Minister Higgins congratulates the Office of Government Procurement on achieving CIPS Corporate Ethical Procurement Kitemark

The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) has been recognised with a certification in Ethical Procurement from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). All of the staff working in the OGP’s Sourcing division successfully undertook ethical procurement training on topics including environmental procurement, human rights, fraud, bribery and corruption. The Sourcing Division had 100% uptake on this training and were accredited with Certification allowing the OGP to apply for the CIPS Corporate Ethical Kite Mark and a listing on the CIPS Corporate Ethical Register.

Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and

eGovernment, Emer Higgins, has congratulated the team on their achievement.

Minister Higgins said:

“I want to congratulate colleagues in the OGP for their achievement. Procurement that is ethical and sustainable is important for the people of Ireland. It is important to ensure people working in companies Government procures goods and services from have fair working conditions. Developing procurement structures that also support social inclusion policies such as supporting employment for people with disabilities or disadvantage, can have a real benefit for society and for local economies. Ethical and sustainable procurement can also encourage firms interested in competing for Government contracts to implement green practices and recycling in support of a circular economy.

“The Programme for Government outlined ambitions around transparent, sustainable and green procurement practices, and having highly skilled people in this area is crucial to achieving these goals.”

The OGP was also commended by Jonathan Morgan, Markets Director in CIPS, who said:

“Congratulations to the OGP on achieving your CIPS Corporate Ethical procurement Kite Mark certification, a statement of your commitment to ethical sourcing and responsible business conduct. CIPS values the ongoing relationship with the OGP as the State’s central procurement body in Ireland and looks forward to developing this relationship in the future.”

Achievement of the CIPS Ethical Kitemark standard demonstrates that the OGP is committed to increasing the capability of staff and sourcing and managing central procurement solutions ethically and sustainably.

Notes

OGPs central purchasing activity aggregates the States expenditure and has established a wide range of central procurement solutions for the provision of goods and services to public sector bodies. The OGP plays a lead role in delivering on Government’s vision for public procurement that is sustainable, ethical, innovative, transparent and cost-effective. The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) promotes high standards of professional skill, ability and integrity for people involved in purchasing and supply chain management. The OGP has engaged with CIPS over the past 12 months to increase the procurement and commercial capabilities of our Sourcing teams.

The Office of Government Procurement is part of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform & Digitalisation.