HIGHLAND COUNCIL AND COLLABORATIVE PROCUREMENT

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HIGHLAND COUNCIL AND COLLABORATIVE PROCUREMENT

• Ashley Gould
• Head of Procurement
• Highland Council

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Competition, Efficiency Savings

• Greater requirements for opening up and
  publicising our requirements
• Implementation of eProcurement
• Procurement savings target 6M
• eProcurement efficiency gain target 1M

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Where we spend our money

• 2005 Figures
• 80M with local businesses
• 1200 suppliers gt1000 each
• 164 with gt20 of turnover from THC
• Only 20 of those in Cat B

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Our Commitment To You 1

• Suppliers Charter
• Consult with the business community to identify
  and reduce barriers to business
• Facilitate understanding of public sector
  procurement
• Ensure that the approach .. is supported by a
  sound business case
• Keep the tender process as simple as possible,
• .. ensure that adequate and appropriate
  publicity is given to contract opportunities
• Commit to using the core (standard) questionnaire
  for routine procurements
• Offer meaningful feedback
• Publish guidance for the business community on
  tendering for opportunities
• Support training for procurement staff

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Our Commitment To You 2

• Programme for Administration
• Consider the level at which formal tenders
  required
• Ensure that the Highland Council buyer profile is
  up to date, well maintained,.
• Complete the replacement of maintained lists with
  framework agreements
• Share and consolidate procurement plans with
  other public bodies
• Produce quarterly bulletins for the local
  business, voluntary and social enterprise
  communities
• Work with Highlands and Islands Enterprise to
  build electronic trading capability in the local
  business, voluntary and social enterprise
  communities
• Ensure that specifications and evaluation
  criteria include requirements that ensure the
  local business, voluntary and social enterprise
  communities can compete wherever possible
• Balance evaluation criteria appropriately between
  cost and quality factors

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Our Commitment To You 3

• Programme For Administration (Cont)
• Review and revise information available to the
  local business, voluntary and social enterprise
  communities
• Produce easily accessible tendering guidance
• Provide training in selling to the public sector
  for the local business, voluntary and social
  enterprise communities.
• Work with Scotland Excel .. to ensure maximum
  engagement with the local business, voluntary and
  social enterprise communities across the public
  sector
• Review procurement documentation with a view to
  maximising simplicity
• Review procurement processes with a view to
  ease of use to the local business, voluntary and
  social enterprise communities
• Utilise Scottish Government Public Sector
  advertising portal
• Regularly participate in relevant
  events/networking opportunities

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Actions So Far

• Selling to the public sector events
• Aviemore, Inverness, Fort William, Portree,
  Dingwall, Wick, Elgin
• Second round in planning
• All tenders on publictender.co.uk
• Joint event with Chamber of Commerce early 2009
• Wider use of e-tendering system
• gt5000 suppliers on Pecos
• gt200 purchase cards issued

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What We Need In Return

• Suppliers Charter
• Provide feedback from suppliers and their
  respective associations, on tender processes and
  perceived barriers to business.
• Recognise duties under EU and UK law surrounding
  public procurement activity
• Encourage members of business organisations to
  adhere to this Charter
• Support public sector websites as a means of
  accessing contract opportunities
• Make effective use of their skills and resources
  in bidding for and providing public sector goods
  and services
• Support the use of the core questionnaire in the
  tendering process and the scope for debriefing
• Encourage understanding of the principles of good
  business practice by appropriate means
• Work with your customers to deliver value for
  money throughout the life of the contract

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Conclusion

• Absolute requirements for all
• Open engagement
• Fair competition
• Best Value in public services