No Favourites, Just Fairness: the Membership Sector Needs to Embrace Competitive Tendering

Andrew Chamberlain
Jul 2
3 min read

Earlier today, I was told by a prospective client that they wouldn’t be pursuing a conversation about strategic planning support with me, because their Chair "has recommended a contact he has worked with before, and we have agreed to go with that option."

No conversation. No process. No competition.

Just a private decision made behind closed doors.

It’s a story I’ve heard many times before, and it's one that speaks volumes about a quiet but damaging culture that persists across too much of the membership sector: the widespread failure to embrace competitive tendering.

The Problem Isn’t Who Gets the Work. It’s How the Who Is Chosen.

Let me be absolutely clear. I’m not asking to be handed the work (as lovely as that would be). I am asking to be given the chance to compete for it. To put forward a proposal. To be evaluated alongside others on the strength of my thinking, experience, and understanding of the brief.

And I’m not alone in that. Every credible consultant, facilitator, agency, and partner working in this space wants and deserves the opportunity to stand on a level playing field; but unfortunately, far too often in our sector, that playing field doesn’t exist.

Procurement is frequently based on relationships, convenience, or legacy.

“We’ve used them before.”
“They know the sector.”
“The Chair likes them.”
“It’s quicker this way.”

It might feel efficient, but it’s short-sighted, anti-competitive, and risks undermining the very values our organisations are meant to uphold.

What’s at Stake?

When we bypass open procurement processes, we’re not just excluding people, we’re weakening our own organisations. Here’s what gets lost:

Fresh thinking: Working with the same trusted names over and over can trap organisations in a cycle of sameness. New providers challenge assumptions, stretch thinking, and inject innovation.
Value for money: Without comparing proposals, how do you know if you’re overpaying or missing out on better results?
Trust and transparency: Awarding work informally creates a perception of favouritism, and in many cases, perpetuates a reality of it. That damages credibility with members and stakeholders alike.
Sector equity: Great consultants without the “right” connections are routinely locked out, regardless of their capability. That’s not just unfair, it’s bad for the sector.

The Sector’s Own Double Standard

Here’s the uncomfortable irony. Many professional bodies and associations exist to champion standards, transparency, accountability, and good governance in the industries they serve. Yet internally, they make procurement decisions that would never pass muster in their own codes of conduct.

We ask our members to act with integrity. Shouldn’t we be modelling the same?

It Doesn’t Need to Be Complicated

Adopting competitive tendering doesn’t mean bureaucracy or red tape. It simply means:

Writing a clear, focused brief;
Inviting a handful of qualified providers to respond;
Evaluating responses on transparent criteria; and
Making decisions collectively, not unilaterally.

This doesn’t have to take months. In many cases, a well-run competitive process can be completed in a few weeks, and the result is usually a better fit, clearer expectations, and a stronger working relationship.

Leadership Starts at the Top

When a Chair (unilaterally?)influences who will deliver a project, especially something as pivotal as strategic planning, it short-circuits the organisation’s governance. Good procurement isn’t about personal preference; it’s about organisational accountability.

Chairs and CEOs have a responsibility to model professionalism. That includes ensuring that procurement is open, fair, and rooted in the organisation’s best interests, not just relationships or familiarity.

A Call to Action

The membership sector is full of organisations doing vital, purpose-driven work; but if we want to be taken seriously as a modern, credible, and professional ecosystem, we need to act like one.

That means: