13 Some areas of Government and other organisations have adopted effective approaches to addressing commercial skills gaps, but these are not as widely used across central government as they could be. For example:
• in certain important areas of procurement, the standardisation of contract terms and procedures by the OGC and Partnerships UK (PUK), HM Treasury and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reduced the level of input required from commercial experts;
• centralised commercial support from PUK or local authority adviser Local Partnerships (formerly 4ps) can be of particular value when critical commercial decisions are being taken; and
• focusing on the career development of commercial staff by ensuring a logical progression from project to project and through mentoring, can help staff gain valuable experience and achieve promotion to senior positions.