2 The examination covered:
■ The conduct of the procurement: how the Agency went about the task.
The purpose of this part of the examination was to assess whether the Agency's approach was well planned and implemented and likely to produce an outcome in line with their objectives. In particular we focused on the reasons for significant time delays and cost increases in arriving at the partnership.
■ The establishment of a partnership: the steps by the Agency to ensure that the arrangement with CMG addresses the key requirements likely to lead to a successful partnership.
This part of the examination identified the key elements of a partnership that need to be addressed in the deal with CMG and how the Agency took these into account in their procurement.
■ Outcome: how far the partnership should deliver value for money to the Agency.
This part of the examination focused on the extent to which the partnership with CMG is likely to deliver the hoped-for benefits to the Agency. It also encompassed the early performance of the partnership.
3 In undertaking this examination we:
■ designed the examination using experience acquired on our earlier studies of Private Finance Initiative deals and IT outsourcing studies;
■ collected information about the procurement process and the deal;
■ used an external consultancy firm for advice on procurement matters relating to IT services and obtained independent legal advice on contractual matters; and
■ evaluated the information and advice received.