delays experienced in the Stage 1 rollout. He also highlighted his concerns over the delayed delivery time frame for Stage 2;Mr Stedman acknowledged the improvements made by some agencies to adequately manage contracts and monitor performance of contractors, but still remains concerned about the ongoing high levels of non-compliance overall;Mr Stedman has again made a number of recommendations for improvement which he considers should be considered by the NT Government to maximise and enable the effectiveness of the Buy Local Plan to be measured, and optimal Value For Territory to be delivered into the future.
A full copy of Mr Stedman’s report and can be found here.
Mr Stedman is available to discuss his report and can be contacted as follows:
