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The
NWCE has launched The Chest
 A NEW, on-line tendering centre - The Chest - has been
launched by the NWCE.
The Chest matches
suppliers with public sector buyers to give them better value from their
buying, and to provide suppliers with easier access to new business
opportunities and contracts.
Already, more
than 110 suppliers have signed up to The Chest to take advantage of the
contracts that will be posted on the site.
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) is the first public sector
organisation in the country to use The Chest and has placed the first
tender on the site after realising it could make significant savings by
doing so.
Research has
shown there's a 58 per cent reduction in time to process tenders online and
similar percentage savings have been made in printing, production and
distribution costs. Suppliers, too, have found they can complete the
on-line documents in three-quarters of the time taken for traditional paper
documents.
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Sustainability
training up for grabs
 DELEGATES who attended a sustainability training event
organised by the NWCE have voted it a huge success.
Feedback from the
free workshop which showed delegates how to identify and manage the
sustainability impacts on their supply chain was extremely positive.
Delegates were
asked how they thought the training would benefit their organisation.
Comments included:
'It has created a
better awareness of sustainable procurement'
'It will help me
to build sustainability into my contracts and tenders'
'The training raised my personal awareness of the issues around
sustainability and the impact. It has given me a fresh insight which
will benefit the authority'
There's a second
chance to enroll for the free training event. A
new date has been set for a workshop - January 29, 2008.
For further
information about the "Free" Sustainability Training click here.
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 FOLLOWING several enquiries, the NWCE is considering
developing a regional contract for print and electronic journals, print
books, electronic books and other reference materials.
The aim of this would be to
streamline systems and suppliers and get better discount rates by combining
purchasing power.
To register your interest, contact
Beatrice Fraser at the NWCE by e-mail beatrice.fraser@tameside.gov.uk no later than
Friday November 30, 2007.
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Focus
on a framework - healthy savings
 THE NWCE's 'focus on a framework'
highlights key frameworks or agreements that councils can use.
Nursing thoughts
of making healthy savings? This framework agreement can help councils
save money when recruiting agency nurses, including healthcare assistants
and clinical support workers.
The framework agreement can be used by the
entire public sector in England and delivers, for the first time, a
standard agency nursing agreement for all English NHS regions outside
London. It introduces Agenda for Change job specifications, and
delivers cost-efficiencies through a new pricing structure and the use of eAuctions to maximise competition.
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 THE NWCE is looking to arrange an event for all north
west based CIVICA users, which would include a discussion about a
solution for government procurement cards.
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 THE November edition of CATALYST, the national publication
from the Regional Centres of Excellence, is now available and features
news about the NWCE national transport project and the Docking Station.
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 A NEW resource from the IDeA can
help councils as they go through the many stages of change to develop and
improve.
The on-line guide sets out the 10 critical change
stages and compares the ways local authorities can use tools for managing
change.
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 STRONG and Prosperous Communities - Local Government
White Paper
One Year On gives up-to-date information on how the
Government is playing its part in implementing key proposals in the
Local
Government
White Paper.
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Telecoms
workshop
November
23, 2007, Wigan Investment Centre
 MANY local authorities are feeling the effect of new billing
and other charges introduced by British Telecom.
This session will
look at how councils can reduce these charges and possibly reduce their
invoice values with BT.
For more information click here.
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Sourcing
sustainable solutions - Meet the
Buyers
November
21, 2007, Manchester
 THE NWCE will be supporting a sustainable procurement event
in Manchester in November.
Sourcing Sustainable Solutions - Meet the Buyers will
provide delegates with the opportunity to meet suppliers who can provide
innovative environmental and sustainable products and services.
A unique feature of the event will be pre-arranged meetings with suppliers,
selected according to delegates' criteria. Delegates can tell the organiser
their specific areas of interest, when booking, and the information will be
used to research and identify suppliers that match their criteria. On the
day of the event, delegates can take part in a series of private,
pre-scheduled meetings with the pre-matched suppliers.
The event on November 21 is free to attend for buyers. For further
information and/or to book a place click here.
The event will also give delegates the opportunity to find
out more about The Chest.
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Bowled
over by
CSR07?
Regional Roadshow, November 28, 2007, Lancashire
Cricket Club
 SENIOR council officers and members have a 'must do' date
for their diaries.
The north west's
regional improvement and efficiency partners - the North West Centre of
Excellence and the North West Improvement Network - are hosting one of nine
regional roadshows being delivered by CLG.
On November 28,
at Lancashire Cricket Club, Old Trafford, speakers from CLG will outline
the range of resources and support available to councils to unlock value
for money, to meet the 3% efficiency target and to improve services by
building strong relationships. There will also be several Q&A sessions
with speakers throughout the morning.
Additionally, the event will give
council representatives the opportunity to build relations with the NWCE
and NWIN.
The event starts at 9.30am and finishes at 12.15pm with lunch immediately
afterwards. Places at the event are limited and should be booked
immediately. Email
christine.acton@tameside.gov.uk or call 0161 342
3301.
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Sustainable
procurement conference
December
6, 2007, Aintree Racecourse
 THE NWCE is hosting a sustainable procurement conference to
consider the latest information and discuss the suppliers in this area.
Delegates will also be given the
time for discussion and debate on the way forward for the north west
region.
For more information and to register click here.
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The
3rd Annual NwEGG Conference
New
Frontiers for Transformation
December
12, 2007, Manchester Central
 THE 3rd Annual NWeGG Conference
promises to be an explosive event!
For a 38ft rocket
- the SKYBOLT - will take centre stage at the conference that will look at
'New Frontiers for Transformation'.
The SKYBOLT is
the brainchild of Manchester man Steve Bennett and Starchaser
Industries. Steve is proof that, with determination and a will to succeed,
anyone can turn vision into reality and he'll be explaining at the
conference how pushing the boundaries can often lead to the achievement of
the seemingly impossible.
There will also
be a host of other speakers at the event who will be discussing how
the transformational government agenda can also go beyond the norm to
create public services that are fit for the 21st Century.
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Get
the inside track on CSRO7
4th
National Public Sector Procurement Conference
February
7, 2007, City of Manchester Stadium
 THE NWCE will be playing a major part in a national
procurement event that will throw new light on meeting targets set by
CSR07.
The 4th National Public Sector Procurement Conference 2008 will be chaired
by the centre's regional director, Colin Cram.
The event on February 7 will be at the City of Manchester Stadium and is a
must for everyone in local government who is concerned with CSR07.
Speakers confirmed for the event
include Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council, and
Helen MacCarthy, director, NHS Purchasing and
Supply Agency.
Some of the seminar areas that
will be covered include: a guide to implementing a successful e-commerce
strategy, procuring sustainable goods and services and ensuring their
provenance and identifying quick wins in procurement.
Tickets for the event are
discounted for a limited period at £175 + VAT.
Register for the event at www.govnet.co.uk/procurement
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North West Centre of Excellence
Room 5.15,
Council Offices, Wellington Road, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 6DL
www.nwce.gov.uk
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