Making a statement with procurement

0
78

The UK government has plans for a significant overhaul of public procurement rules, writes Teresa Oliviere, head of legal at Local Partnerships. Sponsored comment from Local Partnerships.

Teresa Oliviere, head of legal at Local Partnerships

The reform proposals were set out in the Transforming Public Procurement green paper. The government is seeking to simplify the system and deliver a new regime that better meets the needs of the UK, leveraging the power of procurement spend to enhance social value, especially in the context of pandemic recovery and the transition to net-zero carbon.

The Government’s priority areas for procurement are now set out in the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), published in June. Social value has long been a feature of council procurement practices. For more than eight years, councils have been required to consider how upcoming service contract procurements might improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their areas.

The NPPS sets out in more detail what social value objectives should be pursued. Councils are now encouraged to have regard to specific national priority outcomes, alongside local ones, in their procurement activities, where relevant to the subject matter of the contract and proportionate. The national priorities are:

  • Creating new businesses, new jobs and new skills
  • Tackling climate change and reducing waste
  • Improving supplier diversity, innovation and resilience.

We can expect that this encouragement will be made more forceful in the forthcoming procurement legislation that was announced in the Queen’s speech. The government has stated it intends, through a new statutory duty, that authorities will be required to have regard to the NPPS when procuring.

It also intends to enhance transparency by requiring authorities with an annual spend of £200m or more to publish their procurement pipelines and benchmark their procurement capability from April 2022. Those with an annual spend of £100m or more should have the same obligations from April 2023.

Other priority areas authorities are asked to consider in the NPPS are whether they have the right policies and processes to manage the key stages of procurement delivery and whether there are any gaps in organisational capability and capacity.

Government is seeking to mobilise authorities now in readiness for the new regime. As ever, local authorities will be keeping a close eye on developments.

Local Partnerships has a long history of providing trusted, professional support to public bodies in the design and delivery of their projects and programmes. We have also contributed to the evolution of the Cabinet Office’s Sourcing Playbook. As part of the public sector family, we are well placed to help councils navigate new rules to best effect.

Teresa Oliviere, head of legal, Local Partnerships

Teresa.Oliviere@localpartnerships.gov.uk

@LP_localgov

www.localpartnerships.org.uk


Credit: Source link

#

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here