Whilst, generally speaking, the Government Department responsible for the sector in which a particular project is to be procured will take an active role in the decision-making process, the project itself will be procured by the trust, board, agency or body responsible for the day to day management of the project. For example, Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Services Trust rather than the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is the procuring authority on the first acute PPP to be brought to market locally.
Support during the procurement process is provided by the Central Procurement Directorate (CPD) which provides a procurement service to Northern Ireland Government Departments and other public sector bodies in respect of a range of supplies and services. CPD's remit is to ensure best value for money, legal compliance and competitive tension. CPD came into existence following a review which recommended that Northern Ireland's Construction Service and the Government Purchasing Agency merge into a single directorate. The review further recommended the establishment of a Procurement Board, to lead on procurement policy for the Northern Ireland public sector and a network of Centres of Procurement Expertise through which all public sector procurement should be channelled. In health for example, the relevant Centre of Procurement Expertise is Health Estates.