Conference Day Two - Thursday, 6 March

08:30
Welcome coffee
08:50
Opening remarks from the Chair

Charlotte Payne
General Manager – Australian and New Zealand
CIPS

09:00
Realising the benefits of the new Australian Public Service (APS) Procurement & Contract Management Profession

Charlotte Payne
General Manager – Australian and New Zealand
CIPS

ALIGNING ESG & PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES
09:20
Leveraging government procurement to transition to the circular economy
  • Examining modern circular economy practices and the policy context behind them
  • Analysing the link between the circular economy and decarbonisation
  • Deep diving into circularity and recycled materials opportunities in procurement

Jessica Vorreiter
Senior Project Officer
NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

09:50
Supply Nation Presentation

Kate Russell
Chief Information Officer
Supply Nation

10:10
Morning tea & networking
ELEVATING INDIGENOUS PARTICIPATION AND ADVANCEMENT IN PROCUREMENT
10:40
Working with Indigenous suppliers and First Nations businesses to drive positive social and procurement outcomes
  • Engaging with Indigenous suppliers to foster inclusive procurement practices that strengthen local communities
  • Collaborating with First Nations businesses to support economic empowerment and drive sustainable social outcomes
  • Implementing procurement strategies that prioritise Indigenous partnerships, creating long-term value for both government and communities

Deb Barwick
Chairperson & Executive Officer
NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC)

11:10
Examining Indigenous procurement standards, expectations and realities: making it work in practice
  • Analysing the latest Indigenous procurement standards to understand their implications and expectations for public sector teams
  • Exploring practical strategies and tools to effectively implement Indigenous procurement initiatives within organisations
  • Identifying common challenges in meeting Indigenous procurement standards and sharing successful case studies for overcoming these obstacles

Aron Kurzydlo
Chief Executive Officer
Project Net Zero

11:40
PANEL DISCUSSION: Leveraging Australian suppliers for environmental, social and value impact
  • Identifying opportunities to collaborate with Australian suppliers to enhance environmental and social outcomes in procurement
  • Prioritising local sourcing criteria in procurement processes to reduce carbon footprints and support Australian-made products
  • Incorporating social value assessments when selecting Australian suppliers, ensuring alignment with environmental and community impact goals
  • Developing procurement strategies that favor Australian businesses, enhancing resilience in supply chains and driving long-term value creation

Moderator:

Madeleine Taylor
Senior Director – Property, Procurement and Programs
ACT Courts and Tribunals

Panellists:

Shannon Smyth
Manager Markets Acceleration
Sustainability Victoria

Tim Lawson
Enterprise Project Management Office Lead – Commercial Services
Bayside City Council

Rewa Mackie
Innovation Lead
Social Trader

12:10
Networking Lunch
13:10
Partner presentation
ELEVATING PROCUREMENT OUTCOMES
13:30
Developing tools to improve performance, well-being and project results

Discover practical tools to enhance your performance, well-being, and procurement project outcomes through an approach that prioritises composure in high-pressure situations, an understanding of your mindset when making decisions, and tactics to navigate and prepare for various outcomes, all while managing project complexity with confidence and clarity.

Hanelie Lategan
Chief Procurement Officer, Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety
Queensland Government

14:00
Selecting trusted ICT vendors through government procurement processes – minimising security, privacy, and other supply chain risks
  • Supplier selection and risk assessment process – check you know who you're contracting with
  • Contract risk management and compliance – structure your contract to manage identified risk
  • Internal risk mitigation steps – risk is not just a supplier side problem
  • Ongoing vendor management – trusted suppliers and governance beyond a transaction

Mathew Baldwin
Government Procurement Board Member | Partner
ACT Government | Ashurst

14:30
Afternoon tea & networking
15:00
Driving results under pressure: Leadership essentials for procurement success
  • Recognising key pressure points in procurement projects and developing strategies to address them effectively
  • Building a resilient team culture that empowers team members to handle high-stakes procurement challenges and collaborate on solutions
  • Implementing decision-making frameworks that support agile responses to project changes while keeping goals and timelines on track
  • Prioritising communication and transparency to ensure all stakeholders are aligned and informed at each stage of the project

Keith Bird
Director
Birmont Group

ELEVATING YOUR CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
15:30
Utilising contract management as a tool to save costs, create incentives & thrive in a challenging budgetary environment with restricted resources
  • Implementing effective contract management practices to identify cost-saving opportunities and enhance resource allocation
  • Designing incentive structures within contracts to motivate suppliers and drive better performance in a restricted budget environment
  • Analysing successful case studies that demonstrate the positive impact of strategic contract management on budget efficiency and value creation

Lorna Elisei
Contract Management Specialist
Victoria Legal Aid

16:00
How to avoid contracting disasters…..

WorldCC Research into contracting, negotiations and supplier relationships provides the data behind the 10 pitfalls of contracting.  What are these pitfalls and how can we avoid these and drive contracting success for positive value outcomes?

  1. Managing through the Contracting Lifecycle – Procurement to delivery – how do we ensure success?
  2. Do we really understand the issues that matter to our suppliers?
  3. Are the most negotiated terms and most important contract terms?
  4. Do we focus on the right things for contracting success?
  5. Who wrote the statement of work?  Are scope risks clearly understood and mitigated?

Else Bright
Regional Head of Commercial Practice - Director, CCME
World Commerce & Contracting

16:30
Closing comments from the Chair
16:35
End of GovProcure 2025