Making history, the inaugural GO Awards Wales debuted at Cardiff’s Marriott Hotel on 6 October 2016, to celebrate the people behind the country’s procurement success. Here BiP Solutions journalist Julie Shennan reports from the night.
Among the guests were public sector buyers and their suppliers, continuing conversations that started earlier in Wales’ Day of Procurement celebration at Procurex Wales Live 2016, held in Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena.
Speaking at Procurex Wales Live, GO Awards judge and Welsh Government National Procurement Service Director Sue Moffatt said:
“This is the first annual GO Awards in Wales; it is something that we are hugely proud of. There has been a really high calibre of entries; it never ceases to amaze me how public sector procurement people care passionately about what they deliver.”
After an early-evening drinks reception, the chatter subsided as guests took their seats to enjoy a three-course meal and await the Awards results.
Hosting the GO Awards Wales 2016/17 ceremony was BBC Wales’ radio presenter Roy Noble.
Mr Nobel paid homage to the hard work of the judging panel: Welsh Government National Procurement Service Director Sue Moffatt; NHS Wales Director of Procurement Services Mark Roscow; Cardiff Business School lecturer Dr Jane Lynch; CBI Assistant Director Ian Price; Scottish Government Head of Scottish Procurement Policy and Strategy Nikki Bell; WCVA Chief Executive Ruth Marks; DVLA Commercial Director Andrew Falvey; ONS Director of Service Centre and Chief Procurement Officer Scott Howell; PASS Principal Procurement Consultant Eddie Regan; and Government Opportunities Managing Editor and Lead Judge Grahame Steed.
Speaking before the Awards ceremony, Mr Steed said:
“This year the standard of submissions was so high that we decided to make a significant change to our GO Awards process: whoever wins in their categories tonight automatically pre-qualifies to be a finalist in the National GO Awards next March. Thsi is a real testimony to the quality of submissions we have received this year.”
With this promise in the air, Mr Steed and Mr Noble proceeded to announce the 2016 winners and highly commended runners-up.
The first to receive their awards were GO Sustainability featuring Community Benefits and Joint Bidding Award winners South Wales Fire & Rescue Service along with Vale of Glamorgan Council, highly commended in the same category.
Also taking the stage were GO Collaboration – Central Government and NHS Award winners South Wales Police, Dyfed-Powys Police, Gwent Police; as well as the runners-up from NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership.
GO Collaboration Award – Local Government and Housing winners were then announced as Carmarthenshire County Council, with City of Cardiff Council highly commended.
Then the GO Best Service Award prize went to NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership & NHS Wales Informatics Service, with New Directions highly commended.
Next to take the stage were GO Innovation or Initiative of the Year Award – Central Government and NHS winners, the Welsh Government/National Procurement, with the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency as runners-up; they were followed by GO Innovation or Initiative of the Year Award – Local Government and Housing winners City of Cardiff Council, with Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd taking highly commended.
The penultimate category of the night, the GO Procurement Team of the Year Award, was won by Wales & West Utilities with NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership receiving highly commended.
With the Awards drawing to their conclusion, GO Procurement Leadership of the Year Award winners NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership took to the stage, preceded by highly commended runners-up Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd.
Accepting their second award of the night Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd spokesperson said:
“We have done a lot of work in the past 12-18 months, raising the awareness of procurement in the organisation, fine-tuning our procurement strategy and just getting people on board with the changes. This isn’t just an award for procurement; this award reflects the achievements of our entire organisation.
“It also feels twice as good knowing that this is the second trophy we have received tonight; so we will need to celebrate twice as hard!”
Echoing this sentiment was GO Awards Lead Judge Grahame Steed.
Mr Steed said: “This truly was a celebration of Wales’ Day of Procurement! From a hugely successful Procurex Wales Live event during the day that saw over 1000 delegates in attendance, right through to this stunning finale that is the very first GO Awards Wales, this has been a spectacular day! Well done to all the Winners and Highly Commended; your success is well deserved and I urge you to go on and represent Wales by entering the National GO Awards 2017/18.”
To enter the National GO Awards National 2017/18, visit The GO Awards website.
