1.13 The policy of disbanding and privatising the Property Services Agency gave individual Government procurers more freedom to make their own arrangements. There is no need for, and I do not recommend, the reintroduction of a central procurement agency. The delegation of authority within the public sector to those best placed to assess local needs was a sensible and welcome move. But it is greatly in the interests of such clients to have the best advice and robust guidelines which will assist them to obtain value for money.
1.14 The role of Government as client, along with leading private sector clients and firms, is crucial if the objectives of this Review are to be met. Government Departments - and the wider public sector - should deliberately set out to use their spending power not only to obtain value for money for a particular project but also to assist the productivity and competitiveness of the construction industry, and thereby obtain better value for money generally in the longer term. The commitment by Government to this principle in the recent White Paper "Competitiveness - Helping Business to Win" (HMSO, May 1994) is a very welcome development. Government - in all its forms - will have a continuing relationship with the construction industry. Encouraging continuous improvements in productivity should be the driving force behind Government action as client, and the formulation of best practice should complement and contribute to this.
1.15 One Government Department should take the lead to ensure that best practice and the drive for improvement are implemented throughout the public sector as a whole. The Treasury Central Unit on Procurement (CUP) has done an excellent job in providing Guidance Notes. But its remit goes much wider than construction and its day to day contact with the industry is limited. Many of the recommendations in this report need central Government action. The DOE, and especially its Construction Sponsorship Directorate, is highly regarded in the construction industry for its practical approach to the industry's problems. It is one of the commissioning parties to this Review and has taken a major part in supporting the work of the Reviewer and the Assessors.