|
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.
National Procurement Policy Statement
The National Procurement Policy Statement has been updated, it sets out the strategic priorities for public procurement and how contracting authorities, including councils, can support their delivery.
Published earlier in the month the statement will come into effect on 28 October 2024 alongside introduction of the new Procurement Act 2023. All contracting authorities must have regard to this statement as mandated by section 13 of the Procurement Act.
It sets out the Government’s main priorities for public procurement which include:
- Value for money
- Social Value
- Creating resilient businesses and opportunities for quality employment and skills development.
- Improving innovation, supply chain resilience and security of supply.
- Tackling climate change and reducing waste
Contracting authorities should ensure that they do not place onerous requirements on suppliers, or use disproportionate clauses in tenders and contracts.
Contracting authorities should ensure that they level the playing field for SMEs, VCSEs and start-ups to compete in public procurement by reducing and removing barriers in the procurement process.
Contracting authorities should consider their organisational capability and workforce plans, with regards to the procurement and contract management skills and resources required to deliver value for money. There are a number of professional standards against which contracting authorities can choose to benchmark themselves and the National Procurement Strategy is one of them, we will be looking to carry out a benchmarking exercise towards the end of the year.
LGA Local Government Procurement K-hub
Anyone seeking additional tools and templates for Transforming Public Procurement can find them on the Local Government Procurement Knowledge Hub. Please join K-hub and request membership to access the TPP documentation which is available under the Discussion Tab. You can also pose questions to the LGA Procurement team here or seek advice from your peers.
Free tools for contract management
A set of contract management tools, templates and guidance are free to download from the Local Partnerships website. They have been developed and tested with councils who are on the Contract Management Pioneer Programme (CMPP) to support local authorities to maximise their contracts and create a consist approach to contract management across directorates and departments.
Local Partnerships has also updated the Business Process Mapping (BPM) Toolkit to include contract management. The toolkit gives a step-by-step guide to councils in applying business process mapping to their commissioning lifecycle with the aim of understanding were improvements and streamlining can take place.
This work has been supported by Crown Commercial Services linked to their wrap-around offer to local authorities on CMPP. CMPP is an accredited training in contract management free to local authorities and they have just launched a new Cohort for Contract Management Pioneer Programme, to schedule a 30-minute virtual call and learn more about the programme, or for any other queries please contact CMPPenquiries@localpartnerships.gov.uk.
5i Heat Network project – Southwest Net Zero Hub Heat Pump Webinars
Over the coming months, the Southwest Net Zero Hub (SWNZH) will be hosting a series of five webinars for local authorities to support you understand Heat Networks in more detail.
Heat Networks are expected to play a crucial role in decarbonising heat in buildings. They are also an important part in securing a transformed, self-sustaining and trusted market, which offers affordable and reliable low carbon heat. Analysis shows that heat networks could provide about 20% of heat demand by 2050 (up from 3% now).
The events are open to all local authority officers, but the SWNZH are particularly keen for those with a finance and procurement role to attend their investment webinar on 17 September 2024.
Virtual meet ups throughout June | Virtual
28 June, from 12.00pm – 1.00pm
Webinars throughout July – November | Virtual
15 -17 October 2024 | In person/Virtual
27 - 29 November 2024 | Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) Liverpool
 |
|
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.
|
|
