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Blog posted by: Chris Wood, 25 June 2020 – Categories: Supply Chain.

Our Interim Supply Chain Director Alan Hartley and Collaborative Working Programme Lead Stephen Scott were due to travel to London in May to receive ISO44001 certification for our commitment to collaborative working.

But with the arrival of coronavirus, lockdown and social distancing it put a pause to events like the annual ‘House of Lords Collaboration Reception” where they were due to pick up the certificate.

The event usually attracts more than 200 people, and this year was transformed into the 'Not at the House of Lords' reception, an online event with speakers and virtual presentation of the ISO44001 certificates.

It was an opportunity to show members and guests that, whilst life may have changed significantly for millions of people both in their personal and working lives, the principles of collaborative working are even more important during this time.

The event was opened by Institute of Collaborative Working Chairman Lord Evans, who introduced some of the key themes of the work of his team and members especially during the current crisis.

Coleen Andrews, Director of Markets and Suppliers at the Cabinet Office, joined to talk about the importance of collaboration across the public sector, especially at this time of global pandemic.

With many of our members working with government and especially through the Cabinet Office, they were particularly keen to hear how Coleen viewed the opportunities for collaborative working.

Another guest speaker, Lord Victor Adebowale, Chair of NHS Confederation, talked about his experience of collaboration in the NHS and the importance of systems working together. The pandemic has created opportunities for new ways of working and has accelerated the use of technology in the NHS.

Martin Townsend, Global Head of Sustainability at BSI, reminded us in his presentation of the value of collaborative working to build global sustainability.

Awarding certificates is a key part of the annual reception, and an opportunity for the institute to recognise those companies that have been successful. David Hawkins virtually presented the certificate to Stephen Scott, our collaborative working programme lead.

Our Interim Supply Chain Director Alan Hartley said:

Receiving this award really does signify a significant step for Sellafield Ltd in terms of how we are going to conduct our business.

We started this journey in 2018, when we were developing our new supply chain strategy and transformation programme and there was a strong recognition that collaborative working was absolutely fundamental to our success.

From how we partner and collaborate with the business, to how we actually partner and collaborate with the supply chain through our SRM programme. In doing so it became the golden thread through our strategy and through our programme.

And as such, we decided to be very bold and made a significant commitment to our business to achieve the certification.

Collaborative working is also, and will become, a key differentiator for us all in terms of how we run our businesses as we work through uncertain times and the new challenges presented by COVID-19 and work towards our ‘new normal’ as has been quoted many times during this session- whatever that will look like.

I’d really like to say thank you to Stephen Scott, the Sellafield Ltd team, and members of the supply chain for taking on that bold commitment back in 2018 and not only enabling us to achieve and receive commendation of ISO 44001 certification, but also in establishing a very firm set of foundations for how we will conduct our business as we drive collaborative working across the business more broadly.

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