4.23 The prospect of contracting authorities engaging in "cherry picking", or sharing bidders" solutions, was an area of substantial concern in the early days of Competitive Dialogue.
4.24 Contracting authorities clearly recognise this issue; 55% of public sector respondents to our survey consider bidders to have a considerable or very considerable perception that cherry picking is an active issue.
4.25 On the whole, evidence suggests contracting authorities are respecting the concerns of the private sector and are giving due care to the security of data, ensuring all those involved in the bid process (particularly stakeholders) are aware of their responsibility to maintain confidentiality.
4.26 These efforts must continue. When this issue was raised at the roundtable events, it was generally accepted that while cherry picking and convergence continue to be areas of genuine concern, neither practice is rife. However, as expected, bidders stated they often do not introduce their most innovative ideas until relatively late in the dialogue process.