Establishing tenant traction: TAROE Chair, Michael Gelling, talks to PfH ahead of the Annual Conference 2009.

PfH caught up with this year's Opening Address speaker Michael Gelling, Chair of TAROE, ahead of the event to find out more about what he will discuss at the PfH Annual Conference 2009 taking place at the ICC in Birmingham on Tuesday 24th November 2009.

With the imminent launch of the TSA Empowerment Standard, landlords will be putting tenants in direct control of key decisions about their homes. This has significant implications on the procurement process. Delivering the Opening Address, Michael will cover the impact of involving tenants on issuing tenders, interviewing contractors, approving sub-contractors and monitoring service levels. Michael will explain to PfH Conference delegates why the standard is beneficial to the procurement process and how it will boost supplier standards in the future.

In the Opening Address, he will advocate how housing providers can ensure tenants become actively involved in the procurement service, to prove it is more than just lip service and will specify why tenants have a responsibility for involvement and will outline where the balance of responsibility falls. With only a few landlords currently involving tenants in the procurement process, Michael will address how this collaboration can materialise in practice.