3.2 Allow a minimum of nine months for benchmarking only. Up to two years of planning and process might be required if benchmarking fails and is followed by market testing, or for market testing only. Public sector clients will need to employ project management disciplines and start producing a project plan to cover the following:
• Reassessment and agreement of requirements - for example, should the specification be changed?
• Timetable - agree milestones
• Respective roles and agreement to governance structure - agree responsibilities
• Benchmarking methodology - agree the approach
• Communications - make sure everyone knows what is going on
• Contingency plan - in event of failure to agree
3.3 Benchmarking and market testing provisions in contracts vary and may not have clearly-defined timescales. Whatever the contractual requirements, the parties need to start planning well in advance of the date by which it should commence. The starting point is to understand exactly what the contract stipulates in respect of benchmarking / market testing.