News Release 2004/0043:
25 February 2004

NEW CENTRES OF PROCUREMENT EXCELLENCE

Support for local authorities in implementing good procurement practice has been given a boost by the announcement of nine centres of procurement excellence.

The new centres will drive innovative change in procurement by providing expertise to other councils and by building on existing good practice.

The launch of the new centres marks a fundamental step towards assisting local authorities across the country in implementing the National Procurement Strategy for Local Government.

The new regional centres of procurement excellence are:

North East - Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
West Midlands - Worcestershire County Council
South West - Dorset County Council
North West - Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
South East - Kent County Council
Yorkshire and Humberside - Leeds City Council
East Midlands - Nottinghamshire County Council
East of England - Norfolk County Council
London - Association of London Government on behalf of the London Boroughs

Announcing the nine centres, Local Government Minister Phil Hope said:

"Following the launch of the National Procurement Strategy for Local Government in October 2003, today marks another important stage in our joint working with the LGA to improve public services and achieve better value for money.
"We need to be certain that the £40 billion per year that councils spend buying goods and services is managed with efficiency, innovation, resourcefulness and prudence.
"I have been keen to establish these centres as soon as possible, because we need to start now if we are going to meet the milestones set out in the National Procurement Strategy, especially those for 2004."

The joint ODPM/LGA capacity building fund will provide up to £3.6 million funding per annum for the centres for the financial years 2004/5 and 2005/6.

Welcoming the announcement, LGA Chairman Cllr Sir Jeremy Beecham said:

"Delivering good quality public services for all citizens, is local government's top priority. The establishment of Regional Centres of Excellence will be a vital step in ensuring the success of the National Procurement Strategy, by enabling more effective and flexible local collaboration between councils in regional areas.
"Building on, and promoting their own good practice and effective partnership working with other sectors, councils can help to make their local success story become a national one. This is not only good news for local authorities and their partners in central government and other agencies, but most importantly good news for communities who will see the results in increasingly better quality and better value public services."

Notes to Editors
1. The National Procurement Strategy was launched in October last year and sets out challenging milestones for councils to meet by 2006. The ODPM, LGA, IDeA and 4ps have established a number of programmes and activities to provide support and enhance councils' ability to achieve these milestones. See the ODPM Website.

2. The new centres of procurement excellence authorities have demonstrated best practice through strategic leadership, use of innovative technology, project management, and performance measurement. Their skills and experience will result in efficiency savings and increased value for money in procurement across the country.

3. Each centre of procurement excellence is hosted by an authority that will project manage the centre on behalf of other authorities and take responsibility for managing the funding and employing staff. Host authorities are expected to work in close co-operation with other authorities in the region.

4. Representatives from wider stakeholder groups such as the private sector, voluntary, social enterprise, community sector suppliers, regional development agencies and other public sectors will be involved to ensure openness and encourage healthy debate about best practise in the context of local needs from all perspectives.

5. Procurement continues to feature as one of the Government’s top policy priorities for raising the standards and efficiency of public services in local government and throughout the public sector.

Host Centres By Region

Press Enquiries: 020 7944 3042
Out of Hours: 020 7944 5945
E-mail: press.office@odpm.gsi.gov.uk
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 4400
ODPM website: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/

Published 25 February 2004

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