Determining and applying where PFI offers value for money is only part of the process in the delivery of quality public services. It is important that the procurement process is managed efficiently, intelligently and in a timely manner in order to maximise the benefits of PFI, and to secure value for money from other forms of procurement too. The evidence shows there is still room to improve delivery of investment in public services through PFI, as well as through conventional procurement, by reducing the timescales over which investment is delivered and looking at ways of further reducing procurement costs, so that value for money is not compromised. The Government will be taking action in both areas. Introducing measures that help the public sector become a better client, the Government will: • continue to prioritise improving the general skills of the public sector to deliver value for money in Government investment; • rigorously enforce contract standardisation across the public sector to reduce bid costs and ensure a consistent approach to risk sharing is maintained throughout the public sector; • enhance the role of the Project Review Group in monitoring PFI procurement by local authorities; and • increase the level of support provided through Partnerships UK, in developing and supporting standardisation and enhancing procurement skills. Ensuring the benefits achieved by co-ordinating activity as a client, the Government will: • set up a system for the accreditation of public sector advisers and introduce an information resource accessible to all public authorities to make sure that external advisers appointed by the public sector are of the highest quality, and provide services to Government in a manner which recognizes its status as a single significant client; • create vehicles to coordinate procurement in particular areas and put in place procurement support so that best practice is shared across the public sector, the public sector can control the flow of projects to market to maximize competition, and procurement expertise is injected into PFI investment projects undertaken at all levels; and • promote the sharing of best practice and better harnessing of institutional memory across the public sector. As part of the ongoing agenda of improving delivery the Government will also be evaluating public sector skills in bid evaluation and flexibility, to ascertain whether, where and how further support can be provided. |