New Tool Incorporates Social Value into Post-Secondary Procurement Practices

Simon Fraser University and BCIT are two of four post-secondary institutions aiming to further their sustainability goals through a new social procurement guide Social Procurement: Amplify your Purchasing Dollars for a Better World, produced in collaboration with the British Columbia Collaborative for Social Innovation (BCCSI). The guide encourages B.C’s post-secondary institutions to improve economic conditions in their local communities by leveraging their procurement spend.

As purchasers of millions of dollars in goods and services annually, post-secondary procurement departments can be examples of how social and environmental factors can be incorporated in their purchasing practices. 

“Today, we are expected to deliver more than quality and economy when purchasing goods and services, we must consider their social and environmental value and impact as well,” says Mary Aylesworth, SFU’s director of financial operations and guide contributor. “This guide is designed to address the needs of procurement professionals working in Canada’s higher education sector.”

Social procurement considers how the process of buying goods and services for the university can positively impact the social well-being of our communities and help reduce poverty, promote economic and social inclusion, and support local economic development and social enterprise. It also fosters supply chain diversity and workforce development initiatives within procurement processes to promote inclusive economic growth. As purchasers of millions of dollars in goods and services annually, post-secondary procurement departments can be examples of how social and environmental factors can be incorporated in their purchasing practices.