19 Government needs to find ways of making the most of its commercially experienced people. There needs to be a balance struck between departments retaining sufficient capability to manage their contracts day-to-day and the role of the centre in targeting resources where needed. The Cabinet Office's current initiatives are at an early stage, but are likely to have a positive impact:
• An enhanced role for commercial staff
The Cabinet Office and departments recognise that they have focused too much on procurement, and neglected the scoping and operational stages where they can add most value. It is not clear to what extent the current commercial workforce has the right skills. Departments need to consider carefully how they manage any restructuring. However, the new role is likely to be more exciting and influential within the civil service. We hope that it will improve staff engagement and make the profession more attractive to those starting their career or coming from outside the civil service.
• Central support
There is a growing central capacity to support departments. The Crown Commercial Service's complex transactions team provides support to departments with complex negotiations or commercial issues. Crown representatives support departments on negotiations with strategic suppliers. Infrastructure UK within HM Treasury provides supports for projects involving private finance. The Cabinet Office is also establishing a common data set for contracts across government (paragraph 17 above) and has issued guidance on how contracts can ensure that procurement information can be shared within government.9 Better sharing of information on contracts would allow departments and the centre to make better use of a central shared capability.
• Structured professional development
Commercial skills are a core part of The Civil Service Reform Plan10 and the accompanying capabilities plan. The CCS is taking on more responsibility for the development and deployment of skills and experience across the profession. It is recruiting centrally for senior posts, setting up a commercial fast-stream and apprenticeship scheme, developing links with universities, putting in place an interchange programme with industry, identifying a framework of skills and experience for staff to attain, and developing core training. Commercial skills also forms part of the Major Projects Leadership Academy syllabus, while departments are also developing their own extra training.
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9 Cabinet Office, Procurement Policy Note - Information sharing in Government procurement exercises, available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0114-sharing-information-within-government, February 2014.
10 HM Government, The Civil Service Reform Plan, June 2012, available at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-service-reform