Embedding a New Procurement Policy Across Government
Published: 19 May 2026
Project Overview
Executive Summary
In 2026, AcademyGlobal was invited by the capability leadership group of a state government department to assist in the embedding of a substantial new policy across all teaching curriculum for state government departments and agencies. The changes to policy were widespread and significant and reflected an incoming government’s priorities around support for regional businesses, support for Aboriginal and Indigenous businesses, support for suppliers who could evidence their environmental credentials, and strengthened provisions of Modern Slavery law as it applied to public sector procurement. This multifaceted policy required a rollout and teaching of large numbers of staff across the departments and agencies through a very large geographic area.
The Challenge
The changes to policy were widespread and significant and reflected an incoming government’s priorities around areas such as support for regional businesses, support for Aboriginal and Indigenous businesses, support for suppliers who could evidence their environmental credentials, and strengthened provisions of Modern Slavery law as it applied to public sector procurement.
This multifaceted policy required a rollout and teaching of large numbers of staff across the departments and agencies through a very large geographic area. In-person training alone would not scale, and would not reach regional staff with the same fidelity as central staff. A consistent rollout required a mix of formats and a single source of policy interpretation across all of them. Every department agent across the jurisdiction was in scope.
Inconsistent embedding would have produced uneven application of regional and Indigenous business preferences, gaps in Modern Slavery due diligence, and weaker environmental credentialing checks across the jurisdiction’s spend. That would expose the government to Audit Office scrutiny and undermine the policy’s stated priorities. All existing training programs were adapted to reflect new policies.
The Strategy and Solution
The intervention that AcademyGlobal brought was several fold.
Materials Realignment Reflecting New Policies
First, all existing training materials for this jurisdiction were amended to reflect the new policy environment. This ensured that any in-person or facilitator-led training, regardless of who delivered it inside the jurisdiction, taught the new policy and only the new policy.
E-learning Development
Second, the development of a self-paced e-learning program comprising online modules and self-assessments. This let regional staff and staff who could not attend facilitator-led sessions complete the same core content at their own pace, with self-assessments providing a feedback loop. The e-learning format gave the department a way to scale the rollout without scaling the facilitator headcount.
Senior Executive Insights
Third, a series of interviews with senior executives across the government procurement functions to discuss how they are practically seeking to bring this policy into effect. These interviews gave staff something the policy document alone could not: examples of senior leaders thinking aloud about how the new priorities translated into day-to-day procurement decisions.
AG’s broader public sector course catalogue, including Procurement for QLD Public Sector and Procurement for NSW Public Sector, uses the same blended model of materials, e-learning, and senior leader perspective.
Delivery and Execution
Phase 1: Materials amendment
All existing training materials for the jurisdiction were amended to reflect the new policy environment.
Phase 2: Senior executive interview series
A series of interviews with senior executives across the government procurement functions including multiple Chief Procurement Officers and Head of People and Culture for lead agency discussed how they are practically seeking to bring this policy into effect.
The Results and Success
The impact and results so far have been very encouraging. Staff who are responsible for embedding this revised policy have commented that there is a much higher level of clarity in relation to the expectations of the policy. Discussions in relation to senior leaders’ application of policy in a context which they can relate to has been helpful. There is also an increased level of confidence in compliance and defensibility to the Audit Office and broader government in relation to the adoption and demonstration of the policy in and across procurement and contract management.
AG continues to deliver jurisdiction-wide policy rollouts through a mix of updated training, e-learning, and senior leader content. Related open-enrolment courses include Procurement Analysis in the Public Sector and Supplier Relationship Management in the Public Sector. For jurisdictions seeking the same custom rollout, AG’s tailored in-house programs deliver the design end-to-end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Through a blended design. Updated facilitator-led materials carry the policy into central training. Self-paced e-learning reaches regional staff and anyone who cannot attend facilitator-led sessions. A senior executive interview series shows leaders applying the policy in context, which is what staff most often need to see.
Procurement staff are expected to consider Modern Slavery risk in their planning, sourcing, and contract management activity, in line with the Modern Slavery Act and the policy framework of their jurisdiction. This includes due diligence on suppliers, contract clauses, and ongoing monitoring through contract management.
It depends on the scope of the change and the headcount in scope. A substantial multi-area policy reset with materials amendment, an e-learning build, and an executive interview series usually runs over several months, with materials and e-learning delivered first and the interview series rolled out as senior executives apply the policy in real cases.