|
Feel free to circulate this email to your colleagues and suggest that they sign up to receive it themselves. Create or manage your LGA bulletin subscriptions or read previous editions of this bulletin.
Procurement Policy Note (PPN 06/23) The Commercial Playbooks
The Cabinet Office produces Commercial Playbooks and accompanying guidance notes for procurement and commercial teams in order to improve decision-making and ensure the assessment, procurement and management of public services delivers better outcomes and value for money for the public. There are currently four playbooks: Sourcing, Consultancy, Construction, and Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT). These are regularly refreshed to ensure the content is up to date and fit for purpose.
Procurement Policy Note (PPN 06/23) replaces and consolidates PPN 02/22, PPN 03/21, PPN 09/20 and PPN 05/20. The content of this PPN is deemed ‘advisory’ to local authorities and other member organisations in the public sector.
Using the Playbooks in conjunction with framework agreements
The Cabinet Office has published practical guidance which outlines the responsibilities for both the framework provider and the contracting authority (council) against each of the Playbook polices.
Update on the NHS Provider Selection Regime
Subject to parliamentary processes, the Department of Health and Social Care aims to introduce the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) by the end of 2023. As soon as the Department of Health and Social Care announces the commencement date of the PSR, NHS England will update this webpage to communicate timings for implementation roll-out.
Register your interest for upcoming NHS Provider Selection Regime webinars.
High energy use businesses urged to claim extra discount on energy bills
The Government has called on eligible businesses to apply for the support available through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme. Energy-intensive businesses and heat network operators have until 25 July to apply for Government support that could see their wholesale energy bills reduced by as much as a fifth.
The Government has also issued a reminder to heat network operators that they have a legal requirement to apply, to ensure a fair deal for their customers who would otherwise face higher energy bills compared to those covered by the energy price cap. All heat suppliers with domestic end consumers are required by law to apply for the scheme and pass on the benefit they receive to their end consumers. Councils and housing associations that operate heat networks will need to apply for the Energy Bills Discount Scheme heat network support.
Councils are encouraged to share this information with businesses in their area.
How Crown Commercial Service can help local government and housing associations improve energy efficiency and save residents money
Housing associations collectively provide homes to around 6 million people – nearly 1 in 10 of the total population. Given the scale of social housing, housing associations can play a significant role in helping to meet the UK’s net zero goals and Crown Commercial Service can help tackle energy inefficiency in social housing.
Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) new Housing Maintenance and Repair Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) agreement offers various services that can help reduce energy costs and achieve net zero in social housing. The new DPS provides a compliant, one-stop shop for all housing maintenance and repair aspects for both tenanted and void / vacant properties. Benefits include:
- whole home retrofit and maintenance services
- access to accredited suppliers eligible for Government sustainability funding
- improved housing portfolio management
- promotion of innovation and local supply chain.
Common Assessment Standard
The Common Assessment Standard comprises an industry-agreed question set and corresponding assessment standards for the pre-qualification of suppliers. Developed by Build UK, it is designed to improve efficiency and reduce cost in the construction pre-qualification (PQ) process.
Education category plans – can you help?
Colleagues from Essex County Council are developing an education category plan and are keen to learn from other councils in this area. If you have a category plan and are willing to share, please email anna.porter@essex.gov.uk
Modern slavery – seasonal worker employment rights videos
The Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority has produced a new video informing seasonal workers about their employment rights and what to expect on UK farms. The Seasonal Workers' Scheme video has been subtitled in eleven languages.
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) launches new free e-learning training package to manage supply chain risks
The training supports organisations to mitigate the potential cost and long-term ramifications of supply chain incidents, and is targeted at procurement specialists, risk owners and cyber security professionals. This training package accompanies existing NCSC e-learning on mapping supply chains and gaining confidence in supply chain security.
We launched our guidance on embedding cyber resilience in local government supply chains last year and nearly 500 people have undertaken our free e-learning course to support councils to embed greater cyber resilience in their procurement processes and supply chains.
Secure Connected Places Playbook – cyber security resources launched for councils
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has launched the alpha Secure Connected Places Playbook which provides practical cyber security support for local authorities to improve the security of their connected places, or ‘smart city’, projects across the UK. Created in collaboration with a group of local authorities, the playbook includes resources addressing key cyber security challenges including governance and risk management, procurement, and supply chain security and how to conduct a threat analysis. Designed to be accessible for those without a technical background, the playbook will help local authority teams working on connected places projects such as automated traffic and waste management systems, smart street furniture and smart environmental monitoring.
LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2023
Tuesday 4–Thursday 6 July | Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth BH2 5BH
Pubic Sector Show – public procurement with purpose
Tuesday 4 July | Etc.venues, County Hall, Belvedere Road, London SE1 7PB
Technology products and associated services – Crown Commercial Service virtual meeting on multiple dates including:
Tuesday 4 July, 10.00am–11.15am | Virtual meeting
G-Cloud 13 what can I buy and how can I buy it? – Crown Commercial Service virtual meeting on multiple dates including:
Wednesday 5 July, 10.30am–11.30am | Virtual meeting
The LGA Procurement team manages several LGA webpages dedicated to your needs. Please email guy.head@local.gov.uk if you would like any information added to our webpages:
The LGA's membership magazine, 'first', is delivered free each month to just under 17,000 councillors and local authority chief executives. Access first online to browse all news articles, features and opinion pieces, including those from past issues.
Councillors who receive the magazine should also be receiving the first e-bulletin. If you find that first online and the first e-bulletin satisfy your need for information from the LGA, please consider helping us reduce our carbon footprint by opting out of receiving the magazine. Councillors and officers can sign up for the first e-bulletin using their council email addresses.
|
