Client Synopsis
Office of the Industry AdvocateOrganisation Overview
The Office of the Industry Advocate’s role is to make it easier for local businesses to tender for
government contracts and work with business and Industry Associations to increase the number of
companies that meet government tender requirements.
South Australia’s economy is driven by small businesses, with over 90% being in the SME category,
and a large number of those wanting to tap into State government contracts. The government
recognised this and established the Industry Advocate to support the thriving small business sector in
the State to achieve a greater share of government contracts. In doing so, the government
acknowledged the need for improved communication between government purchasers and potential
providers, active collaboration between businesses – and indeed – industries, review of current systems
and removal of process barriers.
Its objectives are to:
- Build the capacity of businesses in the State to successfully tender for Government contracts
- Recommend changes to policy and practices that remove impediments to industry participation
- Initiate procurement reforms that provide greater economic benefit to the State and businesses
- Industry growth and diversification.
Fragile to Agile Engagement
The existing procurement process for the SA Government involves 13 Heads of Procurement with
differing approaches across Government and often within different areas of an agency, even though
there are common information and process requirements for procurement. There is no common model
or information definition, nor a common system differing taxonomies.
The OIA had received numerous requests (and complaints) from industry about these processes, high
among them the fact that there were so many and that they were inconsistent. The new SA Government
elected in 2018 recognised a need for change to a State-wide common procurement practice and
identified addressing this issue as one of its top priorities. Consequently, it requested the OIA to provide
a more detailed analysis of needs and an options paper.
Fragile to Agile were selected by the OIA* to perform this analysis, and assuming that standard practices
can be established across the agencies/heads of procurement to:
- Conduct a scan of the Current State;
- Understand existing capabilities, what can be leveraged/incorporated into a solution;
- Define Target State Options including high level functional and deployment options.
- Document findings in a single report.
While the outcome of this report is commercially sensitive it was well received by the OIA, DPC and
cabinet.
* Supported and partially funded by Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) SA.