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04/12/2024

Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Capability Self-Assessment Survey Whole of Government Results

The Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Capability Self-Assessment Survey (the Survey) - Whole of Government results are now available.

2023 Snapshot Report

The Survey provides an opportunity for entities to see how capability is developed over time. The results show trends in capability maturity, highlights how Commonwealth capability may be improved and identifies new capability challenges.

Since 2020 the Survey has measured procurement and contract management capability maturity across various categories: Management of Procurement as a Function, Procurement Lifecyle, Enabling Procurement and Sustainable Procurement to understand if capability is emerging, evolving, effective or optimal.

The 2023 Survey had 59 questions about capability maturity and processes. 90 entities participated with representation across all entity sizes and total contract value profiles, comprising both non-Corporate Commonwealth and prescribed Corporate Commonwealth entities.

The Department of Finance (Finance) uses the results from the survey to target capability uplift initiatives. As a response to survey results, Finance has rolled out Procurement Basics and Contract Management Basics training courses. The courses are aimed at providing APS officials with an introductory overview of the key information necessary for undertaking Commonwealth procurement and contract management. Finance is also delivering a Procurement for SES Delegates course to support an uplift in the Leadership and Strategy category. This course provides a high-level overview of the Procurement Lifecycle and guidance to SES delegates on their role and responsibilities in each phase, from planning through to contract management. This ensures that senior executives are not only aware of their critical roles but are also prepared to lead their teams effectively, enhancing the overall performance and accountability of procurement activities. There is a focus on creating a positive procurement culture, emphasising the importance of ethical behaviour, transparency, and value for money, and supporting their staff by resourcing activities appropriately.

To support the People category of the Survey, Finance will roll out the Pathways to Procurement (PtP) program in early 2025. The PtP Program establishes a structured and sustainable pathway that brings officials into procurement and contract management roles across the APS.

With the establishment of the new Procurement and Contract Management Profession, Finance is using the 2023 survey results to inform new capability uplift initiatives.

You can view the latest results in the 2023 Snapshot Report here.
 

Frequently Ask Questions


 

General

  • The Survey enhances the visibility and understanding of the maturity of procurement and contracting capability and processes as a whole across non-corporate Commonwealth entities and prescribed corporate Commonwealth entities as well as within individual entities.
  • This visibility assists entities and Finance to identify areas of strength and areas for improvement, build expertise across the system and target support to where it is most required.

  • Survey data supports capability uplift as it provides a mechanism for entities to review and measure the success and effectiveness of procurement and contract management skill development initiatives. 
  • Finance uses the Survey data to identify where the system has established skills and where opportunities for improvement exist, to inform planning of additional learning and development, tools, resources and guidance materials. 

  • Finance uses the survey results to identify areas where it can target initiatives to uplift procurement and contract management competence from a Whole of Australian Government perspective.  
  • Finance has hosted subject experts at Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Community of Practice meetings to share insights and best practice with members. The results also assist to identify future topics to discuss in the Community of Practice.
  • Finance has changed the categories for the Commonwealth Procurement and Contract Management Awards for Excellence to showcase procurement excellence in new areas of focus. 


 

Interpreting the results

  • Procurement and contract management capability is measured across four primary categories and seven sub-categories.
  • Procurement and contracting competence is measured using a five-point maturity scale: None, Emerging, Evolving, Effective and Optimal.
  • Each step along the maturity scale relates to the degree of optimisation within an entity's practices.
  • Each entity sets the definition for what level of optimisation is best for their particular entity given the nature, size, and resources of their entity and its procurement and contracting requirements.

  • Movements in skill maturity are relatively minor between 2022 and 2023 and where scores have decreased it does not automatically indicate capability has regressed; changes in maturity can be for a multitude of reasons:
    • The Survey uses self-reporting and self-perception by entity staff completing the Survey. Changes in personnel, or subjective changes in self-perceived skill maturity may contribute to reported changes. The results provide insights into entity capability self-perceptions.
    • Entities’ procurement needs, available resources, and workload environments can change year-on-year.
    • The cohort of participating entities is not entirely identical year-on-year.
  • Across 2020-2023, Procurement Lifecyle is the most mature category among the APS while Sustainable Procurement is the least (noting the Sustainable Procurement category was introduced in 2021).


 

Methodology

  • Since 2020, the Survey has been distributed annually to prescribed corporate Commonwealth entities and non-corporate Commonwealth entities.
  • Finance collects and analyses responses, and distributes reports based upon the results, including to responding entities.

  • The Survey does have a high response rate:
    • In 2020, 123 entities were invited to participate; 80 complete responses were received.
    • In 2021, 121 entities were invited; 91 complete responses were received.
    • In 2022, 124 entities were invited; 84 complete responses were received.
    • In 2023, 126 entities were invited; 90 complete responses were received.

  • Finance encourages all eligible non-corporate and prescribed corporate Commonwealth entities to participate, but it is not mandatory.
  • Participation is at the discretion of entities, and may be influenced by available resources, competing priorities or the entity may not procure regularly.

  • The Survey is currently only open to entities that must comply with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules when performing duties related to procurement: namely, non-corporate Commonwealth entities and prescribed corporate Commonwealth entities as listed in section 30 of the PGPA Rule (Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014).
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