Procurement Service

Corporate, Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSER) Policy

Introduction

This Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSER) policy embodies the University’s values, including its commitment to promote the highest standards of individual behaviour and personal accountability, whilst valuing social responsibility within the University and in its external partnerships. The University strives to be a socially and environmentally responsible institution, ensuring that its buildings are constructed and maintained to high environmental standards and that renewable energy is used wherever it is economically feasible to do so. The University is working to reduce its environmental footprint through responsible utilities and waste management and by developing and implementing a green travel policy.

Corporate Governance

This CSER policy is aligned with the University strategy 2020 (http://www.dur.ac.uk/about/strategy2020/) which states that Durham University is shaped by the places in which we live, study and work. It is also linked to the Responsible University framework (http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/about/policies/A_Responsible_University_Final.pdf) and ensures that personal and corporate conflicts of interest are declared, business is conducted according to rigorous ethical, professional and legal standards, and all business will be conducted in a fair, open and respectful manner.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set out the principles, procedures and standards on which sustainable procurement activity within the University will be based. It is firmly embedded within all procurement processes and will guide staff to consider corporate, social and environmental factors in their purchasing decisions.

Commitment

The Procurement Service is committed to:

  • Adherence to the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.
  • Continuous improvement in our CSER programme.
  • Encouraging our business partners to strive for matching performance.
  • Acting in a socially responsible way.
  • Continually improving our performance and meeting all relevant legislation.
  • Encouraging our staff to be mindful of the effect of their actions on any natural resource.

Business Conduct

Considerations of the Procurement Service will include, where appropriate:

  • Compliance with all relevant legislation including the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.
  • Ensuring that local and regional businesses, small and medium enterprises and ethnic minority businesses can bid for business, by advertising contracts on our website (http://www.dur.ac.uk/procurement/suppliers/contracts/) and holding supplier engagement events (supplier development programmes, supplier exhibitions and supplier recognition events).
  • Assessing which environmental, social and economic issues are of most relevance to the contract through the formal planning process, and at what stage in the procurement lifecycle they could be most effectively and legally included.
  • Ensuring the most appropriate terms and conditions are included within the contract, to establish the basis of the contractual relationship.
  • Encouraging suppliers to develop proactive approaches to environmental and social improvements, captured through the use of contract improvement plans.
  • Working with suppliers to tailor products or services offered.
  • Looking to minimise the use of energy in all processes and evaluating the whole life cost or total cost of ownership, thus reducing the greenhouse gas emissions in line with University targets.
  • Considering environmental credentials, such as environmental management systems (e.g. ISO14001, EMAS).
  • Considering social credentials, such as labour rights standards (e.g. SA8000, Ethical Trading Initiative).
  • Considering recognised labelling schemes, such as FSC, MSC or EU Eco label.
  • Promoting the use of Fairtrade.
  • Monitoring CSER issues within tender documents and through contract management.

Considerations of other University staff will include, where appropriate:

  • Early involvement of the Procurement Service to ensure that CSER considerations can be incorporated into tenders.
  • Goods that can be used and disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.
  • Review of items with a high recycled content where there is little difference in cost or quality.
  • Whole life cost and energy usage prior to purchase.
  • Inclusion of suppliers that demonstrate a social benefit, in compliance with the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

Considerations of Suppliers will include:

  • How they can help Durham University to achieve its aims and objectives through the delivery of their products and services.
  • Adopting responsible business policies and practices.
  • Working together as partners to achieve this policy.
  • Providing information in relation to tenders or through contract review meetings to demonstrate environmental and social capability.
  • Proactively contributing to the development of contract improvement plans to deliver additional benefits to the contract.
  • Providing assurance on the full supply chain when requested, e.g. in relation to workers’ rights or traceability.
  • Adding social value in accordance with the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012.

Support

The Procurement Service will also align itself to deliver the following:

Staff Engagement and HR

  • All Procurement staff at all levels are required to familiarise themselves and comply with this CSER policy. 
  • Training will be provided to staff where appropriate, and annual staff reviews will include consideration of CSER.
  • Staff are encouraged to undertake volunteering on behalf of the University and CSER will be a standing item on all staff management agendas.

Finance

  • Working with colleagues in Finance, the Procurement Service will promote and support effective financial management throughout the University.
  • Savings made will be declared to enable the University to continuously improve its financial performance and the value for money it offers to past and present students, customers, partners and funders.

Research

  • Working with research colleagues, the Procurement Service will assist in acquiring goods and services to support research, whilst ensuring that whole life cost and other CSER factors are considered and discussed at the appropriate stage.

Students

  • In conjunction with college colleagues, the Procurement Service seeks to ensure that students have a positive experience in college, whilst ensuring that the colleges they live in are as sustainable as possible, whether that be in the food they eat, the beds they sleep in or the grounds they walk around.

Estate and Infrastructure

  • Working with Professional Support Service colleagues and with Greenspace the Procurement Service will continually look to improve social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and the sustainability of the University and its resources.
  • Through regular meetings, the Procurement Service is involved in reviewing the Environmental Policy (http://www.dur.ac.uk/greenspace/policies/strategic-plan/) and Carbon Management Plan (http://www.dur.ac.uk/greenspace/cmp/).
  • The Procurement Service actively encourages the use of sustainable practices in the maintenance of the University’s grounds and premises.
  • New initiatives, such as Sustainable Construction and Renovation, are actively supported by the Procurement Service.
  • Social responsibility is addressed through reducing energy costs through effective use of computers and technology in the institution, and through reviewing the IT estate and infrastructure. Whole life costing principles are considered in all tenders for equipment requiring a utility supply.
  • The Procurement Service is represented on the Green Travel working group (http://www.dur.ac.uk/greenspace/policies/strategic-plan/ and http://www.dur.ac.uk/greenspace/travel/greentravelplans/).

Partnership and Community Engagement

  • Procurement support is provided to those that are involved in knowledge exchange, enterprise and entrepreneurship.
  • Procurement Service staff actively support the University’s volunteering scheme.

Human Rights

  • Procurement Service staff aim to support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights and suppliers are actively encouraged to observe international human rights norms within their work.
  • As a Fairtrade University, the Procurement Service actively supports this cause, through attendance at steering group meetings, inclusion and discussion of fairly traded goods in relevant tenders, providing information for re-accreditation and compliance with the policy (http://www.dur.ac.uk/greenspace/policies/fairtradepolicy/).

Measurement

  • Performance of the supply chain, including the Procurement Service is measured through regular balanced scorecard feedback.
  • The Procurement Service encourages its customers and suppliers to give feedback on performance through balanced scorecards and ensure that all customer comments are analysed, responded to and where appropriate, acted upon.
  • Environmental and social savings are captured on a quarterly basis.

Annual Action Plan

  • Annual review of Key Performance Indicators and inclusion within the Procurement Service annual report.
  • Review of any training required through the annual staff review process.
  • Review of feedback received through the balanced scorecard process, and inclusion of findings in the annual report and/or annual staff review process, as appropriate.
  • Annual review of performance against the Flexible Framework.

DATE APPROVED: 25th March 2013

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW: April 2014

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