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Appendix 3 - EqSEIA - Sustainable Procurement Strategy 20252028_Redacted

Argyll and Bute Council · 20 February 2025
Back to Policy and Resources Committee — 20 February 2025 and its agenda

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Page 1

Argyll and Bute Council: Equality and Socio-Economic Impact Assessment
Section 1: About the proposal
Title of Proposal
Sustainable Procurement Strategy 2025/2028
Intended outcome of proposal
The Council has a statutory requirement to update and publish its Sustainable Procurement
Strategy on an annual basis following the key changes introduced by the Procurement Reform
(Scotland) Art 2014 and the Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016.
The Council also has a requirement to consult with key stakeholder groups for this document.
This gives the Council the opportunity to raise awareness, attain buy-in, inform the contents
of the document and further develop engagement with key stakeholder groups.
Description of proposal
The Argyll and Bute Council Sustainable Procurement Strategy 2025/28 sets out a framework
which is designed to enable the Council to continue on its journey of change and innovation
through:
o To ensure all procurement staff and council officers involved in the procurement
process are fully aware of all aspects and impacts of the procurement rules and any
other relevant regulations.
o Increase opportunities for commercial savings.
o Reduce the value of non-contract spend.
o To secure wider social, economic and environmental benefits for the local area and
ensure those benefits are realised.
o Increased opportunities for local suppliers to help grow the local economy.
o Increased engagement and collaboration with suppliers and SDP.
o To develop resilient local supply chains, providing clear advice and consistent
approaches to procurement and community benefits, ensuring businesses are aware of,
and are able to take advantage of, procurement opportunities supported by a
programme of active and innovative supplier engagement and development support.
o To increase the knowledge and understanding of the benefits of sustainable
procurement of all council staff who participate in the procurement process and make
better use of the expertise within the council to ensure wider sustainable outcomes are
achieved.
o Continue to deliver best value contracts.
o More streamlined and leaner processes.
o Procurement continues to be a key strand in the delivery of council strategies and
policies.
o Build capacity and skills within the council to improve procurement, commissioning and
contract management activity and support procurement people of tomorrow.
o Cross-service collaboration.
Business Outcome(s) / Corporate Outcome(s) to which the proposal contributes
BO110 We support businesses, employment and development opportunities

Page 2

Lead officer details:
Name of lead officer Anne MacColl-Smith
Job title Procurement and Contract Management
Manager
Department Legal & Regulatory Support
Appropriate officer details:
Name of appropriate officer David Logan
Job title Head of Legal & Regulatory Support
Department Legal & Regulatory Support
Sign off of EqSEIA
Date of sign off 31/10/2024
Who will deliver the proposal?
Anne MacColl-Smith
Section 2: Evidence used in the course of carrying out EqSEIA
Consultation / engagement
To date public consultation has taken place, the strategy and consultation questions were
placed on the Council’s website and social media pages. The results of the consultation are
contained in the Stakeholder Consultation Report 2024 - see Appendix A.
Data
N/A
Other information
N/A
Gaps in evidence
N/A

Page 3

Classification: OFFICIAL
Section 3: Impact of proposal 
Impact on service users: 
Negative No impact Positive  Don’t
know
Protected characteristics:     
Age  *   
Disability  *   
Ethnicity  *   
Gender  *   
Gender reassignment  *   
Marriage and Civil Partnership  *   
Pregnancy and Maternity  *   
Religion  *   
Sexual Orientation  *   
Fairer Scotland Duty:     
Mainland rural population  *   
Island populations  *   
Low income   *   
Low wealth  *   
Material deprivation  *   
Area deprivation  *   
Socio-economic background  *   
Communities of place?  *   
Communities of interest?  *   
Impact on service deliverers (including employees, volunteers etc): 
Negative No impact Positive  Don’t
know
Protected characteristics:     
Age  *   
Disability  *   
Ethnicity  *   
Gender  *   
Gender reassignment  *   
Marriage and Civil Partnership  *   
Pregnancy and Maternity  *   
Religion  *   
Sexual Orientation  *   
Fairer Scotland Duty:     
Mainland rural population  *   
Island populations  *   
Low income   *   
Low wealth  *   
Material deprivation  *   
Area deprivation  *   
Socio-economic background  *   
Communities of place?  *   
Communities of interest?  *

Page 4

Classification: OFFICIAL
If any ‘don’t know’s have been identified, at what point will impacts on these groups
become identifiable?
N/A 
How has ‘due regard’ been given to any negative impacts that have been identified?
N/A 
Section 4: Interdependencies 
Is this proposal likely to have any knock-on effects for any
other activities carried out by or on behalf of the Council?
No 
Details of knock-on effects identified
N/A 
Section 5: Monitoring and review 
How will you monitor and evaluate the equality impacts of your proposal?
By continuous performance monitoring thus ensuring best value and practice is maintained
via our Annual Procurement Report that is published on our Council website.