Procurement and Commissioning Strategy 2013 to 2018

Procurement has a significant role to play in ensuring the council continues to deliver good quality, cost-effective services to the residents of South Gloucestershire.  Procurement and commissioning is more than just obtaining the lowest possible price. It means making decisions that deliver the optimum value for money.

This proposed strategy is an integrated commissioning, procurement and contract management strategy. It sets out the councils commissioning vision and objectives for the next four years.  It focuses on meeting local needs and delivering value for money, and as such it aligns to the overarching vision for the Council and its priorities as set out in the Community Strategy, Corporate Plan and Single Equality Plan. The council has a Procurement Network Group which will oversee the strategy and review progress annualy against the implementation of the actions to ensure the strategy remains fit for purpose.

Procurement

"Procurement is the process of acquiring, goods, works and services, covering both acquisition from third parties and in-house providers. The process spans the whole cycle from identification of needs through to the end of a services contract or the end of the useful life of an asset. It involves options appraisal and the critical ‘make or buy’ decision which may result in the provision of services in-house in appropriate circumstances".

In recent years it has been generally recognised that procurement and commissioning has a large part to play in contributing to the efficiency and success of how councils are run.

Commissioning

In South Gloucestershire it is considered that Commissioning is the process to meet local need which involves both specifying and securing good quality provision. Priorities are those which are needed to improve the outcomes for users and are fully informed by their views. The provision secured must be cost effective and provide value for money. Commissioning includes monitoring and evaluating services provided in order to ascertain their impact on improvement, and applies to all services within South Gloucestershire Council whether provided by the Local Authority, Health Service, Police, Schools, and the private or voluntary sector.

Social Value

All public authorities are now required to consider, prior to undertaking the procurement process, how any services procured (whether covered by the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 or otherwise) might improve the economic, social and environmental well being in areas which that public authority exercises its functions. It must also consider how it can secure such improvements as part of the process.

Aims of the Strategy

The proposed Procurement and Commissioning Strategy 2013 to 2018 has five aims:

1. Developing our approach to commissioning
2. Efficient and effective procurement
3. Improving commissioning and procurement activity
4. Supplier and contract management
5. Governance and sustainability

Have your say

We welcome views on the proposed Procurement and Commissioning Strategy 2013 to 2018 and on the draft equailty impact assessment. To make comments you can:

• email: procurement@southglos.gov.uk
• write to: FREEPOST RTCT-JXLE-EET, South Gloucestershire Council, Procurement and Commissioning Strategy Consultation,
  Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood, BRISTOL, BS15 9TR
• phone: 01454 865438

The closing date for responses is 3 January 2014

This consultation has now closed and we are analysing the results, which will be published here in due course.