9 Pressure to reduce public spending and the frequency with which commercial staff move, both impact on the commercial experience of project teams. Departments have to work within spending limits. In May 2009 HM Treasury's Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) recommended that the cost of back office operations, including procurement teams, should be reduced by 25 per cent. This could, however, potentially conflict with the need to invest in staff with the commercial skills to deliver complex projects. SROs on complex projects believe their inability to pay market rates affects their ability to recruit experienced commercial staff. The OGC believes, however, that the overall package can still be attractive. In addition, civil servants in commercial roles often move positions frequently. Rotation of staff can cause commercial knowledge to be lost to a project and prevent Government getting best use of an individual's commercial expertise.
10 The Government is not using its scarce commercial skills and experience to best effect. There is a lack of management information on the skills, experience and availability of commercial staff and on skills gaps in project teams. There is also no formal mechanism to allocate staff across departments. The Government is therefore unable to deploy its scarce commercial staff resources in a way that will best meet the needs of projects and the development of individuals.