The enactment of Chris White MP’s private members bill as the social value act in 2012 triggered much optimism across the social sector, as well as within progressive public bodies.
The act provides licence for the public sector to take social, economic and environmental factors into account when letting ‘public service’ contracts. It specifically excluded ‘goods’, and was drafted within...
I was recently thinking about an owner of a small SME business that offers high-quality and well-regarded catering services. The company has a healthy customer base with local businesses and individuals. The owner and her team are keen to offer their services to the public sector but continually either bid without success or, on reading tender documents, feel unable...
A recent analysis of council funding confirms that unless the next government offers some protection to local government in the next spending review, the prospects for the sector are alarming.
In their sobering and analytical article on the PF Blog last Friday, David Innes and Gemma Tetlow of the Institute for Fiscal Studies set out the financial impact of...
Recent reports of ineffective local government scrutiny reflect a hard if disappointing reality. But it’s important that councils invest in an enhanced scrutiny function – it will pay for itself.
One of the core responsibilities of elected councillors is to hold the political leadership and officers of their authority to account. This can in part be achieved through effective scrutiny...
Gov Opps’ training partner, PASS (Procurement Advice & Support Service) runs training events for both the public and private sector. These include The Impact of the new UK Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Introduction to Public Procurement, Circle’s decision to pull out of the running of Hinchingbrooke Hospital only underlines the need for an inquiry into public service outsourcing. There should be no more contracting out until lessons are learnt The media and political furore that has followed the announcement by Circle that it is withdrawing from what was already a controversial contract to manage Hinchingbrooke... Gov Opps’ training partner, PASS (Procurement Advice & Support Service) runs training events for both the public and private sector. These include an Introduction to Public Procurement, Writing a Tender Specification, Preparing Perfect Tenders and
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Greater devolution and decentralisation to local government will require strong, effective, responsive listening and above all, accountable community councillors who are trusted by their electors, writes John Tizard.
The Charity Sector Should Not Be Afraid of Being Transparent and Open
I find it both surprising and disturbing when sector leaders and leader of individual charities argue that the sector and its organisations should not have to be as transparent as the public sector and much of the business sector too. And indeed when s...
Circle: why there needs to be an inquiry into outsourcing failures
Making public procurement from SMEs, social enterprises and charities real
How to be a community councillor
Nearly 15 years after the Labour Government introduced the cabinet system to local government, I find councils and councillors across the country still struggling to understand the role and contribution of the...
Voluntary and Community Sector Must Engage in General Election Now!
The UK General Election is only four months away. This will be a very significant general election with potentially major implications for the future of the state, the economy, society and consequently for the charity and voluntary and community sector...