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Procurement News
Procurement Progress - NWCE Procurement Newsletter - January 2007
The NWCE has launched a newsletter that will carry updates, information and news about the progress of procurement projects. Called Procurement Progress, the newsletter will be published frequently throughout the year and will be distributed electronically. Copies also will be available on the NWCE’s web site. The first edition features project updates, events details and news from the team.
Download the January 2007 edition of 'Procurement Progress'.
Constructive Consultancy
THE London Centre of Excellence has supported the publication of a new guide that is aiming to make savings of 10%, year-on-year, on consultancy bills.
According to LCE figures, £170 million a year is spent on consultants by London boroughs alone, and a recent report published by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that public sector spending on consultants in the UK has increased by a third in three years.
The new guide, called the ‘Commissioning toolkit for the procurement of consultancy and professional services’ sets out the steps necessary to make savings and achieve good value from the use of consultants.
The NWCE, along with the other centres will now be considering how best to implement the toolkit in their regions as part of the wider RCE Procurement Programme.
To download the guide click here.
Framework of the Week
The North West Centre of Excellence is aiming to help councils identify frameworks or agreements they may wish to utilise. If you have a good framework you would like to promote then please send us details.
Our Framework of the Week is specialist vehicles.
Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation (YPO) now has in place, a fully EU compliant framework agreement for the supply of refuse collection vehicles and road sweepers, both outright purchase and contract hire. This arrangement would be tailor made to the requirements of the local authority, with little administartion required, and leaving the council in control of supplier selection (subject to bidders meeting the selection criteria).
A number of suppliers have been selected, enabling YPO to conduct, on the authority's behalf, a mini-tender for the supply of vehicles to the council's specification - this can be carried out in as little as two weeks.
The contract is already attracting much interest.
For further information, contact Roy Orchard of the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation on 01924 834967 or email ROYO@ypo.co.uk
Standards Group
The Standards Group was reconvened in November 2006 after a few months presumed inactivity to take stock, identify past hurdles in order to overcome them, consolidate, complete and implement plans to ensure the North West have effective access to appropriate standard templates and documents around procurement and financial regulations.
The latest meeting of the group took place today - thank you to all those who attended.
The role of the group is:
- To liaise on behalf of the North West region with other regions via their RCE’s to provide the North West with appropriate standard templates and documentation around procurement and financial regulations.
- To undertake a quality assurance/critical friend role to ensure the satisfactory production of appropriate standards templates and documentation around procurement and financial regulations.
- To act as the central point for receipt, checking and approval of standard templates and documentation around procurement and financial regulations from other workstreams and or individual Authorities within the region.
- To develop appropriate standard templates and documentation around procurement and financial regulations.
- To work with NWCE to market and encourage the use of the standard templates and documentation around procurement and financial regulations across the region.
Do you have any templates or documents around procurement and financial regulations that you would be prepared to share with the North West via the NWCE website (where you will of course be acknowledged for your efforts) ?
If so, please contact Rosemary Cowgill on Rosemary.cowgill@tameside.gov.uk who will arrange for them to be submitted to the Standards Group for approval of acceptance onto their section of the NWCE website.
The work of the Standards Group is vital in supporting the NWCE to meet their objectives, to raise standards of practice, reduce bureaucracy, increase efficiency and consistency and thereby overcome barriers for SME’s to compete for contracts. However, this can only happen with sufficient support from the North West authorities. Is your authority involved or represented in this work? For further information regarding the Standards group please contact Beverley Brooks.
Shared Services News
NW Shared Services Programme
The first meeting of the NW Shared Services Programme Board was held last Wednesday. The meeting was used to agree Terms of Reference, determine a long-term vision for Shared Services within the North West, agree the scope of the Programme and to discuss current Shared Services activity across the North West and beyond.
Papers from the Board meeting, including the Terms of Reference, will be available on the NWCE website shortly. In essence the Board will work to inform the NW Shared Service Programme of the tools, knowledge, guidance and assistance needed to help councils move towards Shared Service delivery of local public services, and will provide a comprehensive local authority view of the Shared Service agenda. It will develop appropriate mechanisms to facilitate information sharing and dissemination and will be responsible for allocating support and funds to priority project areas that will develop products for use by local authorities looking to develop Shared Services. The Board are extremely keen to develop a Programme that will add real value to local authorities as they explore the alternative local public service delivery opportunities via Shared Services and other vehicles.
Work is ongoing to determine funding and resources available to this Programme and bids will be invited from councils, with sub-regional backing, looking to undertake useful and innovative activity in this area. Work will soon get underway to identify what is already happening across the region and sub-regions and to identify gaps where future activity is required to assist councils within the Shared Services arena. If you would like to provide feedback on the areas of work / support you believe is required across the North West please contact Olly Baker.
Further updates will be available via the bi-monthly 'Share It' newsletter, which is distributed to the NW Shared Services Community. Should you wish to form part of this Community to receive further updates or to provide feedback to the forthcoming Programme of work, again please contact Olly Baker.
Shared Services – Guidance Documents
Governance and Shared Service Delivery Options Guidance - The NECE and 4Ps have delivered a Guidance document around Governance arrangements and Delivery Options for Shared Services. This useful document guides councils through the choice of collaboration options, including why joint service delivery is being considered, which organisations may be involved and what services will be delivered, and through the range of service delivery models that the participating organisations could adopt to jointly deliver services in the context of their preferred collaboration option and business requirements.
Service Transformation through Partnerships - Reading this summary will give officers and members a complete overview of the toolkit and advice that is immediately accessible to them to develop partnerships for service delivery. Those partnerships may be with the public, private or voluntary sectors, but whatever you need to know to take them forward, you will find within.
Service Transformation through Partnership Event
This event took place on the 18th January at Cheshire Conference Centre, Stockport and was a great success with many representatives from NW local authorities in attendance. We were particularly pleased to welcome representation from Voluntary Sector North West.
Despite a few technical hiccups with the venue facilities, the event encouraged some excellent debate on the best methods to put together a shared services project - a real practical, 'nuts and bolts' session which allowed participants to benefit from the knowledge and experience of people who have actually 'been there' when it comes to implementing a shared services solution in the North West.
An in-depth shared services case study pack was provided to all attendees, collating details of shared services projects implemented throughout the country.
Attendees gained enormous value from an outstanding presentation by Dr Clare Poulter (manager of the Cumbria Procurement Initiative) highlighting her own lessons-learned from leading a large-scale shared procurement service in Cumbria.
The DCLG A-Z toolkit CD was explained in depth, and attendees were invited to try to 'beat the system' by offering suggestions for shared services search words that might not exist on the shared services knowledge database... needless to say, no one succeeded!
Should any members wish to gain further information regarding the DCLG A-Z toolkit, including how to obtain the CD, please contact Adam Neill of the North West Centre of Excellence at adam.neill@tameside.gov.uk
Waste Management News
Establishing a co-ordinated picture of waste collection and recycling procurement in the North West
The OGC’s Second Kelly Report on “Improving Competition and Capacity Planning in the Municipal Waste Market” highlighted the importance having clear information of the public sectors needs in developing the future of municipal waste management. It was noted that there was no co-ordinated picture of waste procurement progress and plans in England and that this absence made it more difficult for local authorities to develop and schedule their procurements.. To address this issue the NWCE is carrying out a quick survey by contacting each authority in the region to establish the current position for waste collection and recycling contracts in the north west. The information being sought is the nature of individual waste collection contract(s) /Residual waste/Recycling/Street Cleansing/Anything else bundled in? The length, end date and possibility of extending the contract? Are there any partners? Is the contract in house or externalised? Access to this information will enable authorities to plan the way forward as well as being able to identify opportunities for greater collaboration and being better able to schedule deal flow to avoid “congestion”
Further Support for The Cheshire Waste Partnership (CWP) in taking forward collaborative working.
The CWP has been awarded additional funding to build on current work, supported by the NWCE, to investigate collaborative working in delivering waste management services. They have been awarded a Waste Implementation Programme, Local Authority Support Unit, Direct Consultancy Grant This will enable them to build on the existing project, which is developing an Options Appraisal and Outline Business Case for joint procurement of waste collection and recycling services. The next phase, which will be also be project managed by Chester City Council on behalf of the CWP supported by the NWCE, will commence in February. Consultants will be used to explore and recommending the optimum legal framework, governance & financial structures to take the project forward
The CWP, which was formed in 1999 to produce and act on an Integrated Household Waste Management Strategy, consists of six district councils (Chester City Council, Congleton Borough Council, Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council, Ellesmere Port & Neston Borough Council, Macclesfield Borough Council and Vale Royal Borough Council) and Cheshire County Council.
Waste Information Network (WIN) Website
WIN has a news website address - www.win.org.uk - please amend your records accordingly.
The Regional Centre of Excellence Waste Information Network (WIN) was developed by the South East Centre of Excellence (SECE) as a support tool for local authorities and provides up-to-date information on all aspects of waste management relevant to local authorities. WIN makes waste information more accessible by signposting users to the relevant place and should be the first port of call for local authority waste officers for any waste management issue.
Construction News
The Procurement of a framework for the supply and supply & lay of Dense Bitumen Macadam(DBM) in the North West gets underway
A OJEU notice (ref No.2007-007-310) inviting firms to pe-qualify for the above framework has now been placed. The framework will have two lots ;1) the supply of DBM and 2)the supply & lay of DBM in the North West. The NWCE supported by the Centre for Construction Innovation (CCI) is currently leading the procurement of the four year framework on behalf of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA ) and the other Local Authorities in the North West; Merseyside, Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria. Responses to the notice are due back by the 16th March with an issue of tender documents in April. It is planned to have an open suppliers meeting in mid February. Full details along with the prequalification questionnaire are available from andy.roberts@ccinw.com (please note that all correspondence on the prequalification should be dealt with electronically)
Collaboration
Can you Help?
Fylde Borough Council is considering either purchasing or leasing new gardening equipment for its parks and Cemetery Department consisting of:
- 51cm powered rotary mowers
- 56cm powered rotary mowers
- 40cc strimmers
- 23cc hedge trimmer
- 65 hp self propelled vacuum sweeper
- 65cc back pack blower
Before the Councils considers either of these options, I would be interested to hear, if any Councils have a contract/Framework agreement that we could access to procure these goods or are also thinking about buying varies gardening equipment. Would you please contact Allan Williams the Procurement Officer on 01253 -658639 or email him at allanw@fylde.gov.uk
NWeGG News
Career Opportunities - NWeGG
NWeGG is seeking two individuals to join their project team who will take on a number of responsibilities of the current programme manager and extend the ability of NWeGG to support councils.
These roles are offered on fixed term contracts until March 2008, although secondees will be considered once they have line manager approval.
NWeGG operates in a dynamic, continually evolving environment and is proud to have helped enable Local Authorities in the North West to deliver eGovernment and Technology enabled Change since 2002.
Both these roles will involve significant engagement with a large number of stakeholders at all levels across, not only in many councils but in central government departments, academia and the private sector.
They offer a rare opportunity to develop a broad, strategic perspective on the public sector at a very challenging time for councils.
They will be challenging roles, with plenty of scope for innovation, initiative and strategic thinking, providing an environment in which you will enhance your own experience and professional expertise.
If you or anyone you know would be interested in applying please visit www.tameside.gov.uk/jobs#t5348 to view full Job Descriptions and Person Specifications and application form.
For an informal discussion, contact Catherine O'Neill, Programme Support Officer on 0161 342 3445 or catherine.oneill@nwegg.org.uk
National News
Transforming Government Services and OGC's role
John Healey, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, made a written statement to Parliament on the 23 January 2007 setting out the Government’s plans to transform government procurement and the future role that a re-focused Office of Government Commerce will play in achieving this transformation. More detail is set out in this correspondence and in the web link to the publication "Transforming Government Procurement".
EVENTS
Creating a Business Case for eMarketplaces - Workshop
12.02.2007 - Wigan Investment Centre
The NWCE has arranged a further workshop to help councils create a business case for eMarketplaces. At the workshop, the participating councils will complete a business case (in MS Excel and in MS Word). This will assess whether there exists a good case for the implementation of a marketplace in the councils.
Places are limited so please book as soon as possible by clicking here. If you have any queries please contact us.
NWeGG Spring Full Members Meeting 8th March 2007 (venue tbc)
The agenda for the NWEGG Spring Full Members Meeting brings together many excellent and thought-provoking speakers, covering a host of topics relevant to Local Authorities at this time.
We hope that you will join NWeGG on this day to hear the latest on the national scene and more on the NWEGG programme for 2007-8.
Some confirmed speakers for the day include:
Peter Blair, DCLG: The National Process Improvement Package,
Chris Fisher
Professor Peter Kawalek:
If you wish to wish to register your attendance at this event please visit: http://www.nwegg.org.uk/interface/view_events.asp?id=363
There will also be a small number of relevant commercial exhibitors.
This event is open to NWeGG member authorities at no charge, the cost for non NWeGG member council attendees will be £100.00.