APPENDIX A
DORSET COUNTY COUNCIL
PROCUREMENT STRATEGY
2006/08
Index and Contents
Page
Introduction
1
Background
1, 2
Vision
2
Aims and Objectives of Procurement Strategy
3, 4
Relationship to Community Strategy
5
Relationship to Corporate Plan
6, 7
Behaviour and Business Approach
8, 9
Process Management and Probity
9, 10
Procurement Tools
10, 11
Evaluation Process
11
Post Appointment Actions
11, 12
Performance Management
12, 13
Electronic Procurement
13
Choosing the Appropriate Framework
13, 14
Strategic Partnering
14
Partnership Models
14, 15
Sustainability
15, 16, 17
Diversity
17
Leadership and Responsibility
17, 18
Role of Elected Members
18
Human Resources
18
Competencies and Training
18, 19
PRELIMARY INFORMATION
This document provides information on the strategic direction of procurement in Dorset
County Council and takes account of a number of important drivers and influences including
the following:

ODPM Circular 02/03 published in March 2003.

The Byatt Report on Best Value Procurement published in 2001

The National Procurement Strategy published in October 2003.

The Independent Review of Public Sector Efficiency (Gershon) published in 2004.

The Community Strategy for Dorset
This Strategy replaces the County Council's Procurement Strategy adopted by the Authority
in 2004, and builds on the principle that successful procurement must be based on whole life
cost considerations which take account of subsequent revenue implications. This approach
allows social and economic factors such as sustainability, diversity, local benefits, workforce
management and community safety to be taken into account in the tendering and evaluation
processes.
In all of its operations the Authority will work in a fair and consistent manner and
demonstrate transparency.
DORSET COUNTY COUNCIL
PROCUREMENT STRATEGY
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Guidance on best procurement practice, including Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
(ODPM) Circular 02/2003 published on the 13 March 2003, (which made reference to the
Byatt report on Best Value Procurement and the Government Best Value Review), call for
innovative approaches to commissioning, procuring and providing services. The circular
makes clear that successful procurement strategies are likely to be based on whole life
cost considerations that include subsequent revenue implications and not simply the
lowest initial tender price. Consideration of whole life costs allows factors such as fuel
efficiency and replacement cycles to be taken into account as well as social factors, for
example, environmental sustainability, benefits to local people, good work force
management, community safety, diversity and fairness as well as initial tender price.
2.
BACKGROUND
2.1 Dorset County Council currently spends around a third of its total annual budget on
bought in goods, services and works. The effective procurement of these and of other
future requirements is crucial to the achievement of Best Value.
2.2 The County Council has a corporate procurement group called Procurement and
Contracts Management (PCM) charged with the responsibility of leading procurement
activity for the County Council in respect of common goods and services, and for
providing professional leadership of the procurement function across the Authority.
2.3 Traditional arms length contracts tend to be highly specified on the contractors’
performance and closely monitored by the customer against tightly drawn criteria.
Penalties may be imposed for non-compliance. Often the contract was based on how the
task was performed in previous contracting or service delivery arrangements without any
attempt to rethink how the service could be improved. The emphasis is therefore on
securing a standard service at the least cost, but there is limited scope for innovation in
the way the task is performed. Frequently the focus of management attention on the
client side is on ensuring that what was purchased is being delivered in the manner
specified.
The relationship does not encourage flexibility in the event of changing
priorities, circumstances and resources.
Contractors' management effort centres on
meeting performance targets and controlling costs.
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There is little incentive to think
creatively or come up with ideas to reduce management cost through simplified
processes, systems or interfaces.
2.4 This type of arrangement can in some cases encourage adversarial relations where both
sides:
2.4.1 Withhold information for tactical advantage.
2.4.2 Refuse to co-operate in problem solving.
2.4.3 Design and implement contracts rigidly.
2.4.4 Exploit variations and waste resources in pursuing claims and counter-claims.
2.5 Neither side benefits from this approach and the County Council is committed therefore to
an alternative strategy which delivers its best value procurement objectives.
2.6 It should be recognised that a range of procurement tools and techniques exist for
selecting the most appropriate means, including reference to guidance contained in the
Risk/Value matrix outlined in the Byatt Report.
Discussions within the Directorate
concerned and, where deemed appropriate in Contract Procedure Rules, the Authority’s
Procurement and Contracts Management Team will take place regarding the choice of a
suitable model.
2.7 The County Council’s Contract Procedure Rules have been reviewed and the current
Constitution includes new regulations which clearly set out the rules by which Best Value
approaches to procurement must be managed.
3
VISION
3.1 The Procurement Strategy will support the County Council’s corporate aims and
objectives. It will deliver best value in the procurement of goods, works and services by
procuring delivery partners on the basis of whole life costs and benefits to meet customer
requests. The Procurement Strategy will contribute to the aim of the Authority continuing
to be recognised as providing procurement excellence in the region and beyond.
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4
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF PROCUREMENT STRATEGY
4.1 The County Council has set the following objectives in pursuit of this vision.
4.1.1 Establish links with current best practice, government initiatives such as Best Value,
the Byatt report, Local Government Construction Task Force, Constructing Excellence in
the Built Environment, the work of the Strategic Partnering Task Force, Regional Centre
of Excellence, the Efficiency agenda, Regional Development Agency, Business Link
Organisations, IDeA and with the corporate objectives of the County Council.
4.1.2 Assessment of competitiveness of services and especially how performance
compares with that provided by other authorities, bodies and the private sector.
4.1.3 Deliver significantly better quality public services for all local citizens through
strategic partnerships forged with a range of public, private and voluntary sector suppliers.
4.1.4 Service delivery partners will be procured using Best Value criteria and added value
over current arrangements or existing resources.
4.1.5 Consider the relevance and impact of diversity issues on service users, suppliers
and employees in the management of all procurement activity, including the promotion of
equal opportunities and the possible diversity impacts.
4.1.6 Draw ‘best practice’ examples from the best providers, whether public, private or
voluntary so as to offer diverse methods of service provision.
4.1.7 Achieve continuous improvement in the quality and cost-effectiveness of service
provision by the adoption of a flexible approach to procurement of goods and services.
4.1.8 Provide procurement leadership in the Dorset area in consultation with other
Councils and public sector providers.
4.1.9 Retain membership, and contribute to the activities, of the Central Buying
Consortium to take advantage of collaborative approaches to the procurement of goods
and services.
4.1.10 Use fair and open competition where practicable and explore the full range of
practical alternatives as a means of obtaining efficient and effective goods and services
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without favouritism toward the private sector, in-house provision or the voluntary and
community sector.
4.1.11 Replace lowest price only tendering where appropriate with longer term alliances
which provide services to be delivered on a continuing cost-effective basis using a
non-adversarial approach.
4.1.12 Encourage companies by use of buying power to develop new products and
methods of production.
4.1.13 Analyse the structure of supply markets and whether items and services are
high/low/value/risk, and the selection of appropriate procurement tools (e.g. partnering,
tendering, joint arrangements, e-procurement, e-auctions and procurement cards, taking
account of e-government initiatives) to obtain Best Value, depending on the goods and
services required.
4.1.14 Establish arrangements to scrutinise and review continuous improvement through
various means including post contract reviews, and where appropriate, by using internal
expertise not directly involved in the project, for example Internal Audit.
4.1.15 Promote the social, environmental and economic strategies and objectives of the
County Council through effective procurement initiatives, including consideration of local
and regional issues and in collaboration with government other public bodies and the
private sector for the benefit of the community.
4.1.16 Take particular note of the County Council’s agreed policy of encouraging local
food producers and suppliers to bid for future County Council food and catering contracts.
4.1.17 Use procurement power creatively to drive innovation in the design of urban
spaces, buildings and products.
To create markets for recycled materials and to
incorporate the principles of sustainability into service delivery and construction.
4.1.18 Implement effective e-procurement, including e-tendering, e-auctions and
e-marketplaces.
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5
RELATIONSHIP TO COMMUNITY STRATEGY
5.1 The County Council published 'A Community Strategy for Dorset' in 2004 and the core
elements are:
5.1.1 A long term vision for the area.
5.1.2 An action plan identifying activities that will help us achieve this vision.
5.1.3 A shared commitment from partners to implement the action plan.
5.1.4 Arrangements for monitoring how much progress is being made.
5.1.5 A means of reporting progress to local communities.
5.1.6 A timetable for reviewing the overall strategy.
5.1.7 An effective procurement strategy supports the Community Strategy in a number
of ways:
5.1.8 It provides a focus on achieving value for money in the procurement of goods and
services by all Councils across the Dorset area. This can be evidenced by the role of the
Dorset Procurement Group which has representatives from all Councils, the Dorset Police
Authority, the Fire and Rescue Service and colleges.
5.1.9 It provides the basis for procurement of community facilities and sets the
framework for many such initiatives, including the Modernising Schools programme.
Effective procurement will provide our communities with improved schools and leisure
facilities.
5.1.10 It establishes the means for new and innovative approaches to the establishment
of partnerships with the public and private sectors.
This will contribute to effective
delivery of services.
5.1.11 The Strategy encourages a sustainable approach to the procurement of goods and
services and this will provide community benefits through stimulating the local economy,
thus benefiting our communities.
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6
RELATIONSHIP TO CORPORATE PLAN
6.1 The County Council is committed to Excellence and has published its 2005/06 Corporate
Plan "Our Role in Dorset". The main priorities identified in the plan are:
6.1.1 Safeguard Dorset's unique environment.
6.1.2 Improve life chances for children and young people..
6.1.3
Help vulnerable adults to maintain independent living.
6.1.4 Improve health, community safety and well-being.
6.1.5 Improve Dorset’s infrastructure and strengthen Dorset’s economy.
6.1.6 Build a Council fit for the future
6.2 The council will ensure that its procurement policies and practices support its corporate
strategy by:
6.2.1 Encouraging appointed contractors and partners share and help deliver the
council’s objectives.
6.2.2 Ensuring our selection and tendering procedures positively address and include
diversity considerations.
6.2.3 Incorporating appropriate terms and conditions in our contracting documents.
6.2.4 Effectively monitoring and working with our contractors and partners for
compliance.
6.2.5 Appropriate training of staff involved in the procurement process on diversity
issues.
6.3 The purpose of the Procurement Strategy is to make a significant contribution to the
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achievement of these priorities. Of particular note are the following areas:
6.3.1 The sustainable approach to procurement ensures that whole life costing models
are used and effects on the environment are therefore regulated and this is an integral
part of the County Council’s environmental policy.
6.3.2 Effective procurement of consultants and contractors for major capital projects,
such as building new roads and implementing a Street Lighting PFI project will contribute
to safer communities. Additionally, networking with our colleagues from Dorset Police
Authority and Dorset Fire and Rescue Service will contribute to procurement decisions
affecting safety of Dorset's residents.
6.3.3 The Procurement Strategy recognises that a diverse range of suppliers will be
necessary and actively encourages dialogue with local suppliers. Good examples of this
are the local Food Group and the Dorset Broadband partnerships. A concordat with
Small/Medium Enterprises is being considered for 2006.
6.3.4 A significant contribution to supporting learning and achievement will be made by
an effective procurement strategy. The Modernising Schools programme procurement
activity is regulated through the Strategy and will result in suitable school environments
for our children.
6.3.5 The support for local communities can be improved through an effective
Procurement Strategy, particularly through the encouragement of local businesses and
the voluntary and community sector to trade with the County Council.
6.3.6 Our Adult Services Directorate has many pressing demands which directly affect
the health and wellbeing of our communities. The Strategy supports the complex range of
procurement required in this area of activity. In respect of Adult Services Directorate,
strategies in relation to working with the independent sector to address these demands
are detailed in the commissioning strategies for each service area.
6.3.7 The County Council has to make the best use of limited resources and effective
procurement will ensure that this happens and make a significant contribution to being a
well managed Council.
7
BEHAVIOUR AND BUSINESS APPROACH
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7.1 The County Council will:
7.1.1 Base the procurement of its requirements upon the principles of Best Value and
will, as a result, continue to develop a mixed economy of provision in achieving efficiency,
effectiveness and value for money, using relevant and agreed evaluation models.
7.1.2 Consider the strategic direction of services and the Authority as a whole, including
‘make or buy’ options.
7.1.3 Involve appropriate service experts when considering procurement options and
through the tender process.
7.1.4 Take a long term strategic view in respect of the procurement of its requirements,
including the potential for innovative funding, the identification, management and balance
of risk and the opportunity for cross service/agency working.
7.1.5 Ensure that workforce matters relating to procurement activity, including TUPE,
diversity and good HR practices are considered carefully in contract and partnering
initiatives.
7.1.6 Aim to achieve a consistent approach to equality in the delivery of all services with
an expectation that all organisations and their staff working on the council’s behalf
promote and implement equal opportunities and diversity.
7.1.7 Expect that, when it has determined that requirements will be sourced externally,
these will be acquired as the result of competitive processes unless there are compelling
reasons to the contrary, and always in accordance with Contract Procedure Rules.
7.1.8 Through spend and supplier analysis and market intelligence, identify and
categorise areas of procurement activity, and prioritise resources through options
appraisal.
7.1.9 Where appropriate, seek advice from the market concerning funding, capacity,
method and innovation and use its position and purchasing power to influence the
development of markets and suppliers.
7.1.10 Seek to work with others and through consortia in the procurement of its
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requirements in order to widen the scope of its experience, maximise purchasing power,
and harness the economies of scale and benchmark the Authority’s procurement function
against others.
7.1.11 Consult with its staff in accordance with its established agreements and ensure
that the views of staff are considered when making procurement decisions that affect
them.
7.1.12 Consider environmental sustainability as an important criterion in procurement
activity, with the overall objective to implement the County Council's policy on
environmental procurement (including the ISO 14000 family of standards) through the
way it buys and manages goods and services bought in or provided in-house. Conduct
trials and where appropriate introduce alternative and cleaner fuels and technologies to
improve air quality in Dorset.
7.1.13 Seek to maximise investment by the private sector through innovative
programmes.
7.1.14 Conduct research into Supplier Accreditation Schemes during 2006.
7.1.15 Use other tools as deemed appropriate by the Head of Procurement and Contracts
Management and by officers with specialist skills from Directorates, including e-tendering
and e-auctions.
8
PROCESS MANAGEMENT AND PROBITY
8.1 The framework of rules for procurement are those determined by EC and UK law and
those set out within the Authority's Contract Procedures Rules in that order of precedence.
8.2 Directorates will operate their procurement processes within the procurement guidance
published by PCM entitled ‘Procurement Handbook’.
8.3 Contract Procedure Rules will be reviewed at least once every two years to ensure that
Regulations and Best Practice guidance remain up-to-date and relevant. Responsibility for this
lies with the Director of Corporate Services, Director of Resources and the Head of
Procurement and Contracts Management in consultation with the Chief Internal Auditor.
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8.3 The County Council has set and published standards for the conduct of employees and
will require adherence to these at all times. In all their dealings with suppliers all concerned
will ensure the highest standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity. Contractors
and agents acting on behalf of the Authority will be expected to observe the Authority's key
policies relating to Human Resources and Whistleblowing.
8.4
Records and procedures set out in Contract Procedure Rules will be accurately
maintained, decisions and discussions will be recorded and clear audit trails will exist in order
to ensure openness, propriety and probity.
9
PROCUREMENT TOOLS
9.1 The County Council is developing considerable expertise in innovative and Best Value
procurement and the application of tender evaluation models in the form of a matrix.
9.2 In the light of this experience the following are key principles of best practice.
9.3 For major projects and longer-term strategic partnering arrangements, the formal
procurement process may be preceded by a soft market test consultation workshop. This
should involve key players from the industry and officers of the County Council. All such
activity will be managed in accordance with Contract Procedure Rules and in accordance
with procedures agreed by the Director of Resources. These workshops can provide two
key benefits. Firstly, they can inform the overall procurement process to be followed by
the County Council, for example the scope of the arrangement, its term and other issues
that may be attractive to the market. Secondly, informal workshops can help potential
private sector partners understand the objectives of the County Council and raise market
awareness of this innovative form of procurement.
Soft market testing should also
provide consultees with the opportunity to respond individually and in confidence to the
authority.
9.4 The County Council’s tender evaluation framework includes:
9.4.1 A scoring matrix of quality factors, which can either be weighted or determined by
the number of questions in each quality category.
9.4.2 The price for the work, or in the case of longer term partnering arrangements, the
pricing of a basket of jobs or a percentage increase or decrease in previously tendered
rates.
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9.4.3 A final price quality matrix with an agreed weighting between price and the total of
the quality factors.
10
10.1
EVALUATION PROCESS
Depending upon the scale of the project or service to be delivered, a range of
evaluation processes can be deployed to ensure that potential bidders meet Best
Value criteria. These can include:
10.1.1 A pre-qualification assessment.
10.1.2 A desk top evaluation of bidders in order to draw up a short list.
10.1.3 Site visit.
10.1.4 Presentation and interview.
10.1.5 Relevant references from other organisation service by potential partners.
10.1.6 Price.
10.2
Evaluation scoring can be on the basis of the same quality matrix which is re-scored at
each stage or alternatively a different combination of factors to be scored at different
stages, for a example at site visit and interview stage. These methods should be
adapted to meet the nature of the service being procured and to take account of wider
industry, economic and social factors.
11 POST APPOINTMENT ACTIONS
11.1
The appointment process can be in one or two stages dependent upon the size,
complexity, or nature of the appointment. Procurement panels could make an immediate
appointment or for more complex partnerships they may wish to appoint a preferred
partner to carry out post evaluation discussions which would seek to confirm the bidders
proposals to ensure that they bring added value.
11.2
When tangible benefits can be identified, the appointment can be confirmed and this
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should be followed by:
11.2.1 Project planning of the process.
11.2.2 Value engineering exercises, where staff and managers from partners and County
Council may meet in workshops to review processes and agree a development plan for
the partnership.
11.2.3 Working up of the final partnership agreement which can take the form of a
Memorandum of Understanding, outlining the obligations and responsibilities of both
parties.
11.2.5 Agree the basis for which prices may be determined and finalise the open book
arrangements.
11.2.6 Effective and appropriate post award contract management.
12 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
12.1
Delivering public services whether through directly employed staff or service delivery
partners in the private and voluntary sectors should be subject to scrutiny arrangements
to ensure that continuous improvement in service delivery is being achieved. Measuring
performance of procured goods, works and services should therefore be integrated with
the appropriate cost centre plan and service monitoring reports and should include the
following processes:
12.1.1 Open book accounting arrangements.
12.1.2 Benchmarking of performance measures both internally and externally.
12.1.3 Performance of the partners will be subject to management review and the
performance management processes of the authority.
12.1.4 The arrangements will be subject to inspection internally or by other external
inspectorates.
12.1.5 Any partnering or contractual arrangements will have periodic review before
extension or continuation.
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13 ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT
13.1
This Strategy recognises the benefits which are available in electronic procurement.
The County Council will establish an e-marketplace during 2005/06 and work closely with
other Councils to provide a whole county approach. E-tendering and e-auction tools will
also be used as deemed appropriate by the Head of Procurement and Contracts
Management.
13.2
Resources will be allocated to the development of e-technology in procurement and,
working with partners, support given to local businesses to assist in e-enablement.
13.3
The objective of e-procurement and use of ICT is to reduce costs, improve efficiency
and effectiveness, and release productive time in all aspects of procurement by the
Council and its partners, contractors and suppliers.
13.4
ICT will be used to support the monitoring of performance.
14 CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE FRAMEWORK
14.1
The specific procurement strategy will depend upon the project, financial or operational
lease, works, contract for goods or services to be delivered, and its scope, its value and
the nature of the market or industry. Clearly, lowest price only may be appropriate for the
procurement of simple and straightforward range of goods.
For more complex
procurements a range of contracts and partnering approaches may be available.
Procurement and Contracts Management (PCM) and/or the relevant specialist
procurement officer or section should be approached for advice when designing the
service specific strategy. In some cases, the funding available from government may be
a strong determinant of the nature of the partnering arrangement. This can be a formal
contract or a partnership arrangement such as a Memorandum of Understanding which
sets the framework within which individual contractual arrangements take place.
If
funding is available in the form of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits, a PFI consortium
or joint venture arrangement, may be established with a range of partners including the
County Council.
14.2
Advice on selecting the appropriate framework will be given through the Procurement
Handbook managed by the Head of Procurement and Contracts Management and made
available to all staff via the Intranet.
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15 STRATEGIC PARTNERING
15.1
Strategic partnering is a way of working with others designed to maximise the benefits
of co-operation. Strategic service delivery partnerships are not strategic because of the
number of services they cover or the value of any contract involved, but because they
help significantly towards achieving the strategic aims of the County Council and are an
important option in delivering step changes in service quality and performance.
The
principles of strategic partnering apply to public, voluntary or public/private partnerships.
The County Council has developed both project and strategic partnering arrangements
designed to better meet its strategic objectives and overcome problems that can occur
with traditional contracting approaches.
15.2
Partnering aims to:
15.2.1 Take a long-term perspective of needs, costs and solutions.
15.2.2 Involve shared risks, costs and rewards.
15.2.3 Have a high level of flexibility and allow a two-way exchange of workload.
15.2.4 Replace frequent one off tendering with longer terms arrangements where
performance is monitored and scrutinised.
15.2.5 Demonstrate a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.
15.2.6 Incorporate shared objectives between the partners including the County Council.
15.2.7 Involve the partners in adding value to each others business and to deliver
improved services to the community.
16 PARTNERSHIP MODELS
16.1
The County Council has been developing and applying a range of partnership models
jointly with national government initiatives, in particular Constructing Excellence in the
built Environment, the Local Government Taskforce (tasked with the role of implementing
Rethinking Construction principles in local government.)
The County Council is also
committed to support the government’s Centres of Procurement Excellence and hosts the
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South West Centre of Excellence.
16.2
The County Council has developed a strategic partnering model based on a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
These MOUs are typically non-contractual
partnering agreements (although they can be legal documents) which incorporate the
following features:
16.2.1 Shared objectives.
16.2.2 Links with national initiatives on Best Value, Rethinking Construction etc.
16.2.3 Outline of the services to be delivered.
16.2.4 Outline of key performance indicators by which the partnering arrangement will
be monitored.
16.2.5 Incorporate monitoring processes including open book accounting, regular
reports to County Council committees and subjecting the arrangement to the County
Council's Best Value review processes.
16.2.6 Innovative working, and incentivised arrangements which encourage the
partners to implement improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, systems and
procedures.
16.2.7 Reciprocal working where the partners add value to each others business and
two way working can apply.
16.2.8 Sustainability and diversity issues.
16.2.9 The County Council has been piloting strategic partnering arrangements in
building and highway maintenance and construction and has extended their application
to other areas of service delivery for example, printing services, supply of vehicle spare
parts, arboriculture services, ICT and Broadband Services.
17 SUSTAINABILITY
17.1
The aim of the Council is to increase the contribution it makes to sustainable
development through its procurement activity and will develop policies and improved
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working practices in the following areas:
17.1.1 Impact Assessment – develop a process for sustainability impact analysis which
becomes inherent in the procurement process and implemented at the earliest opportunity
in the procurement cycle.
17.1.2 Risk Assessment and Management – where sustainable impacts are identified
they will be managed through a process of risk assessment and management throughout
the procurement process.
17.1.3 Improved Procurement Practices – develop sustainable procurement guidance
and toolkits for distribution to all staff involved in the procurement process.
17.1.4 Supply Chain Improvement – work closely with suppliers to achieve continuous
improvement in terms of increasing the total contribution to environmental, social and
economic well being of the community.
17.1.5 Market Stimulation – work closely with suppliers and in collaboration with other
procurement partners to stimulate demand for sustainable goods and services.
17.1.6 Information and Marketing – provide internal and external customers with
access to information to assist them in making sustainable choices.
17.1.7 Collaborative Working – work closely with partner authorities and organisations
on sustainable procurement projects to increase awareness on sustainable issues and to
extend influence in the marketplace.
17.1.8 Performance Management – build into our performance management systems
baseline sustainability performance information and measure future performance.
17.1.9 Compliance – incorporate sustainability into the procurement process within the
framework of Contract Procedure Rules and National and European legislation.
17.1.10 Specialist policies – develop a range of specialist procurement policies to
address high profile commodities such as timber, food, building and engineering works
and energy procurement.
17.1.11 Local Economic Development – provide guidance and information to SMEs on
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contract opportunities and lower the barriers for SME engagement.
17.1.12 Whole Life Costing – develop the use of whole life costing principles, wherever
practicable, to improve sustainable development performance.
18 DIVERSITY
18.1
Dorset County Council believes that diversity is not about treating everyone in the
same way but about recognising and valuing difference as well as recognising and
accounting for inequalities and disadvantage. We expect that all our contractors and
partners will demonstrate that appropriate steps are taken to ensure that the council
policy and strategy on diversity issues are adopted and implemented.
19 LEADERSHIP AND RESPONSIBILITY
19.1
In respect of responsibility for procurement the County Council requires that:
19.1.1 The strategic objective is to obtain from elected members, the County
Management Team and officers throughout the organisation, the principles of effective
procurement and to ensure appropriate resources are directed to this activity.
19.1.2 The Procurement Strategy and progress in achieving Best Value in procurement
activity will be continuously reviewed by the Corporate Procurement Board which consists
of senior representatives from all Directorates and an elected member with the portfolio
for procurement.
19.1.3 Delegation to officers in procurement processes will be in accordance with
the County Council’s “Contract Procedure Rules” and “Scheme of Financial
Management”. PCM will advise on procurement processes through Handbooks and
Guidelines and provide procurement expertise in accordance with good practice.
19.1.4 Directorates act corporately in planning and carrying out procurements, drawing
on all available experience and expertise. In the case of goods and services in common
use the Head of Procurement and Contracts Management is authorised to act on behalf
of the authority in formulating corporate contracts.
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19.1.5 Every procurement which results in a legally binding agreement will be managed
and led by an appropriately skilled officer throughout the procurement process and during
the life of the arrangement.
20 ROLE OF ELECTED MEMBERS
20.1
A Member Reference Group will be appointed on an ad hoc basis to oversee specific
major procurement initiatives. Cabinet members with service delivery portfolios will be
kept informed of major procurement projects in their areas.
20.2
Directors will consult with and appraise relevant Members, as appropriate, within the
Best Value framework.
20.3
The County Council has a Cabinet member with a procurement portfolio who is a
member of the Corporate Procurement Board and who is appraised of strategic
procurement issues.
21 HUMAN RESOURCES
21.1
The Procurement Strategy and any proposed amendments will be subject to
consultation with the County Council’s Joint Consultative Committee (JCC).
21.2
Where it is considered appropriate by the Directorate concerned, workplace
representation will be considered as part of the agreed Evaluation Process.
21.3
Directorate JCCs will be consulted on procurement processes which may potentially
have staffing implications.
CORPORATE PROCUREMENT STRATEGY
Proposed amendments following DMT 07/07/06, to reflect comments received from
Director of Adult Services
22 COMPETENCIES AND TRAINING
22.1
A range of core competencies for staff involved in procurement activity has been
agreed, and will form the basis for a programme of training and staff development. This
document recognises the different levels of competency required and particular training
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needs necessary in some situations. In relation to Category 1 contracts, it will be for the
Head of Procurement and Contracts Management to be satisfied that staff have reached
the required level of competency. For Category 2 contracts it will be for the appropriate
Director to assess and determine that staff have reached the required competency to
procure specialist goods and services on behalf of the County Council. For both Category
1 and Category 2 procurement activity, the Core Competency document will be used as
the basis for assessment.
22.2
All officers responsible for procurement and contracts management will be fully trained
and conversant with the principles of good procurement.
22.3
The Head of PCM will facilitate additional skills training and awareness sessions to
ensure good procurement practice is disseminated throughout the organisation, and that
staff have the opportunity to achieve the core competencies.
7.1.15 Use other tools, for example e-auctions and e-tendering, as deemed appropriate by
the Head of Procurement and Contracts Management, or in the case of procurement of
Category 2 goods or services, by the Director concerned.
22
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