Public Procurement and Property

Plan for the Future – Your questions answered

August 31, 2022 by Melissa Reilly No Comments | Category Plan for the Future, Scottish Procurement

To help explain the Plan for the Future, we have collated the most common questions we have received about the programme of work. If you have a question you’d like answered, please email scottishprocurement@gov.scot

Q1: What is the Plan for the Future?

A1: The Plan for the Future programme was created by the Public Procurement Group, along with key stakeholder groups. The ‘Plan for the Future’ is made up of some cross sectorial workstreams, which are being delivered by working groups that have representatives from across the sectors to provide a breath of ideas, suggestions and representation. There are also Scottish Government led projects which will engage with Scottish Government and public, private and third sector stakeholders as required to drive change.

This blog introduces the programme. The live cross sectorial workstreams that make up the Plan for the Future include:

1. Public procurement strategy for Scotland

The intention behind developing a public procurement strategy is to provide a future high-level vision and roadmap for Scottish public procurement in the longer term which all public sector bodies can align and deliver against. See Q3 and Q4 for further information.

2. eProcurement Strategy & Digital Roadmap

This workstream  will deliver a joined up vision statement and an overarching strategy for the national eProcurement Shared Service  supported by a  3-5 year digital roadmap. Work is already underway  in collaboration and consultation with a cross sector deliver group.

3. Communications and Engagement

Public Procurement has a wide ranging set of stakeholder groups, with differing relationships, interests and needs in their engagement. This work stream will build on existing work to identify improvements to our communications and engagement approach – to create a coherent, inclusive and dynamic stakeholder environment which maximises and demonstrates the power of procurement.

In parallel there are three current Scottish Government led workstreams that are part of the Plan for the Future, including:

4. Maximising the impact of Procurement, including an evidence based approach.

We are exploring how far we can go within the rules in making our shared national priorities a proportionate condition of relevant contracts to boost an inclusive and sustainable economic recovery; taking steps to underpin local consistency in practice and to improve the evidence we gather to track and target improvement. In short, – embedding Fair Work First (including the real Living Wage), climate and local economic considerations in to more contracts. To minimise unnecessary burdens on buyers and suppliers, our focus is on enabling organisations to embed existing policy and agreed priorities, wherever possible, rather than introducing new policy. This includes developing and publishing the art of what is possible within the rules to support local action, underpinned by additional sources of support, including free-to-access/use guidance, tools, templates, mentorship, training and case studies.

5. Property – data

The transformation of Property data project includes validation of specific data fields for relevant properties. This is primarily to assist with the move from the national e-PIMS register to a new database tool called inSite. In addition to this work, recommendations on further use of Horizon will be made, alongside embedded ways of working for updates to the property data in the appropriate systems. Data sharing agreements will be developed and put in place, to facilitate collaboration with other Scottish Government teams.

6. Property – Construction Guide

The Client Guide to Construction Projects Digitisation Project is looking to improve the user journey through the Client Guide, the guidance within it is seen as exemplary but commentary has suggested that its presentation and navigation on the internet needs to be more user friendly and intuitive.

Over time, further workstreams may be added.

Q2: Who is on the working groups for the different work streams?

A2: Details of the representatives from the different sectors who are part of the workstreams can be found in Annex A of the Terms of Reference. To receive a copy of this document, please email Scottishprocurement@gov.scot

Q3: Who is owns this new Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland?

A3: The Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland is for everyone, not one specific organisation or Centre of Expertise. Commissioned and owned by the Public Procurement Group (PPG) it is being developed collaboratively by representatives from across the different sectors.

The intention behind developing a public procurement strategy is to provide a future high-level vision and roadmap for Scottish public procurement in the longer term which all public sector bodies can align and deliver against.

Q4: What about the Public Procurement Priorities?

A4: The Public Procurement Priorities were created by the Public Procurement Group (PPG). The Priorities were to be used until a Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland could be developed through collaboration from across the sectors. As such, when the Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland is published, it will supersede the current Public Procurement Priorities.

For further information on public procurement in Scotland please visit www.gov.scot/procurement

Please email enquiries to scottishprocurement@gov.scot

Follow us online:

Tags: Plan for the Future

Comments