Engagement Update - April 2025
By Emma Peters, Head of Engagement
Disaster Management
I hope our Southeast Queensland customers were not impacted too much by the recent unexpected weather events. Whilst cyclones in the south of the state are a rarity, it does show that Disaster Management is a key facet of Local Government, for our whole state. To this end, Local Buy are working with Queensland Recovery Authority to form a Disaster Management pre-qualified supplier Arrangement. Forming arrangements which are fit for purpose is critical and we are currently forming a stakeholder working group to discuss categories that would be most useful in time of disaster.
Conference season is in full swing for our Local Buy Engagement Team with Liz, Jeremy, Audrey and I spreading the Local Buy message, far and wide.
Online training
We are pleased to offer online webinars in ICT and VendorPanel Training. Our team has been working closely with the relevant Category Managers and Local Buy pre-qualified suppliers to host informative online sessions so our customers can maximise the benefits of our 50+ Arrangements. Check out our website for upcoming events.
With a continued focus on training our customers in the benefits of utilising VendorPanel to procure, if you are interested to learn how to maximise the online platform, we hold monthly online training sessions. Additionally, if you would like us to visit your council to perform training on Local Buy and VendorPanel, we would be delighted to do so. With a highly experienced team of Engagement Managers, we can help you streamline procurement whilst adhering to Local Government legislation.
We’re also planning a ‘Meet your Category Manager” series where suppliers are invited to connect in an informative session about using our Arrangements and learning how to navigate VendorPanel. Please keep an eye on our website for dates.
Day-to-day help and communication methods
Our Engagement Team are here to help you on a day-to-day basis. If you are not sure which arrangement to use or need advice on which suppliers are pre-qualified in your Local Government Area, please contact us.
I have recently been using the power of Teams chat with my customers who enjoy a fast response to queries (providing I am at my desk). With so many ways to communicate we would love for you to choose the best one that suits your needs….so please reach out for a chat on the phone, drop us an email or hit us for a Teams chat. Each member of the Engagement Team has a dedicated portfolio of councils to manage so if you don’t know who your Engagement Manager is, let me know and I can introduce you.
If that wasn’t enough engagement activity, you will able to speak with us at a number of conferences throughout the year including IPWEA, LGMA, LGAQ, LGANT and LGFP.
If there is anything our team can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to reach out. We look forward to working with you in 2025 to Advance Queensland Procurement.
