New Zealand Qualifications Authority wins procurement team of the year

New Zealand Qualifications Authority procurement team and board with their CIPS award.

The award recognises procurement teams who have made significant improvements to their performance and culture, resulting in increased effectiveness, influence, efficiencies, savings or competitive advantage.

The win came as a surprise for Ismail Halim, Senior Procurement Advisor at NZQA. "We were thrilled just to be shortlisted and never expected to win," he said. "Winning was incredible. It was an opportunity to represent our organisation alongside some big players and showcase the great work we're doing."

What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that NZQA's procurement function consists of just 2 team members. Over a 12-month period, the team focused on uplifting procurement capability across the organisation, strengthening governance, and positioning procurement as a strategic partner that could add value.

Recognising that many NZQA staff come from educational rather than government backgrounds, the team focused on building trust and making procurement approachable. "The first challenge is positioning the value of the procurement function," Ismail explained. "It's about encouraging learning and saying, ‘this is how we can help make it easier for you.'"

Central to their success was a strong emphasis on relationship building, proactive engagement, and continuous learning. They had strong backing from their leadership team and regular communication helped increase procurement visibility and confidence across the organisation.

Reflecting on what makes an effective procurement team, Ismail highlighted 3 key principles: relationship building, constant communication, and positive thinking. "Be open and available," he said. "Soft skills are incredibly important when building a team."

The judges applauded NZQA’s work as a "... textbook example of scalable procurement transformation with outstanding outcomes from a 2-person team."