#85 Innovative Public Procurement: Driving Social and Environmental Change

In this episode recorded live at the Urban Future 2024 conference, our guest Valentina Schippers, Coordinator of the Urban Agenda Partnership on Innovative and Responsible Public Procurement at the City of Haarlem, Netherlands, discusses how innovative public procurement can strategically address social, ecological, and economic challenges, sharing her experiences and strategies from Haarlem. 

The discussion also highlights the importance of simplifying procurement processes, engaging local politicians, and integrating sustainability and social responsibility into public procurement.

 

Overview of the episode:

[00:02:35] Teaser Question: "Imagine that the city is like your favourite dish to cook. If public procurement were an ingredient, which ingredient would it be?"

[00:03:47] Our guest's background

[00:07:42] Misconceptions about public procurement

[00:09:57] Strategic use of public procurement to address social challenges

[00:12:22] Achieving sustainability through public procurement

[00:14:24] Strategies to include smaller companies in procurement processes

[00:16:24] Common obstacles faced by public authorities in improving procurement processes

[00:19:16] Use of AI and best practices in procurement

[00:24:40] Importance of storytelling in demonstrating the impact of public procurement

[00:28:52] Addressing concerns about the costs of socially responsible and sustainable procurement

[00:30:13] Challenges in Haarlem and its relationship with Amsterdam

[00:32:10] Importance of pre-procurement market consultations and contract management

[00:34:00] Top or Flop Segment

[00:36:44] Ending Question: "To you, what is a Smart City?"

 

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