V4 were commissioned through a jointly-run competitive tendering process by North West Leicestershire (NWLDC) and South Derbyshire District Councils (SDDC) to deliver Procurement Support Services, based on a managed service model.
Both District Councils had a single team member to support their officers for all procurements.
V4 introduced a Business Partner Led model supported by a Procurement Consultant, providing 2 days support per week, working flexibly to demands for support.
Scope of Service Provision:
V4 are supporting both District Councils in ensuring initial readiness for PA23 and - since its launch - ongoing compliance for PA23 procurement activity.
- Neither District Council had any standard operating procedures, RACIs, templates of a methodology of how officers should procure other than the contract procedure rules (CPR).
- Nor did they have a procurement strategy and were not aligned to the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS).
V4 Solution
- There was extensive up front mobilisation of work (“front-loading of effort”) to ensure V4 could support both District Councils effectively; introducing templates, procedures and training on PA23
- V4 reviewed the contract registers and identified off-contract spending
- V4 supported both District Councils in writing their procurement strategies
- V4 supported each District Councils in ensuring they were compliant and managing both regimes of PCR2015 and PA23
- V4 provided training for both District Councils in procedures, compliance and contract management
Outcomes
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- Both councils are legally compliant
- Supporting flexibly, V4 have been able to plug gaps in knowledge, support and delivery
- Both District Councils have reviewed off-contract spending and on an on-going basis ensuring that value for money is achieved in nearly all spending with third party suppliers
- Both District Councils have been extremely satisfied with the knowledge, skills, engagement and delivery V4 have provided and have even recommended us to other Councils
Key Successes
NW Leicestershire (NWLDC) introduced quarterly contracts reviews after the successes of identifying off-contract spending; this has ensured strategic buy-in to procurement and contract management
- Additional contract management training was commissioned to ensure officers optimised their contract management practice
- Both Councils are preparing in advance for Local Government Re-organisation (LGR), but ensuring this does not become a blocker for achieving Value for Money (VfM) - with the support of V4.
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