LONDON, MARCH 12, 2018:The Global Sourcing Association (GSA), the industry association for strategic sourcing and outsourcing professionals, is calling for the outsourcing community to come together and help to reshape and improve the industry in the face of media and political opposition in the aftermath of the Carillion collapse, and ongoing technology-driven disruption.

The GSA is inviting any and all interested parties to an extraordinary meeting taking place March 26th 2018, 4pm-7pm, at the London office of law firm Eversheds, where GSA Council members will present their thoughts on the state of the outsourcing space and some of the challenges facing it, and will invite attendees to share their own ideas and to participate in formulating a year-long programme of action. The outputs from the meeting will form the platform for that programme, with attendees’ contributions defining the agendas of new working groups tackling specific challenges identified by the community.

Ahead of her appearance before the Public Administration & Constitutional Affairs Committee in Westminster on March 13th, GSA UK CEO Kerry Hallard said that the conditions created by the Carillion crisis and reactions thereto have created a “burning platform” for a “reshaping” of the industry in the UK and beyond.

“Outsourcing is and remains a critical part of public sector service delivery,” Hallard said, “and of the economy as a whole – and while recent attacks on the model have often been extremely wide of the mark it’s clear that the industry’s standing in the public eye needs urgent improvement. This is an opportunity for those of us involved in outsourcing to stand up and be counted, to celebrate our successes, and to demonstrate the almost incalculable value that we deliver every day. However, it’s also a chance for us to take a root-and-branch look at the entire space and ask where we might be able to make genuine changes for the better – and whether we need a wholesale reshaping of the industry to ensure our ability to deliver on our value proposition remains unimpeded.”

Any professionals working in or around outsourcing are invited to join the extraordinary meeting on March 26th to add their efforts to the GSA’s programme. For more information please contact Jamie Liddell, Head of Content, GSA, at jamiel@gsa-uk.com or on 07432 266306 - or see the event listing page here.