Learning between diversity and shared challenges: The first BUILD staff exchange in Turku
The sixth largest city in Finland, Turku’s population amounts to just over 200,000 citizens. Our partner procurers from the Municipality of Turku and Valonia recently hosted the inaugural staff exchange of the BUILD project here. This event brought together procurement professionals from Rotterdam and Tartu, highlighting the benefits of learning from diverse municipal approaches while addressing shared challenges.
The agenda
The plan for two-days of staff exchange considered both theoretical and practical learnings, through outdoor visits. The topics covered:
- motivation and engagement,
- citizen involvement,
- utilisation of contract and tender surveys,
- innovation potential evaluation,
- annual planning,
- presentation of the advisory organization Valonia.
Moreover, there were dedicated moments for other BUILD procurement partners to showcase their innovative procurement processes and compare different strategies.
A key tool in Turku: Valonia, regional advisory organisations
Valonia is an unbiased regional advisory organisation for municipalities and companies regarding sustainable development. They carry out a wide range of activities concerning sustainable public procurement. With the aim to target energy efficiency, sustainable use of resources and biodiversity preservation, within the wider scope of building a Carbon neutral South-West Finland.
This type of intermediaries is a key player in the procurement ecosystem. It offers a great support to innovate sustainable-to-be municipalities. The intermediaries can offer information, tools and networking possibilities for the municipalities (buyers) but also for companies (suppliers). Most interestingly, in Valonia’s case, their services are free of charge for the municipalities, as a part of their project activity.
Diverse practices with common goals
Participants from Rotterdam and Tartu were introduced to Turku’s unique procurement practices. For instance, Turku’s integration of contract management and project management roles differs significantly from Rotterdam’s approach. This centralized system in Turku allows for streamlined operations and better oversight. Also, Turku engages in extensive collaboration with neighbouring municipalities fostering procurement support.
Innovative approaches
One of the standout practices in Turku was their use of an app to identify potential successful procurements. This technology, coupled with extensive citizen involvement in decision-making, showcased how Turku leverages innovation to enhance procurement processes. This technological approach was perfectly integrated with Turku’s wider objectives focused on environmental protection, climate goals, and managing dangerous substances in procurement processes.
Key learnings and takeaways
Feedback from the exchange was overwhelmingly positive. Participants appreciated the opportunity to see firsthand how Turku manages different procurement categories, engages citizens, and integrates innovative tools. They returned home with new ideas, such as:
- the possibility of adopting similar technological solutions
- community engagement strategies
- integration of category and project management
- building personal connections
- direct conversations
After eighteen months of Zoom interactions, meeting face-to-face was a significant, efficient and enjoyable experience.
Conclusion
The Turku staff exchange underscored the importance of diversity in municipal practices. By learning from each other, cities like Rotterdam and Tartu can implement new strategies to overcome common challenges, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
