North West Improvement and Efficiency Partnership

North West Centre of Excellence WEEKLY NEWS
week ending July 20 2007

Dear Colleague,

Welcome to this week's edition of the NWCE weekly news.  Our weekly newsletters are also available via our website -
click here to access.
We want to hear good news stories and lessons learned from around the region for inclusion in our news updates - particularly relating to improving efficiency or partnerships/collaborations.  If you have news you want to include in our update, please contact Beverley Brooks.

Kind regards,
North West Centre of Excellence

 Featured Event

Countdown to transformation

THE NWCE’s partner improvement organisation NWEGG is offering free places to its annual conference in Manchester in December.
Places at the event are as scarce as moon dust, so NWEGG are advising an early request for a place to avoid disappointment.
The conference – New Frontiers for Transformation – will look at the future for the transformation agenda and the vital role it will play in the Government’s plan to modernise public services.
The free tickets will be offered on a first come-first served basis and only to those council representatives whose local authority is a member of NWEGG. Contact Catherine O’Neill on 0161 342 3445.

 Procurement News

Procurement practice

THE NWCE has scored a hit with a new training programme it has made available to local authority officers in the north west.
It has offered a series of free modules to help council staff develop procurement expertise.
There were six modules offered over a six-month period until December, with 20 places available for each module.
Every event is now full and, in some cases they are over-subscribed.
Neil Hind, procurement programme director, who has arranged delivery of the modules, commented: “There is a real need for council officers across all functions of a local authority to build their procurement skills. The response we have had to these modules clearly shows that local authority personnel are aware of this and keen to develop a better understanding of the part they can play in the efficiency agenda."

Focus on a Framework - Save Water!

The NWCE's 'focus on a framework' highlights key frameworks or agreements councils can use. Thirsty for efficiencies? This week's offer can help councils to save water.  
Click here for further information.

 Transport News   

The highway to savings
 
The Highways Efficiency Liaison Group, of which the RCEs are members, have published a fact sheet with details of highways communities that have been created to help local authorities who are responsible for highways to imporve their performance.
View the fact sheet here.
 
The group has also published a "toolkit for Identifying and measuring efficiency in local highways" and fact sheets on framework contracts including:

• national framework for research and development
• national framework for project support - type A high volume
• national framework for project support - type B low volume
• national framework for technical consultancy

Waste Management News

Rubbish rota

Over 180 local authorities have now changed their waste collection systems so that the collection of material for recycling and/or composting alternates on a weekly basis with residual waste for landfill or incineration. These systems have become known as Alternate Weekly Collections (AWC). The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) have published revised guidance for local authorities who are considering introducing AWC services. View the guidance here. 

 National News

Wiser ways in contracting

New guidance has been published to help local authorities get the most out of the £40 billion they spend annually with 200,000 suppliers.
‘You and Your Contractor’ encourages councils to adopt a more commercial approach to achieve best value. The guidance was funded by the London Centre of Excellence (LCE) and prepared by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. View the document here.

 Events   

Postal Procurement Project Feedback Meeting
August 7 2007,  Lancashire Red Rose Hub

Meeting to receive feedback on the data collection exercise, explore opportunities and define next steps.
An agenda will be available shortly.  For further information click here.

Procurement Planning
August 17 2007, Red Rose Hub, Preston

The NWCE wants to submit a bid to CLG to continue its work on third party spend and needs 
assistance from heads of procurement and procurement experts to help with this submission.
The session will focus on the work done to date and what areas may need further investment.
For further information click here.

P-Cards: what next?
September 20 2007, Wigan Investment Centre

This session is aimed at those with procurement card projects underway and those still planning to implement them.  It will bring together latest thinking from OGC.buying.solutions and Barclays with local authority case studies.  For further information and/or to book a place click here.

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.
The NWCE will also be presenting The Chest, the new portal for local government business opportunities.
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 more information, contact Emma-Jane Allen on tel: 020 7700 0008 or e mail emma-jane@actionsustainability.com