Understanding the Public Services Industy

Public Services Industry Review
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DTI, supported by OGC should work to improve the clarity and accessibility, especially
to SMEs of relevant practical advice on public procurement markets and opportunities
within EU, links to tender notices and local rules and regulations. This work should be
carried out in co-ordination with existing work on SME training recommended by the
Better Regulation Task Force and owned by OGC/SBS
Business Links and UKTI should promote the services available to exporters more
effectively, with better guidance for SMEs and UKTI should ensure that it delivers
relevant and appropriate advice which enables exporters to understand and
successfully address the challenges involved in competing in EU public procurement
markets
OGC should provide guidance for business on the specific remedies available for
breaches of the public procurement rules, and the available channels for pursuing a
complaint
OGC and DTI should press for further publicising by Business Links of informal
problem-solving systems, namely the Public Procurement Network and the European
SOLVIT network
Improving Procurement: National Audit Office 12 March 2004
The following Recommendations from the 1999 Gershon Review were implemented in
whole or in part:
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Creation of OGC
OGC to develop a common process for the management of the supplier base
OGC should with departments define common ways of recording what is bought, the
associated prices and sources of supply
OGC should with departments identify common types of transaction which have high
costs and work with departments to reduce these costs through techniques such as
e-commerce and procurement cards
In departments with large procurement expenditure the Head of Procurement should
be a Grade 3 Civil Servant or equivalent
The need to raise professional knowledge, skills and seniority of procurement staff,
including the percentage having a graduate procurement qualification
Departments need to be more sensitive to the burdens which they place on suppliers:
In some sectors OGC need to determine whether the base of suppliers is broad enough
to maintain competition and innovation and take appropriate action to stimulate the
interest of potential suppliers
An overall value for money improvement target of £1billion set for achievement by end
of 2002/03
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