News Update

Week Ending 3rd February 2006

Property and Facilities Management Framework - OGC Buying Solutions

OGC Buying Solutions has just let a framework agreement for property and facilities management services, commencing on the 01 January 2006.

The agreement brings together a number of facilities management and property management services, which can range from the full scope of FM (including 'hard' and 'soft' services) and property management service, to bundling of required services, through to single service provision. The framework is only available to public sector bodies and is fully compliant with all relevant UK and EU legislation.

A document listing the appointed suppliers and summarising the service offering can be found here. 

Further information can be obtained through contacting OGC Buying Solutions Customer Services on 0845 410 2222, or by clicking here. 

 

Office of Government Commerce: Procurement

The Office of Government Commerce develops supplier relations by encouraging small and medium-sized companies to work more closely with the public sector, as well as by establishing partnerships with major suppliers.  For further information please click here.

Office of Government Commerce: Efficiency

The Office of Government Commerce supports, co-ordinates and monitors the public sector in delivering the Government's target of achieving £21.5 billion efficiency gains a year by 2007-08.  For further information click here. 

Wheeled Bin e-auction

NWCE has been at the centre of major e-auction that cut across regional boundaries.  It supported Warrington Borough Council who led a collaboration of nine authorities across the North West and West Midlands to purchase nearly 500,000 wheeled bins for delivery in the next three years.

The e-auction awarded a framework agreement to the suppliers who offered the best price during the 15-minute bidding period. 

11 suppliers joined the bidding and competed aggressively for the business on offer, resulting in savings to the councils of approximately £1.3million - representing an overall saving of 20%-25% on the contract.

Participating councils were Bolton MBC, Bury MBC, Eden DC, Liverpool CC, North Warwickshire BC, Staffordshire Moorlands, Tameside MBC, Warrington BC and Wirral MBC.

Agency Staffing e-auction

Macclesfield and Congleton Councils recently held a successful e-auction with regard to agency staffing.  Further details will be given in a future edition of the news update. 

eProcurement Newsletter

An NWCE eProcurement newsletter has been produced, to view please click here.

The neighbourhood agenda and the role of the Elected Member

Councillors are being encouraged to act as community champions, leaders and advocates. This IDeA-commissioned review examines the role, experience and capacity of ward councillors in relation to the neighbourhood agenda. http://list.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/t/948/77557/338/60/

New performance management resources

Access The Improvement Journey, a comprehensive change management resource for improving performance management, and an updated edition of the popular Review of Performance Improvement Models and Tools. http://list.idea-knowledge.gov.uk/t/948/77557/392/60/

Procurement Policy and EU rules

The OGC has an important role representing the UK on procurement matters to the European Commission, other EU partners and to the World Trade Organisation and its members, and also in helping departments to apply the rules in the UK. This gives further information  http://www.info4local.gov.uk/singleLink.asp?linkid=5823&heading=e%2dmail%20alert

Sustainable Development

This webpage gives links to information about sustainable development, including news and events, community action and volunteering, advice on acting sustainably in the home, the UK Sustainable Development Strategy, and more.

http://www.info4local.gov.uk/singleLink.asp?linkid=5816&heading=e%2dmail%20alert

Supplying Government

This website gives advice and guidance to businesses and UK central and local government procurement professionals. http://www.info4local.gov.uk/singleLink.asp?linkid=5812&heading=e%2dmail%20alert

Securing social enterprise’s place in the economy

Securing social enterprise's place in the business landscape is key for the continued prosperity of the economy, according to Minister for Industry and the Regions Rt. Hon Alun Michael MP.   Speaking at the annual social enterprise conference today, Alun Michael outlined some of the main areas that will be focused on in the Government's new social enterprise action plan to be launched in the spring.  http://www.gnn.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=185270&NewsAreaID=2

Municipal Year Book Guide/Handbook

The Municipal Year Book Procurement Guide and Sustainable Communities Handbook are both now available.  For further information please click here.

EVENTS

NWEGG Events – for details please click here.