2.37 WIDP has strengthened the provision of direct support to authorities undertaking procurements through guidance and by supplementing local authority teams with a project Transactor. Initially introduced in 2003, Transactors are individuals with commercial experience from the advisory bodies Partnerships UK and the 4ps under the supervision of WIDP. Where WIDP provides Transactor resource to an authority the parties sign a Memorandum of Understanding which sets out the role and responsibilities of the Transactor. Transactors sit as a 'critical friend' to the project, for example, helping the authority to assess the value for money of the bidders' proposals and providing a conduit for passing information to and from the Department. Local authorities told us that the Transactors had in general made a helpful contribution to their projects. Some authorities reported, however, that they had not been clear on the Transactor's precise role and remit.
2.38 Local authorities are now required to demonstrate that there is a value for money case for their proposed method of dealing with waste and for using PFI as a means of procurement. The Department's information on changes to the price of deals after preferred bidder selection is incomplete for some projects. The Department has taken steps through WIDP to strengthen reporting requirements and now seeks monthly information updates on the progress of negotiations. This includes a rating of the likelihood of timely delivery based on an assessment of a range of key success criteria.
2.39 The Department offers the same level of non-financial support to all authorities including those procuring non-PFI projects. As there is no central funding those undertaking non-PFI procurement are not obliged to take up this service.7 Nor is there any requirement for local authorities to submit information about these projects to the Department. The lack of such information limits the Department's ability to monitor the progress of these projects, which are expected to deliver around 20 per cent of the volume of waste treatment capacity to be brought into operation by 2013.
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7 The local authority adviser 4ps is also available to provide support to these projects.