News
Please procure responsibly: Reform surveys public service commissioning
The thinktank Reform has turned its attention to the public services commissioning scene, and a new report works to pick apart and explain the complex systems of procurement and explain exactly who delivers public services, and how they go about it:
Public services can either be delivered in-house or purchased from external providers in the private or third sector. Roughly a third of all public service expenditure goes on outsourcing, equalling some £284 billion per year. Whilst much of this spending results in efficient and effective public services, prominent outsourcing failures have emphasised that more can be done to improve public procurement and ensure high quality, value-for-money services in the long-term. A successful procurement process should rely on multiple factors, including good “make or buy” decisions, a focus on social value, and effective purchasing, contract design, and monitoring, if services are outsourced.
Here a summary video about the report:
The report provides ten recommendations, three of which directly name the PSTA as a potentially important partner in fostering and developing the networks of capability and expertise needed to rework the procurement process. Read all ten recommendations, and download the full report, at the Reform website.