Insourcing or Sustainable Sourcing of Services:Universities have since 2015 been either implementing and / or considering different models of insourcing or what we now refer to as sustainable sourcing based on their local and institutional contexts, including affordability. USAf has established a strong working group on this and much work has already been accomplished to document current practice and to demonstrate alternative models.When insourcing first became an issue, it was directed at those workers referred to as “vulnerable workers,” namely cleaners, gardeners, caterers and security personnel. Each university had to decide how to deal with the issue based on its own position. As institutions struggle to absorb the additional personnel and to assimilate them into institutional cultures, there has subsequently been a push from unions at some universities for the “insourcing” of additional categories of workers (some professional and specialist services) and activities (retail/vendors) on campuses. After discussing the matter at length, the sector-wide task team convening in this regard agreed that further deliberations be held to: a) share the lessons drawn from insourcing experiences thus far, and b) explore the ideas that underpin a proposal to commercialise the insourced activities. This project continues well into 2018.

Click here to read a Report Summary from a Sector Meeting on Insourcing_Sept 2017