Public procurement is developed together

In the action plan of Procurement Finland, all eight thematic groups began their operation in 2021, and the implementation of the over 30 first-stage actions mentioned in the strategy began. In addition to promoting the realisation of the national strategy for public procurement with our joint procurement, Hansel has participated in the implementation of several actions.

Our category strategies ensure that the goals of the national strategy for public procurement are acknowledged where applicable in our joint procurement projects. We are also continuously developing our competence to promote financial, ecological, and social sustainability and renewal in joint procurement. Hansel employees actively participate in the operation of the network-like Competence Centre for Sustainable and Innovative Public (KEINO) as well as the Vaikuttavat hankkijat network (influential suppliers) of Procurement Finland, which consists of pioneering procurement units.

Hansel is represented in each thematic group of Procurement Finland. Maria Röykkä has been the leader of the thematic group for strategic management, and several Hansel employees were involved in the work as key persons or members of the thematic groups. Anssi Pihkala, Managing Director, is in the steering group of Procurement Finland.

We have been particularly involved in the following first steps of the national strategy for public procurement:

• Continuous development of the Hilma system
• Development of the Tutkihankintoja.fi service and promoting the publication of data on purchase invoices
• Developing the Procurement Pilot tool that helps monitor how well the strategic management and strategy are realised
• The code of conduct for minimum requirements for responsibility
• The guide on promoting the division of procurement

Strong role in the KEINO Competence Centre for Sustainable and Innovative Public Procurement

With the other organisations of the KEINO Competence Centre for Sustainable and Innovative Public Procurement, we have provided national information on the strategic significance of procurement and its management, launched a development programme for low-carbon procurement to scale trials, and supported the work of the accounting offices of ministries and administrative branches in devising their action plans under the Toimi project in relation to the implementation of the national strategy for public procurement.

At the KEINO Competence Centre for Sustainable and Innovative Public Procurement, we have organised a development programme for the management of the effectiveness of procurement with the other KEINO organisations for the third time and been in charge of the advanced development programmes related to deployable, innovative and socially sustainable new procurements (thematic academies). We have also participated in planning the thematic academies on low-carbon procurement and the circular economy that will start in 2022.

To monitor how the targets set by Procurement Finland are met, KEINO launched a pilot in the autumn on the analysis of mass data on procurement. The experts of Hansel, VTT and SYKE got down to work. In the framework of the pilot, an algorithm-based method was constructed that processed data on procurement automatically into up-to-date and usable information. The pilot proved the solution effective, and it will be further developed. The aim is to create a continuously developing iterative monitoring model. The vision is to have a solution that produces a valuable and up-to-date understanding of the status of procurement at the monitoring level of the nation, procurement unit, and individual tendering.

Speed for innovations

The innovation work at Procurement Finland and the competence of the KEINO network come together in the Innovation Broker operation led by Business Finland. The goal of Innovation Broker, funded by the Ministry of Finance, is to accelerate and support the implementation of innovative procurement by improving the information flow between procurement units and suppliers and by bringing the companies producing innovations closer to the buyers and their needs.

The operations model gathers the innovation needs of public procurement units and invites companies to join in developing and producing solutions for them. In 2021, we participated in implementing a pilot concerning the Innovation Broker operations model. In connection with the pilot, we studied how well the model worked in public administration within the fields of property and construction, as well as social care and healthcare, with external development partners. The work used opportunities provided by an analysis of product launches and company websites.