Buying Better Outcomes

Workshop 3Equalities, Procurement and

Corporate aims

Equalities, Procurement and Corporate aims• Remember, procurement should not be carried out

in isolation. It should be a corporate activity carried out to achieve corporate and service aims. This includes equality priorities

• It should clearly feed into and be instructed by your organisation’s corporate plan and by government policy

• Information should flow both ways - procurement being instructed by and conditioned by the corporate environment. The latter should be informed about markets and the supply chain by procurement

Corporate Need and Strategic Fit

Government Policy

Authority Corporate Plan and Strategy

Department Service Plans

Authority Contract Procedure Rules

Procurement Strategy

Financial Regulations

Public contract regulations

DEMAND/MARKETMANAGEMENT

BENEFITSREALISATION

COST CONTROL &REDUCTION

COMMUNITYOBJECTIVES & VFM

The Procurement Value Proposition

Economy

Efficiency

Effectiveness

The Bicycle

c

The procurement cycle1. Identify Need2. Develop the Business Case3. Define Procurement Approach4. Supplier Appraisal5. Tender Evaluation6. Award Contract7. Manage Implementation of

Contract8. Closure/Review

Process for joint planning and commissioning1. Look at particular groups of service users2. Develop need assessment with users and

staff3. Identify resources and set priorities4. Plan pattern of services, include prevention5. Decide how to commission services efficiently6. Commission – including use of pooled

resources7. Plan for workforce and market development8. Monitor and review services and process9. Look at outcomes for children and young

people

Delivering social value and other benefits

• One of the most difficult aspects is actually identifying and realising the potential benefits and social value you create

• Ensure (as part of your performance management process) that these are not only identified as targets but clearly recorded to demonstrate that benefits and social value have been realised and contributed to policy outcomes and the community

Delivering social value and other benefits

• It is also important to recognise the benefits that were gained by the supplier not only in terms of reputational value but also for example access to a larger workforce pool and often ultimately a wider customer base

• It is sometimes forgotten in the quest for VfM that not all added value has a £ sign in front of it. Try to find ways of recording other benefits such as individual self esteem and achievement, well being and the improved status of protected groups.

Discussion/ Exercise• Within your procurement activities, consider

whether or not your authority’s overall corporate vision and aims supports •  compliance with the equality duty adding value by achieving wider corporate

equality aims

• Are relevant equality matters and the requirements of the equality duty addressed in your procurement /commissioning strategy?

What steps can you take to improve your performance?