The Department for Transport (DfT)
Within the DfT each PFI programme and project is owned by a sponsoring division or Agency, which defines the policy objectives and project requirements. Project development and procurement delivery is managed by the contracting authority (which could be one of the departmental Agencies or a Local Authority).
The Department's Corporate Finance Team provides oversight on the implementation of overall PPP and PFI policy, coordinating the activity on PPP and PFI projects and other complex procurements. It works closely with each procuring Authority from project design into the operational phase.
By coordinating its activity on PPP and PFI projects together with other complex procurements, the Corporate Finance Team is able more effectively to influence wider commercial policy within the Department and across Government by bringing to bear an intimate understanding of commercial policy issues affecting projects in procurement. This also allows it to take a more holistic approach when sharing its commercial skills and expertise with policy team colleagues, helping them to consider the different procurement and financing options available.
Department of Health
The Department of Health's commercial investment team is mainly focused on the delivery of large-scale investments, such as PFI hospitals. However, it also provides commercial expertise to other parts of the Department on issues such as the funding of Independent Sector Treatment Centres; the incorporation of NHS Professionals as a limited company, prior to its sale; the acquisition of DCI, the blood plasma business in America; the purchase of PUK's share of Community Health Partnerships; assisting the Cancer Policy team in the procurement of a new generation of proton therapy equipment; and allocation of staff to work full-time for the Pandemic Flu Preparation team. In this way the team employs the commercial skills and experience it has built up through the delivery of PFI projects to improve the Department's delivery of non-PFI/PPP projects.