21 The success of CCS and whether departments now choose to use it more will depend on CCS both having a clear mandate and proving its ability to improve its operations and service quality. We recommend that:
a CCS should work with departments to build support for central buying. In support of this, the Cabinet Office should reiterate the mandate for CCS in central government and be clear about its expectations for departments that have not yet transferred their buying of common goods and services to CCS;
b the Cabinet Office should work with CCS to clearly set out the relative priority of CCS's central government and wider public sector markets;
c the Cabinet Office should review the accountability and governance arrangements of CCS and which functions properly belong in the CCS trading fund. We believe that CCS should focus on the buying of common goods and services and the review should seriously consider the best organisation to host the commercial capability, management of strategic relations and policy teams; and
d the Cabinet Office and CCS should create and communicate a clear benefit realisation plan for improvements to CCS operations and service quality, with a clear baseline and milestones. CCS should regularly report on progress to departments.