OVERVIEW

A new era dawns for public sector procurement.

Public sector procurement remains massive. Even after the cuts in IT spending, roads, advertising and recruitment, it is still above £200bn a year; managing this coherently has become a key policy.

The National Audit Office's recently released report on collaborative procurement and the agenda of the new government to secure savings foretells drastic changes in the organisational structure of procurement. Procurement personnel in all parts of the public sector will feel the impact.

The pace of change in public sector procurement is increasing and the landscape will be transformed in just a few years' time. As well as organisational change, public sector procurement personnel are expected to focus on delivering major bankable cash savings – no more measuring of efficiencies. Meanwhile, mandatory use of framework agreements is likely to extend to the whole of the public sector.
Those who commission procurement will also have to adapt and understand the commercial implications of their proposals and decisions. 'Unique' specifications will no longer be acceptable and procurement is likely to have greater authority.

Public Sector Procurement – A New Era is designed to encourage public sector personnel to embrace the changes, take advantage of the challenges and contribute to the new public sector procurement agenda.