Capability resources

Developed in consultation with agencies, the Procurement Capability Development Strategy 2022-2025 (the Strategy) is the first of its kind in WA and articulates the aspirations of, and pathways to, building the capability of the procurement function throughout the sector.  

The Strategy supports Finance's functional leadership role in procurement and delivers on commitments made in response to recent reviews, such as the Public Accounts Committee inquiry into Contract Management. 

The Strategy establishes clear and strong foundations for building procurement capability within all WA Government agencies and across all types of procurement. It identifies key priority areas for improving procurement practices by 2025, sets the goals, targets and planned initiatives to be delivered, and allocates responsibility and measures progress, creating accountability and transparency.  

The Strategy has five central pillars that support the WA Government’s capacity to realise full value through procurement: 

• Pillar 1: Leadership 
• Pillar 2: Workforce strategy 
• Pillar 3: Culture and performance 
• Pillar 4: Systems, processes and tools 
• Pillar 5: Targeted capability initiatives 

It will provide targeted, whole-of-sector capability initiatives to address individual,  organisational and sectoral needs. 

We are focused on delivering quality outcomes through good practice contract management.

To improve contract management capability across the public sector, we have established the Contract Management Interdepartmental Steering Group (CMISG). 

The Steering Group brings together representatives from across the public sector to to identify and implement initiatives for effective contract management practices.

We worked with CMISG to develop a WA Contract Management Framework with supporting Principles that are designed to strengthen good practice contract management within the public sector.  The Principles sit at the heart of the framework and distinguish the different roles agencies and contract managers play when managing government contracts. As part of teh WACMF, we are progressing a number of initiatives to drive value for money outcomes for the WA community. 

Specialised training in contract management is now available for procurement practitioners and the tools and resources available to contract managers now includes a simplified workbook template for low value/low risk contracts. 

The Procurement Competency Matrix (PCM) identifies and defines the technical procurement competencies required by procurement professionals in the WA public sector. 

It supports succession planning, staff attraction and retention, capability development, and performance management.

The PCM:

• promotes a shared understanding of roles, responsibilities and performance expectations of procurement positions
• provides a consistent capability standards for the professional procurement function across the WA public sector
• supports managers and staff by providing defined pathways to address capability gaps across teams or individuals

The PCM is co-branded with the Public Sector Commission (PSC) and was developed in conjunction with agencies across the Western Australian public sector.

Read more about the Community on the WA Strategic Procurement Community of Practice page. 

The Procurement Capability Indicator (PCI) is a tool that can identify the technical capability of procurement professionals. Read more about the PCI here.

The CPO Success Profile establishes a common understanding and language within and across the Western Australian public sector. The CPO Success Profile is supported by Guidelines for Measuring the Success Profile of CPOs. These guidelines have been developed to support CPO’s to be a key strategic partner and have an impact in their agency and on the procurement function and sector-wide business outcomes.

The contract management job description templates are a practical resource that agencies can use to guide the recruitment of contract management professionals.

They are based off the technical procurement competencies defined in the procurement competency matrix and outline work responsibilities and selection criteria that are suitable for contract management roles at different levels. Using these templates will drive consistent expectations of contract managers across various job levels, and improve the mobility of contract management professionals across the WA Public Sector.  

It is strongly encouraged that, where possible, agencies align their job description forms to this content.

The procurement job description templates are a practical resource that agencies can use to guide the recruitment of procurement professionals. They outline work responsibilities and suggest selection criteria which are suitable for officers that develop contracts at different levels. 

Based off the technical procurement competencies defined in the procurement competency matrix, these templates seek to drive consistent expectations of these roles across various job levels and improve the mobility of procurement professionals across the WA Public Sector.  

Whilst the use of these tools is not mandated, it is strongly encouraged that where possible, agencies align their job description forms to this content.

The Measuring Contract Manager Performance Guide is a comprehensive tool that agencies can use to support the development of contract management staff.

This guide is designed to enhance staff ability to conduct performance reviews and identify strengths and developmental needs, as well as ensuring contract management accountability. This resource draws from the principles, competencies and work descriptions available from the WA Contract Management Framework Principles, Procurement Competency Matrix and the Contract Management Job Description Templates and complements the suite of capability tools developed by Finance.

It is strongly encouraged that, where possible, agencies refer to this guide to assist in incorporating contract management activities into performance and development plans (PDP).