A positive public procurement culture is one of the Public Procurement Directorates (PPD) top policy priorities for raising the standards of public services throughout the public sector and delivering a better public service. A positive procurement culture requires a top-down commitment and leadership to the process supported by bottom-up processes and procedures, including:
| ● | The development of strategic generic policies and procedures (such as this best practice guide) on a cross - departmental approach which will ensure a more standardized approach to procurement; |
| ● | Ensuring there is commitment to the agreed procurement processes, at the most senior levels within the contracting authorities. |
| ● | Making Best Value for Money central to any procurement activity; Ensuring that all procurement activity is conducted in an open, transparent and non-discriminatory way, allowing all potential suppliers to compete for business on equal terms; |
| ● | Promoting long-term thinking and commitment to strategic procurement issues; |
| ● | Ensuring that all procurement is undertaken with appropriate qualified professional and experienced staff. |
The following checklist can be used by contracting authorities to examine whether they are operating within a positive procurement culture.
Checklist 2-1: Developing a positive procurement culture
Action |
Y/N |
Do you measure and achieve continuous improvement in all categories of procurement expenditure? |
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Do you achieve best value for money from all procurement activities? |
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Do you ensure accountability towards the Contracting Authority, the supplier and the beneficiaries? |
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Do you promote equality of opportunity for all economic operators? |
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Do you promote integration with e-government? |
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Do you work in partnership with economic operators to achieve sufficient capacity and competition, best value for money, quality and effective service delivery? |
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Do you promote innovation? |
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Do you encourage sustainability and promote environmentally friendly procurement? |
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Do you develop professional procurement skills and expertise? |
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Do you recognise the importance of programme and project management skills? |
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Do you aim to maximize the influence procurement has on all non-pay spend? (such as the development and/or implementation of new government policy) |
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Do you know what your key areas of spend are and therefore your main budgetary commitments? |
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Like other professionals, procurement experts should:
| ● | liaise and network with other colleagues working in procurement; |
| ● | improve and update their knowledge regularly; |
| ● | Follow meticulously the ethics of their profession; |
| ● | Measure and manage procurement performance. |
This should be undertaken through continuous professional development (such as long-life vocational training) and membership of a relevant professional body.