Newsletter 4 June 2010

17 Jun 2010

Message from the Directors of Children's Services

This newsletter about our joint regional activity comes at a time of great political and financial uncertainty. As a group of Directors of Children's Services we are pleased that funding has been secured for the time being to continue the good work started within this Joint Regional Improvement and Efficiency Plan (JRIEP) and we will continue to support and champion this Plan as it helps us to tackle some common issues.

Local Government Professional Services Forum

17 Jun 2010

If you're interested in knowing more about Professional Services, why not take a couple of minutes registering with the Communities of Practice for local government and joing the Local Government Professional Services Forum.

The Forum aims to promote collaboration and improvement in the procurement of professional services (i.e. consultancy, temporary/ agency workers, interims, specialists and similar) in local government, and support councils in securing better value from Professional Services spend.

The only people who can access this community are local government employees or other invited individuals who have been approved by the community administrators. You must have a .gov.uk email address to access this community. 

Register to join at:  http://tinyurl.com/ydrdgss  

Also, visit the Professional Services  section of the OGC website at:  http://www.ogc.gov.uk/temporarystaff.asp  

RIEPs: efficiency casebook

17 Jun 2010

As budgetary pressures increase across the sector, the need for partnership working grows ever more apparent.

Read this invaluable casebook that details the efficiency and procurement support available from the regional improvement and efficiency partnerships (RIEPs). Find out how to secure savings, harness expertise and unlock efficiencies for your council and its partners.

East Midlands Sustainable Procurement Learning Network

17 Jun 2010

This regional network supports and encourages local authorities to understand the ‘whole life' social, environmental and economic impacts of their procurement decisions. It "provides support to local authorities to further develop their sustainable procurement practice to positively impact on the vitality and wellbeing of their communities in line with Sustainable Community Strategies and the priorities of Local Area Agreements (LAA)."

SPIN also have a dedicated website which is the first and only website dedicated to supporting local authorities in their efforts to procure sustainably, and provides a 'one-stop' website containing the very best information relating to the sustainable procurement agenda. The site is extremely easy to navigate, with comprehensive information just one click away from the home page. Local authorities and public sector organisations are urged to contribute to the content of the website.

If you'd like join the network contact: Alex Botten alex.botten@lincolnshire.gov.uk  or call 01522 554 070.

Alternatively, visit the SPIN website at:  http://www.s-p-i-n.co.uk/ 

Collaborative Food Procurement - Spring 2010 newsletter

17 Jun 2010

The Pan Government Collaborative Procurement programme is an initiative led by key organisations and policy groups across the public sector, and enabled by the OGC. The Programme is designed to improve the value for money the Government is able to achieve from its collective spend through a joined up approach to the procurement of common goods and services and forms a core strand of the Government's Operational Efficiency Programme.

About the Programme
As part of the HM Treasury Operational Efficiency Programme, all Public Sector food buying organisations are working together to deliver the pan government Collaborative Food Procurement Programme.

OGC National e-Auction Programme

17 Jun 2010

The OGC published its Forward Plan for e-Auctions, which aims to save the public sector up to £270m by the end of 2011/12.

You can find the press release at http://www.ogc.gov.uk/About_OGC_news_10098.asp.

Alongside the publication of the plan the OGC have launched a pilot website to provide information on public sector e-auctions which can be found at http://www.ogceauctioncentre.co.uk/ this includes the forward plan of e-auctions http://www.ogceauctioncentre.co.uk/home/how-we-work-with-you/future-eauctions/ , case studies http://www.ogceauctioncentre.co.uk/home/case-studies/  and an introduction to the e-Auction team, http://www.ogceauctioncentre.co.uk/home/about-us/meet-the-team/  

Improving Public Sector Efficiency

17 Jun 2010

Good practice checklist for public bodies.

Audit Scotland, the Northern Ireland Audit Office and the Wales Audit Office have drawn on our combined knowledge and experience to develop this good practice checklist. We intend for the checklist to promote improvement and facilitate detailed review, reflection and self-assessment by audited bodies. We hope that by setting out the key principles that apply to public bodies in all of the devolved administrations, there will be a consistent tool to help you assess your own approach to efficiency during these challenging times.

Best Practice Guides Published by OGC

17 Jun 2010

OGC have published some best practice guides which are designed to help you in your commercial activities. Guidance on construction, fleet, ICT, consultancy, complex procurement and general procurement lifecycles can be found in the How To Buy Guides.

Download the Guides at: http://www.ogc.gov.uk/procurement_documents_best_practice_guidance_.asp  

Implementing e-Tendering guidance

17 Jun 2010

OGC has published a guide entitled 'Implementing e-Tendering'. This document sets out some of the benefits which can be achieved for both contracting authorities and suppliers from the effective use of electronic tendering (e-tendering) in public procurement. It also offers guidance on implementing e-tendering solutions.

Go to: http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/e-tendering_Guidance.pdf

Responsible Procurement: Free e-Learning Tool launched

17 Jun 2010

The GLA group launched the Responsible Procurement e-Learning tool which is available from the Responsible Procurement website.

The tool is free to use tool and provides the user with an introduction to the RP agenda, including skills and employment, equality & diversity, London Living Wage, and environmental sustainability. The course takes around 50 minutes to complete plus a 15 minutes test. Successful candidate will be able to print a certificate. There are 5 interactive units including case studies from the 5 organisations that make up the GLA group and info and examples of key RP supported programmes available.

The tool is aimed at procurement professionals, sustainability officers and staff involved in a relevant policy role. We are keen to promote the tool across London Boroughs and beyond. The eLearning provides an insight on GLA group experiences of delivering value for money and social and environmental benefits through responsible procurement and it also encourages best practice to other public sector organisations who wish to learn more about responsible procurement.

Visit the Responsible Procurement website at: www.london.gov.uk/rp   

In the Pipeline - Government Energy Project Newsletter - Issue 5/Sping 2010

17 Jun 2010

Housing Consortium shows the way to savings - Efficiency East Midlands

16 Jun 2010

A groundbreaking consortium of East Midlands housing organisations is set to be launched next month to show how working together can make huge cash and efficiency savings.

Efficiency East Midlands(EEM) -is a brand new Procurement and Benchmarking Consortium of housing providers. Its key aim is to bring together all Registered Housing Providers in the East Midlands to show how working together can bring savings to their organisations

The consortium will be officially launched on Monday 19th July at the Castle Donington Race Circuit. Registration will be from 8.30am for a 9.30am start.

The event will be hosted by Mark Johnson, Chairman of Efficiency East Midlands, with keynote presentations being delivered by: Paul Schofield from the Homes and Communities Agency, Rhianna John from Trowers and Hamlins, Iain Walsh from Valueworks and Ellie Horwitch-Smith from the Atkins Group.

Efficiency East Midlands is supported and funded by the Homes and Communities Agency. As a consortium it will aim to achieve savings on the procurement of goods and services and share these savings across all members. During these tough financial times when all our budgets are being tested, making these savings across a number of organisations is a boost, not just for individual housing providers, but for the region as a whole.

The event will bring together a range of people with experience in building, regeneration, sustainable homes and environments. It will also give housing providers a chance to share best practice, jointly source goods and services, promote schemes designed to improve employment and skills and reduce negative environmental impact.

Pete Smith, Procurement Manager at Nottingham City Homes, which has been instrumental in setting up EEM, said: "The launch event will show social housing landlords and registered providers exactly what can be achieved through joint procurement. We believe that many of them will want take advantage of bulk purchase savings, reduced procurement overheads and additional investment in community projects."

The event is free to attend for chief executives, directors, heads of procurement, or heads of asset management.

For further information on the Efficiency East Midlands launch event please contact Pete Smith at Nottingham City Homes on 0115 8762086 or email pete.smith@nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk  

To register and get your free invitation email: efficiencyem@gmail.com  

OGC joins new Efficiency and Reform Group, Cabinet Office

16 Jun 2010

Following an announcement on Tuesday 15 June, OGC is now part of the new Efficiency and Reform Group within the Cabinet Office.

Responsibility for The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and the public sector procurement agency, Buying Solutions, will move to the Cabinet Office where they will form part of the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG), the Prime Minister announced today.
Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said the move will bring together in one place all the cross-government operational functions, including procurement, project management, IT and Civil Service workforce and reform functions.

The Efficiency and Reform Group will have a strong mandate at the centre of government to ensure departments work together to quickly tackle waste and improve accountability across all these areas. The Group's work is overseen by an Efficiency Board, co-chaired by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

In a further boost for the work of the Efficiency and Reform Group, Francis Maude has announced that three senior business leaders, who have all worked in Whitehall, will bring their years of experience to the Efficiency Board. They are:

- Sir Peter Gershon, Chairman of Tate & Lyle, former government efficiency adviser and first chief executive of the OGC;
- Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Executive Director, Tesco PLC; formerly a senior career civil servant; and
- Dr Martin Read, Non-Executive Director of Invensys, Aegis and Lloyd's of London.

Francis Maude said that today's announcements will inject pace and energy into the critical work of the Efficiency and Reform Group:
"We want a slim but strong centre that can drive down the cost of government, so protecting as best we can the crucial front line services on which our citizens depend.

"The changes I am announcing today will bring together our operational capability to form a single strong but streamlined group to drive efficiency across Government. By taking this really tough stance on inefficiency and waste, we can tackle Britain's massive budget deficit and bring order back to the country's finances, whilst protecting vital frontline services.

"Our new board members will be critical in making this happen. Sir Peter Gershon, Lucy Neville-Rolfe and Martin Read have varied business expertise combined with deep understanding of the unique challenges of government. They'll be energetic and challenging, and I'm grateful that they have stepped up to offer their valuable service to the country."

Sir Peter Gershon, who will lead on looking at procurement issues, said:
"Whilst tackling the budget deficit is a challenge, I am convinced that by bringing experts together and harnessing the talents of the public sector we can start to make improvements immediately. We will need to be creative and innovative in order to make a real difference and look at new ways of working."

For more information visit:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/news_releases/2010/100615-shakeup.aspx  

A Review of Collaborative Procurement across the Public Sector

16 Jun 2010

The National Audit Office and the Audit Commission have jointly produced this review. It describes the landscape of collaborative procurement across the public sector. The review draws on our research in central government, local government and the National Health Service (NHS) carried out during the summer and autumn of 2009.  The research....

Midlands Highway Alliance - Issue one

16 Jun 2010

This is the first of a quarterly newsletter for Midlands Highway Alliance (MHA) members which provides an insight into schemes and good news stories from around partnership.

MHA are aiming to make sure all members are kept informed of the progress of the various work streams and updated with news
of up and coming events and activities.

For more information visit: www.leics.gov.uk/mha

empa Business Case

16 Jun 2010

£7.4million saved by East Midland's public authorities

The East Midlands Property Alliance (empa) provides collaborative procurement arrangements through framework agreements for all public bodies in the East Midlands. This approach has enabled empa to secure collective buying power from the market and deliver better services than can be obtained via one off or individual contracting.

Delivering Chances Awards 2010 - Winners Announced

11 Jun 2010

Congratulations to all the winners of the 'Delivering Chances Awards 2010'. With over 50 applications for the Delivering Chances Awards Scheme, a new awards scheme being delivered by the EM IEP in partnership with the Government Office for the East Midlands and the Cabinet Office, competition was stiff for the seven categories listed below.

Each of the winners and runners up for this awards scheme have gone over and above to provide excellent services for the most vulnerable people in our communities. John Holmes, Presenter for BBC Nottingham presented the winners and runners up with framed plaques which were produced by patients from the East Midlands Centre for Forensic Mental Health. The winners were also presented with a short film of their projects which will be available to view online shortly.

With Professor Antony Sheehan CEO Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust hosting the evening and John Holmes presenting the awards the night was a great success. It gave Local Authorities an opportunity to learn about good practice across the region and network with officers, councillors and third sector workers.


Effective Commissioning
Runner up - Children and Young People Integrated Disabled Service - Derby City Council
Winner - Towards 2010 Northamptonshire County Council

Innovative Service
Runner up - Melton Pathways - Melton Borough Council
Winner - Wait With Support - Stoneham Chesterfield Services

Achieving more through Partnership Working
Runner up - Nottingham KMP Housing Surgeries- Broxtowe Borough Council
Winner - Way Ahead Project - Leicester City Council

Increasing the capacity of the Third sector
Runner up - Steps for the Future- Maggie Attenborough
Winner - Care & Comfort Community Services

Integrated Services
Runner up - STEP - Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Winner - MARS Scheme- Mansfield District Council Housing Solutions

Positive Practice in the Delivery of Housing
Runner up - Wait With Support- Stoneham Chesterfield Services
Winner - Improved Housing Solutions- Kettering Borough Council

Positive Practice in the Delivery of Employment or Training
Runner up - Learning Disability Service- Leicester City Council
Winner - Derbyshire Mencap Pathway Employment Service

Download a photograph of the winners and their awards.

Government sets out further detail on local government savings

11 Jun 2010

The Government has published details of the £1.166bn Local Government contribution to the £6.2bn cross government savings in 2010/11. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has confirmed that no local authority will face reductions in their revenue grant of more than 2 per cent.

The £6.2bn savings represent the first step in the Government's efforts to tackle an unprecedented £156 billion deficit inherited from the previous government in order to restore confidence in our economy and support the recovery.

Unless borrowing is reduced, interest on Government debt will hit £70 billion a year by 2014-15. This is more than is currently raised from council tax, business rates, stamp duty and inheritance tax combined.

Ministers have given careful consideration to how savings can be found without affecting the quality of key frontline services. The priority has been on driving out Whitehall waste with the brunt of the cuts being borne at the centre...

...to continue reading this article go to: http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/localgovernment/1611369 

The I&DeA Equality Newsletter

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EM IEP Newsletter - June 2010

10 Jun 2010

EM IEP Newsletter - June 2010