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Issue 2
The essential
guide to the work of the NWCE for chief executives and executive leaders
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This
newsletter is being sent to you for information purposes only. This
is the bi-monthly newsletter sent to Chief Executives and Executive
Leaders in the north west.
Enjoy!
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A typical
council shares 61% of its suppliers with at least one other council in the
region and some suppliers are used by all councils.
 Through
their own efforts, and supported by central agencies, councils have
generally improved their procurement performance significantly.
Currently there are estimated to
be over 250 staff in procurement units within north west councils of which about half are professionally qualified.
 The resource in procurement
units is almost the tip of the iceberg and is estimated to represent as little as 10% of the resource actually used in managing third party spend.
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Your next step. . .
These are just some of the highlights of the work
being done by the NWCE with local authorities in the region. Are
you missing out on what we can offer? Contact us.
Telephone 0161 342 4080
email nwce@tameside.gov.uk
Website www.nwce.gov.uk
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 Dear Chief Executive
The NWCE is behind a wide
range of new initiatives to help your authorities tackle the challenges
set by CSR07.
Executive Stress gives you a
flavour of these key initiatives and highlights how your councils
can benefit.
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 Report lifts lid on buying game
THE NWCE has completed its comprehensive study into
third party spend in the region.
The report will be a vital tool in councils' drive to
meet the targets set in CSR07.
We shall be launching the paper soon and all chief executives
will receive an executive summary of the report in advance.
The findings are significant. For instance, did you know
that local government in the north west spends £6.5 billion a year with
third parties - 64% being 'within' the region and (a different but
overlapping) 64% with SMEs.
The NWCE will now be working with you and your people to
establish how the findings and recommendations in the report can be
most effectively developed.
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 Three
down and two to go
THE sub-regions
are being encouraged to apply for £53,700 each from the NWCE to be used
to help implement shared service projects. The money it intended to be
used to help each sub-region draw up governance arrangements and a
three-year shared services strategy for their area of the region.
Merseyside, Lancashire and AGMA have now had their
applications for funding approved and work on the Cheshire
and Cumbria
funding bids is progressing well.
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 Reporting for action
The annual
report and forward plan for the North West Centre of Excellence has now
been published.
Chief Executives and Executive Leaders will - postal strike permitting
- receive their copies of the document next week.
The report outlines the work achieved by the centre and its local
authority partners, so far, and also details the programme of projects
that are to be tackled in the future to help councils in the region
fulfil their commitments to CSR07 and the transformation agenda.
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 Plug into the Docking Station
Issuing tenders for contracts can be a time-consuming
and costly business for local authorities. How much easier would it be
for your staff if all the standard documentation they needed was in one
place and available on-line 24 hours a day.
Well it is!
The NWCE's Standards Group has
created the Docking Station, accessible on the home page of the NWCE's web site
www.nwce.gov.uk. It contains a
suite of verified documents that have been through a multi-authority
drafting process, as well as being checked by the NWCE standards
validation group against pre-set criteria. It includes everything from
pre-qualification documents and tender documents to terms and
conditions and contract award a rejection letters.
Do your procurement teams know
about the Docking Station? Isn't it about time they did?
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 In
the driving seat
WE have been
working closely with the Department of Transport and the Department of
Health on a detailed study of the advantages to be gained by
collaboration on public sector health transport.
A paper has now been produced which will be jointly
launched by the NWCE and the two government departments. It contains a
number of revealing case studies on successful public sector
partnerships that are delivering health transport effectively and
efficiently, along with some powerful recommendations.
Project director Garth Goddard
commented: "Public sector transport is a significant spend for many local authorities and this paper
recommends highly that councils look at creating partnerships to
procure and deliver this service."
Chief executives will be receiving their own copy of the executive
summary, shortly, followed by a printed version of the full report.
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