Reference groups

At HealthShare Victoria, our approach to procurement includes regular consultation with Victorian public health services. As part of this commitment, HSV has developed a number of collaborative reference groups to drive the development of our sourcing program.

A collaborative approach helps to ensure we identify best-value outcomes for the sector that reflect the diverse clinical and operational requirements of Victorian health services.

How reference groups work

Reference groups consist of health-sector representatives. Reference group participants help to guide HSV to determine the requirements for each tender or product or service sourcing event. These requirements form the basis by which the tender is to be evaluated.

Each group operates on behalf of Victoria’s public hospitals and reviews and recommends the selection of appropriate clinical and non-clinical products and services.

Key responsibilities of reference groups include:

  • Identifying and confirming the range of products to be tendered for
  • Identifying relevant product or service standards and development of specifications
  • Identifying key clinicians and users of products under contract
  • Developing tender evaluation criteria
  • Identifying factors relevant to local, regional and small-and-medium enterprise (SME) that must be considered as part of the tender
  • Recommending award scenarios regarding particular contracts

Joining a reference group

Reference group members provide HSV with direct insight and advice into how products and services vary across health services; they are critical in defining the sourcing strategy and minimum requirements. Reference Group members are chosen for their background, knowledge and extensive experience with the products and services under consideration for HPV contracts. Each reference group represents a range of personnel from a number of metropolitan and regional health services.

In order to ensure the highest standards of probity, members of reference groups are bound by a code of conduct and confidentiality agreement to ensure the strictest principles of professional ethics and probity apply.

The nomination process

Reference group members are appointed by their health service Chief Executive.

Access to the nominations process is limited to our health service customers who are registered members on this website.

To submit a nomination for your health service to a product or service reference group, please navigate to the Nominations Portal. You must be logged into My Dashboard to access the Portal.

For more information please read the following documents.

A hospital worker and a woman have a conversation.