Procurement 

Scope

The first phase of the project audited the current position of procurement across Buckinghamshire and acknowledged the existing levels of joint procurement and procurement collaboration.  It also highlighted the recent expansion of procurement collaboration to include working with Oxfordshire authorities and also the increasing importance of regional procurement collaboration being promoted by IESE.

Outcome of Phase 1

The analysis undertaken as part of the project’s initial phase led to a number of suggestions for work in subsequent phases.  These were all contained in a report to the JIB in June 2009.  The main areas the JIB agreed should be the focus of future work were:

• Develop a package of contract management training for service managers
• Explore how procurement collaboration is working in other local authority areas, and how any lessons can be applied in Bucks to achieve further procurement collaboration.

The JIB also recognised that a number of the other Pathfinder work streams would involve significant procurement exercises and there would be procurement efficiency savings from undertaking these in a collaborative manner.

Since then, through joined up working, Procurement has made a saving of £100k on Environmental Health.  Going forward, work is in progress with the Central Buying Consortium (a group of 17 local authorities in the south east) on joint tendering for stationery.  Contracts for a joint paper sort and recycling facility and specification for a joint grass cutting contract are also in development.

Procurement has also recently provided expertise on tendering and joint contracting to the Shared Services and Waste Pathfinder programmes.
For more information on the Procurement Programme contact Jim Burness jim.burness@southbucks.gov.uk