Collaborative Procurement: The Southern Initiative and The Cause Collective unite for community well-being

Healthy Families South Auckland (HFSA) has embarked on a unique and collaborative journey to enhance outcomes for South Auckland communities.

With teams based at The Cause Collective and Auckland Council's The Southern Initiative (TSI) working in tandem, HFSA is adopting a collective approach to foster deeper connections and seize opportunities within each other's sphere of influence.

The TSI team has been working closely with Auckland Council's Active Communities, developing a whānau-centered co-design approach to understand the aspirations of local whānau when it comes to well-being.

This collaborative effort led to the creation of Kia ora Te Whānau, a model that translates strategic priorities into operational capabilities.

One of the key components of Kia ora Te Whānau is Pou Oritetanga, aimed at ensuring equitable access to facilities to support community-led initiatives that nurture well-being. It presented an opportunity within Active Communities' procurement processes in the Request for Proposal (RFP) for Pools & Leisure.

Winnie Hauraki, the manager of the TSI team, saw the potential of Pou Oritetanga and recognised the chance to open up more opportunities for the community. She brought in the expertise of Indigenous Systems Lead Were Maiava and Lead Systems Innovator Pita Alatini, from The Cause Collective, who had been scoping the RFP.

Together, Were and Pita championed the Māori and Pasifika perspective and the importance of well-being and accessibility to local facilities in community development initiatives.

"Our crew was initially keen on applying, however we saw that as a collective we weren't prepared to do something like that,” says Were. “The whakaaro now has shifted to ensuring that regardless of who is in council there is specific consideration to Māori, locality-specific providers, and locality-specific narratives."

In the realm of procurement, HFSA's approach has led to the development of intentional mechanisms that promote supplier diversity within the Active Communities procurement process.

These innovative mechanisms introduce alternative key indicators focused on innovation, achieving Māori outcomes, and responding to community needs. To underscore their commitment, snapshot documents have been created to showcase the practice and approach to working innovatively, sustainability, and community engagement.

“This serves as a blueprint for communities seeking to create meaningful change,” says Winnie.  “It shows that the path to a stronger and more inclusive community begins with reimagining traditional processes and embracing new paradigms of collaboration, equity, and sustainability. Through this collaboration, HFSA is reshaping the future of South Auckland communities, amplifying voices that often go unheard in community development initiatives.”