Category Archives: public sector

Public procurement professionals must step up and speak up in 2018

2018 will be another challenging year for the public sector. Austerity, cuts to funding, staffing and services will continue unless there is either a change of government in Westminster or the current government very surprisingly undergoes a Damascene conversion. Demand for services, especially social care, will continue to grow. There will be ridiculous calls for… Read More...

John Tizard: Don’t avoid social outcomes in public procurement; these can be EU-compliant

Last week when attending the European Public Service Awards (EPSA) Final Event and Awards Ceremony in Maastricht, in addition to meeting, talking with and learning from the many award winners from across Europe it was very encouraging to hear a senior EU Commission official speak about the need to address social outcomes through public procurement.… Read More...

John Tizard: UK public procurement should learn from India and put ‘place’ first

Many local authorities are rightly keen to use their local procurement spending to boost their local economies and communities. While some are making good progress, it is perplexing to find others being hesitant, not least because (incorrectly) they are worried that such action may not be compliant with UK and EU regulations. I have often… Read More...

Public service outsourcing must promote whistleblowing

Last week the Bath Chronicle reported that Virgin Care asked staff not to report their safety concerns to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or other regulators. If this is the case, it is wrong and unacceptable. Registered managers in health and social care have a legal obligation to report issues to the CQC if they… Read More...

Public sector outsourcing and contractors must always be transparent

The BBC programme Panorama recently reported that it had seen documents suggesting that G4S has been making significant profits from running two immigration removal centres near Gatwick Airport. One of these, Brook House, was the focus of a Panorama investigation, which exposed chaos, bullying and and the abusive treatment of detainees by some staff. Panorama… Read More...

Practical question to keep Labour’s PFI policy prudent

Labour’s break with PFI is exciting and timely but unpicking deals is likely to be difficult and potentially expensive, argues John Tizard When John McDonnell announced to the Labour Party Conference yesterday that a Labour government would not let one more PFI contract and would bring existing contracts ‘in-house’ you could feel the conference hall… Read More...

Public Services Should Value And Respect Citizens – They Are Not Supermarkets With Consumers

Over the last few decades, all governments have seen their stewardship of public services as requiring them to introduce/adopt more and more practices and the language of commercial businesses. This approach does not fit easily with public service and a public service ethos. One specific problem is that when combined with political expediency, an impatience… Read More...

Public sector procurers must respect the voluntary and community sector, or it will not be there for them when they need it

This week, New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) will warn that charities believe their relationship with the state is increasingly dysfunctional, with many of those charities most dependent on public service contracts now seriously struggling. In a report to be published on Wednesday, NPC will report the alarming news that “nearly two-thirds of charities say they have… Read More...

Charities Should Define Their Relationship With The State Before They’re Boxed In

The role of the state at least in terms of the organising, funding and delivery of public services will undoubtedly be a core issue in the current General Election. The level of public spending and the future of public service provision is one of the principal dividing lines between the Conservative and Labour Parties, and… Read More...

The Political Parties Should Commit To An Enquiry Into Public Service Outsourcing

It is both interesting and encouraging that senior politicians have already spoken about public sector outsourcing and contracting in the first week of the 2017 General Election. Jeremy Corbyn has committed to using public procurement to drive up standards of employment, ensure trade union membership for employees and timely payments to suppliers especially smaller companies,… Read More...