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Just prior to Easter, my New Zealand source, Tweet Throat, provided me with a spot of significant NZ recruitment news.   
 

The AoG (All of Government) recruitment tender was formally launched on Tuesday 3 April 2012 at the Ministry of Economic Development. Lead mandarin, Daniel Craig look-alike, Mark Ansell told the assembled eighty recruiters (the ‘sold out’ sign was up within a few minutes of the event being announced) that last financial year the NZ government spent NZD$230 million filling 15,723 ‘common’ roles generating 4.1 million temp hours which excludes any specialist recruitment (scientific, military, health etc).   

The applications for the individual corporate, admin and IT recruitment tenders were opened two days ago, on 16 April, and it closes on Monday 14 May 2012. The Ministry had advised that the successful agencies will be announced by the end of July.   

Research has been going on for many months between agencies and government and updates have been provided via their YouTubechannel (see June 2011 update from Mark Ansell here, August 2011 update here and February 2012 update here).   

Ansell’s presentation also highlighted what was being introduced into the tender process, namely:   

  • Common terms for supply & performance
  • Mechanisms to monitor activity and spend over time
  • Reporting forming part of tender KPIs
  • Ongoing customer satisfaction integral part of SLAs

 
Ansell went on to say that these initiatives were included with a view to accomplishing:  

  • Leverage of significant government spend
  • Enhanced performance measurement and management
  • Visibility of practice to agencies and suppliers
  • Encouragement of ‘good’ process and practice across AoG
  • Fostering closer relationships with fewer suppliers
Tweet Throat tells me that the room was full of NZ recruitment heavyweights either shaking their heads or smiling with confidence as it was announced that a ‘panel’ style approach was going to be taken with an aim to reduce total spend by 30% mostly in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. (you can view the full live presentation via the three separate recordings posted to the AoG YouTube   channel).   

In another of the AoG YouTube videos, it is revealed that some of the NZ Government procurement team hopped across the Tasman to discuss the experience and lessons of the Victorian Government in professional services tendering. Let’s hope our Kiwi cousins took note of how not   to do this process when they reviewed the Federal Health Department’s recent recruitment tender process.

 
It will be fascinating to hear the outcome of the AoG recruitment tender submission process, post 14 May.

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Arthur Spencer

Great summary of the event Ross; Hopefully, we may have a slice of this action. We have a team in Auckland this weekend working through the mechanics.

Leigh Johnson

Ross. Why are I not surprised that it is an Australian commenting on-line about the biggest issue currently facing the New Zealand recruitment industry. Thanks for your summary and bringing this to notice.
One thing that struck me was Ansell's reference to it being a change management exercise as much as it is a procurement exercise. I wasn't sure if he meant change for government agencies or to the recruitment industry, or both?
It certainly has the potential for major impact on our industry. Consequently many of us are nervous about the outcome. Maybe that's why we are not talking about it publicly on-line.
Leigh

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