5.19 Partnerships UK's primary objective is to be available to support all parts of the public sector, including local authorities and devolved administrations in implementing their PFI and PPP programmes and projects. By creating Partnerships UK, the Government has put in place a central resource of professionals, drawn from both private and public sector, with procurement expertise relevant to PFI and other PPPs. Partnerships UK's primary aim, therefore, is to provide the public sector with an improved client capability. An example of this working in practice is set out in Box 5.3.
Box 5.3: Aquatrine Partnerships UK entered a Development Partnership Agreement with MOD Defence Estates, in 2001, for the procurement of the Aquatrine project - a major PFI for the water and waste water treatment facilities of MOD sites across Great Britain. As co-sponsor of this procurement, Partnerships UK joined the project board and has played a full and active role in assisting Defence Estates achieve not only improved value for money from the PFI but also increased efficiency and reduced timescales for the procurement process itself. Since joining the procurement, Partnerships UK has played a leading role in achieving: • a reduction of 15 months in procurement timescale; and • a corresponding £6 million reduction in the cost of delivering the project. The project is divided into three packages, the first of which - for sites in Wales and South West England - was awarded to the Brey consortium in April 2003. The remaining packages are due to be awarded in March 2004. |