News
Reports from Browne Jacobson and the CBI recommend deregulation of procurement for prosperity
- 30 March 2019
- Posted by: Helen Nicol
- Category: Resources
Here are two recent reports from Browne Jacobson in collaboration with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The most recent, “Markets for Good”, tries to see the potential positives for the procurement process in the possibility of Britain’s exit from the EU:
Brexit and the spotlight it is shining on our current regulatory environment provide both a risk and an opportunity here. Got right, our exit from the EU offers the opportunity to re-evaluate public procurement processes, shift behaviours and strip out unnecessary complexity in government contracting, with the ultimate aim of delivering greater value for citizens. Got wrong, not only could the health of the UK Government marketplace decline, but UK suppliers could lose the ability to compete fairly in the vast European market for public contracts.
That report builds upon the research described in an earlier document, “Partnering for Prosperity”, a 2018 survey of the public procurement scene:
… new CBI evidence, gathered in partnership with Browne Jacobson, demonstrates that if government’s ambitious vision for world-class public services and infrastructure is to be delivered, it must work with its private sector suppliers to build better partnerships.
In particular, the CBI’s findings suggest that too often private sector suppliers are viewed as a vehicle for cost-reduction, rather than a partner that can bring much needed investment and innovation to the delivery of public services and infrastructure.
With suppliers facing intensifying scrutiny, it is more important than it ever has been for business and government to work together to deliver long-term value rather than just savings in the short-term.
Unlocking this contribution in turn requires reductions in the complexity and inconsistency of procurement, to ensure that businesses of all sizes can make their full contribution to improving the outcomes that matter to citizens.