Report of the Local Government Efficiency Review Group

• Focus on those that may yield savings;
• Research the potential for aggregated demand;
• Research the potential for innovative solutions;
• Research the potential for administrative efficiencies.
9.6.3 The service will also seek to achieve savings from economies of scale
through aggregation of demand, and to secure administrative savings on
running centralised tender processes. The top categories of spend across
the public service identified by the NPS are: construction; ICT consumables;
travel; roads; energy; professional services; waste disposal; water; plant &
equipment; medical supplies; transport; advertising; telephones; insurance;
postage; general maintenance; lab supplies; fuel; food; catering; security
services/ fire prevention; printing/ publishing; cleaning/ janitorial;
recruitment; training; stationery; uniforms/ clothing; audit and accountancy;
office equipment.
9.6.4 The areas that the NPS intends to target in 2010 are illustrated in Table 9.2.
Table 9.2 – NPS Priority Areas, 2010
Electricity Natural gas LPG Bulk Liquid fuels
(Fuel Charge cards) Office Equipment Stationery Photocopying
IT consumables Print Travel Advertising
Vehicles Clothing Water meters Janitorial supplies
Source: National Procurement Service
9.6.5 NPS proposes to establish central or sectoral contracts and framework
agreements. A lead procurer will be agreed for specific categories, for
example the HSE for pharmaceuticals. The NPS have advised local
authorities who are proposing to enter into any arrangements in these
markets to contact the NPS in the first instance. They have also requested
that each authority appoint a designated procurement liaison officer.
9.6.6 The Group considers that each local authority should designate a contact
point and resource to support the procurement process within the authority.
This position need not be full time, and can be assigned to an existing
officer. This person should be the main point of contact for all those
involved in procurement on behalf of the local authority, and where required,
will act as liaison between procurers and the National Procurement Service
specialists. The procurement officer should provide advice and support for
the operational aspects of procurement, including supplier management,
compliance with public sector and EU regulations.
9.6.7 Under existing arrangements some local authorities have more
sophisticated organisational structures in place, with delegated
responsibilities for procurement entailing large amounts of expenditure.
Local authorities have also formed alliances in different regions to deal with
procurement issues and logistic arrangements not covered by LAQuotes.
The Group considers that there is a need to formalise the links between
procurement officers in local authorities, in particular at local government
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