Procurement

• Procurement problems

  The latest Highways/FiTZ INDEX survey has revealed deep concerns within the highways sector about the nature of procurement. Dominic Browne reports on the findings.

  

• Councils have 'dangerous dependence' on a handful of suppliers

  Councils are concentrating more than half their total spend with their top five suppliers, new research has revealed.

  

• Council agrees to re-evaluate health service procurement process

  Lancashire County Council has agreed to re-evaluate its tendering process for public health services after a court ordered the council to set aside its agreement with Virgin Care.

  

• Councils urged to protect SMEs in their supply chains

  Local authorities have been urged to protect supply chain retention monies belonging to small and medium enterprises in their supply chains.

  

• DPS – A flexible way to procure

  Paul Smith urges councils to consider Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPSs) as a pioneering approach to procurement and outlines the five top reasons for considering the use of a DPS.

  

• Innovation: time to match words with action

  Stephen Smith calls on local authorities to challenge businesses to innovate, rather than buying products based purely on cost and availability.

  

• Managing utilities in-house

  Tiffany Cloynes looks at some of the key areas for local authorities to consider before becoming involved in the provision of utility services.

  

• Councils save over £800m by sharing services

  Councils have saved £840m through shared service arrangements, new research has revealed today.

  

• Government pledges to 'rebuild trust' in outsourcing after Carillion

  The Government has announced a package of measures aimed at rebuilding trust after the collapse of outsourcing construction company Carillion earlier this year.

  

• Blackpool first council to be awarded self-supply water licence

  Blackpool Council has been granted a self-supply licence to manage and monitor its own water usage across its 120 sites.