Social Procurement Law and Policy (LAWS90206)

This subject engages with key and emerging issues and debates in social procurement in Australia and overseas, and explores the policies, legal rules and practices governing government social procurement in Australia and overseas. Social procurement is when an organisation/government entity uses its purchasing power to generate social value above and beyond the value of the goods, services, or construction being procured. Initiatives are often targeted at groups and individuals disadvantaged and/or underrepresented in the labour market, the stimulation of local industry, and the promotion of environmental sustainability. The implementation of social procurement policies involves a complex array of eligibility and performance criteria, implementation processes and evaluation and reporting requirements.

The lecturers in this subject combine many years of academic scholarship in this area, engagement in law reform debates and practical advice to national and international regulators. By also drawing on the insights of expert guests from academia, government, the not-for-profit sector and industry, it connects students with the leading experts in the field.

Principal topics will include:

• history and socio-economic and political drivers of government social procurement;
• the types and kinds of government social procurement;
• operational and legal issues arising from social procurement frameworks in Australia, including: eligibility and evaluation criteria and targets; tender assessment processes; supplier relationship management; contractual terms and reporting requirements;
• law and policy of social procurement in foreign jurisdictions;
• the evaluation and measurement of the benefits of social procurement;
• Indigenous procurement: legal and policy frameworks in Australia and abroad;
• social procurement in the construction industry;
• the role of intermediaries in social procurement.