Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office sites

Internet Links

• Better Regulation Portal
• Better Regulation Commission
• Regulation - Less is More
• Hampton Review
• Standard Cost Model Network

Feedback

• Website feedback

Central Civil Government Procurement

Making a Difference - Reducing Bureaucracy in Central Civil Government Procurement [PDF 373KB, 50 pages] was published on 15 December 2003. It was a joint project between the unit and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). A summary [PDF 160KB, 12 pages] of the actions has also been produced for ease of access.

Scope

The report concentrates, in line with OGC's remit, on unnecessary bureaucracy encountered by public and private stakeholders involved in procurement projects in central civil government departments and their agencies. The report does not look at procurements undertaken by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the National Health Service (NHS) or Local Authorities.

Background

Building on past and current work within Government, the project has sought to deliver practical measures to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and burdens within central civil procurement, so that the procurement of services and goods can be conducted more efficiently - thus reducing costs and achieving better outcomes.

Approach

As with all Making a Difference projects, front-line staff played an integral part in identifying the unnecessary burdens placed on them, and highlighting possible solutions. Meetings were held with a wide range of stakeholders including project managers, procurement specialists, suppliers and contractors, consulting organisations and professional bodies. A full list of participants can be found in Annex 1 of the report.

Changes to be made and timescales for implementation were agreed with the relevant policy officials.

Key Achievements

Making a Difference - Reducing Bureaucracy in Central Civil Government Procurement [PDF 373KB, 50 pages] announced a total of 24 actions. The major benefits, to be realized through the successful implementation of these actions include:

• Shorter procurement timescales, through:
  • focusing on the need to reduce procurement costs;
  • making the government marketplace more attractive to suppliers.
• Greater standardisation and consistency, through:
  • avoiding the need for repeated form-filling;
  • reducing duplication of work by use of standard contract clauses, thus reducing lengthy contract negotiations; and
  • increasing the efficiency of the procurement framework contracts.
• Getting the best from consultants and advisors through:
  • improving decision-making by selecting and managing consultants more effectively; and
  • using consultants only when necessary, leading to an incentive to improve in-house commercial expertise.
• Improved communication with the market through:
  • engaging in early dialogue with suppliers on requirements and proposed procurement routes, leading to better understanding and more efficient and effective procurement; and
  • wider advertising of contract opportunities to foster more effective competition.
• Improved collaboration across central government through:
  • making accurate information on expenditure available throughout government; and
  • increasing the strategic focus of collaborative procurement activity.
• Greater focus on outcomes through:
  • ensuring that training and guidance emphasise the importance of focusing on outcomes rather than on processes; and
  • capitalising on the innovative and creative solutions that the market can bring to government.

Next Steps

Responsibility for delivery rests with the stakeholders. To date, 12 of the 24 actions in the report have been delivered. The project team will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that the remaining actions are delivered as agreed and are communicated effectively to the relevant staff.

For further enquires or information please contact the unit at psinfo@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk