Supporting sustainable tactical procurement in all settings

Here at Solvoz, we are always very happy to engage in discussions concerning the central role that sustainable procurement has to the greening of humanitarian responses.

But what exactly do we mean by procurement?

Procurement actually encompasses all of the elements of an organisation’s purchasing procedures, whether it concerns the sourcing of a multifaceted #service or the topping up of basic office supplies. Whilst this does include purchasing – the transactional step in the procurement cycle – procurement is a multi-stage process that also involves such elements as strategic planning, the formation of vendor relationships and sourcing.

So where does Solvoz fit within the scope of procurement?

We first and foremost assist with what is known as tactical humanitarian procurement. This applies to instances when goods or services need to be sourced that are either of high value, needed in large quantities, or when an organisation has no current preferred supplier for a particular product. For example, if a humanitarian organisation is planning a new NFI campaign but does not have the right kits in stock, or if a NGO is looking for a biodegradable alternatives to a product commonly used in camp settings – this is tactical procurement. Whereas operational humanitarian procurement tends to deal with the known, often lower cost and regular purchasing needs of a NGO, tactical procurement usually applies for new purchasing requirements. So, for when an organisation needs to first scan the market to find out which suppliers offer the goods that they need and then identify who can supply the goods at the right time, at the right quantity and for the right price. For these reasons, tactical procurement involves continuously looking for improvements in availability, pricing and more.

Does your organisation require support with a project that involves Tactical Humanitarian Procurement requirements? Then Solvoz can offer a range of support and services tailored to your organisation’s needs. Get in touch with us here.