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To ensure discussions are most productive, it is highly important the team is selected properly and that each member has a defined and appropriate role to play.

There would be obvious problems if it was expected that the member seconded by the engineering department would take care of documentation and the lawyer would work on the financial aspect of the deal.

The right mixture of skills and expertise must be present. To illustrate this point, consider the sort of team that would be required to work on a major construction project, such as the construction of a regional police station.

The team members from within the municipal administration might include:

• A project engineer, from the municipality’s design and build department to provide technical oversight;
• a buyer from the purchasing department to administer the tender and contract award process;
• a lawyer to handle the final documentation;
• representatives of the user departments, such as police and possibly fire and paramedics as well; and
• a representative from the IT department to ensure the technology infrastructure needs were fully addressed.

External representatives might also be incorporated into the process, particularly the external consultants used by the municipality in connection with the project. After the contract was awarded, the same team might also be expanded to include contractor and subcontractor representatives, so that it can thereby play a co-ordination role in overseeing the completion of the project.

This last possibility Illustrates one often-neglected aspect of the team purchasing approach: it can also feed into a partnering arrangement after the contract is awarded. Achieving a proper balance and size of membership is critical.

The more knowledge and experience the committee has in assessing the merit of each proposal, the more likely it will be that it will reach a proper decision on the contract. If each person is seen to bring unique and necessary skills to the table, there is less risk one person will dominate the decision-making process.

The more people who are involved in decision-making, the less the decision-making process will become corrupted or eccentric. A team approach has an important advantage in the way it averages out decision-making.

Such, at least, is the theory. In practice, it can be more difficult to attain the maximum benefits a team approach offers. Effective teams may come about by chance, but they are more likely to do so as a result of deliberate design.

A team approach must be properly nurtured so it becomes part of the culture of an organization. Staff must be made to understand co-operative teamwork is expected of them. An organization must improve the ability of individuals in its organization to work together.

Proper training should be provided so team members understand the components of successful team procedures (such as staff meetings) and are able to work together in a highly-focused manner.

As Parker Knox observed in a presentation to the 2001 PMAC Conference:

“Teamwork is the foundation upon business success is built. Organizational and business objectives can only be achieved through people – and success lies in their ability to work together. Building productive teams requires understanding the elements of group dynamics, developing effective leadership skills and practicing sound communication skills. The tools and techniques for effective managing teams must be well honed if team and organizational objectives are to be realized.”

To ensure a team-based system works well, there must be procedural and other mechanisms in place so that each member of the team is required to contribute to the final decision. Staff resources must be adequate to permit each member to play a real role; the system has little point, if members of the team have insufficient time to devote to its work. 

Stephen Bauld is a government procurement expert and can be reached at swbauld@purchasingci.com. Some of his columns may contain excerpts from The Municipal Procurement Handbook published by Butterworths.