Beginning/ending Our Buying Within a Country

BEGINNING/ENDING OUR BUYING WITHIN A COUNTRY

Revised December 2015

Purpose

To create a framework for determining when it is appropriate to expand our buying to a new group/country or when we should discontinuing buying from a group/country.  The intention is to establish guidelines with the understanding exceptions may be made based on particular circumstances.

Policy

Ten Thousand Villages Leadership Team and Purchasing and Collections Planning Manager will determine when it is appropriate to begin or end a buying relationship with a country or with a group.

Procedure

All proposals for beginning/ending a buying relationship with a group/country are made by the individual interested in making the change.

1.        Beginning/ending our relationships with a country are handled as follows:

        1.1        Factors to be considered when beginning a new country relationship/s include, but         are not exclusive to:

                1.1.1        The level of economic need in the country as represented by a variety of sources including: in-country connections, MCC, and other public information such as publications by the UNDP.

                1.1.2        The number of groups interested in selling to Villages.

                1.1.3        If the relationship with groups within the country can be sustainable long term as judged by:

                        - Adherence to our Purchasing Guidelines

                        - The range of product materials, artisan skill base, and the impact the products may have on our buying relationships with other core groups.

                1.1.4        Other factors that may make it appropriate for Ten Thousand Villages to begin a relationship.

        1.2        Factors to be considered in ending our relationship/s within a country include:

                1.2.1        The level of economic need in the country as represented by the UNDP or by other reliable information from sources such as MCC.

                1.2.2        The level of dependency the groups have on Ten Thousand Villages orders.

                1.2.3    The group is no longer able to produce products fit for sale in our retail marketplace due to quality, capacity, etc.

2.        Beginning/ending our relationship/s with a group are handled as follows:

        2.1        When a Buyer is interested in beginning a buying relationship, the following considerations are reviewed with the Purchasing Director.

                -Adherence to Purchasing Guidelines

                -Travel considerations

                        - How the products compare to products currently purchased from core group and if the addition of another group will negatively impact our existing relationships.

                -Whether products are desirable and correspond with our market niche.