Social Procurement in Construction

This subject introduces the concept of social procurement in construction. Social procurement refers to contractual obligations of head contractors to meet targets for employment of women, Indigenous, CALD, socially disadvantaged, and disabled workers as part of the total workforce employed on a construction project. Social procurement targets also include local manufacture and supply of materials. The subject will examine the legal framework of social procurement clauses in contracts, and contemporary strategies employed by construction managers to meet those contractual obligations, including the use of specialist third-party providers to act as intermediaries. At the conclusion of the subject, students will be able to describe the expectations behind social procurement, investigate the obligations and consequences of social procurement targets in contracts, identify innovative construction methodologies that have community benefit beyond building, and propose and evaluate solutions to the challenge of social procurement.