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The Docking Station

The Docking Station is a one-stop shop for use by local authorities who are undergoing tendering and contracting procedures.

It’s a full suite of ‘off-the-shelf’ documents that local authorities often need to use – from the start of the tendering process through to the awarding of contracts – and beyond.

These ‘blue-prints for buying’, co-ordinated by the NWCE Standards Group, should make the tendering and contracting process easier, simpler and more efficient.

All documents in The Docking Station have been through a multi-authority drafting process and have also been checked and validated against preset criteria.

They can be adopted in their entirety or extracts can be used, where appropriate. Bear in mind, that should an extract be used, it is done in the knowledge that the documents have been developed as an entirety. To extract at random may have risk implications.

Link to the Docking Station

Introduction to Standard Template Documents

The IEWM in collaboration with other RCE’s have established a series of standard template documents for use by Local Authorities. These documents have been developed by various working groups often by using examples of what was considered existing good practice and refining these into the attachments hereto. Read More

Link to EM Procurement HUB

OGC - Virtual Programme Management Office

The Virtual Programme Management Office (VPMO) is a forum for sharing practices in pan-government collaborative procurement and providing management information on collaborative procurement projects. LINK to VPMO

OGC - Policy and Standards Framework
Welcome to the Policy and Standards Framework, an online portal to guide you through the key principles and processes of public sector commercial activity, covering procurement, project and programme management, and estate management. The Framework helps you understand what to do and how to do it; setting out the requirements of current legislation and Government Policy, together with the latest emerging best practice and step by step guidance on buying within particular categories of goods and services. Link to Policy and Standards Framework

Legal Guidance

EU Remedies Directive
OGC has released The Public Contracts (Amendment) Regulations 2009 which brings the New Remedies Directive into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 20th December. To access a copy of the regulations please click here.

Shoosmiths - Overview of Remedies Directive

Change 1 - 'Ineffectiveness': Courts can tear up contracts awarded in breach of rules
Change 2 - Unsuccessful bidders' rights to information

Change 3 - Standstill period and limitation rules

Download Document

Collaboration - Guidance documents

Regional Collaboration Page

This is to be insterted into your Tender Documents

Scope

This initiative is designed to make contracts available for use across the region on an “opt in basis”. This process is designed to directly create Gershon savings across the region (both cashable and non cashable) by saving Councils’ and Public Organisations carrying out unnecessary tendering exercises when contracts already exist within the region that will meet their operational requirements and deliver savings. Click on Link è

IEWM's - 5 Top Tips for opening up your contracts to your region.

To maximise the value of the region’s spending power and reduce duplication, it is

recommended that councils engage with established PBO’s where suitable supply

solutions exist. If existing solutions are unavailable it is recommended that authorities award

contracts that are open to all local authorities within the region to utilise. To ensure that

these are compliant with EU rules it is recommended that the following elements are

considered when issuing the OJEU Contract Notice. View 5 Top Tips

OGC - Framework Agreements (OGC Guidance on Framework Agreements in the Procurement Regulations - September 2008) (Download)

IEWM - Document Store

The Documents Store contains some useful documents and guidance that will support any procurement activity taking place in your authority. As and when we locate useful documents they will be added to this grid for you to use.

Subject

Document Name

Specification Writing

Specification template

Risk

Risk Register

Evaluation

ITT Evaluation

Method Statement

Contract Management

Example Guide to Contract Management

Bidders Day

Bidders Day - What is it?

IEWM - Procurement Strategy for CSR07

This strategy is for local authority Chief Executives and Directors of Resources (Section 151 Officers)

and operational professionals directly or indirectly engaged in procurement. This will form the

basis of the Improvement and Efficiency Partnership’s (IEP) Regional Procurement Action Plan for the CSR 07 period to support the authorities (plus public bodies) in seeking to achieve regional savings. Download Strategy

FAQ's

1. What is a framework?

Framework Agreements – OGC Guidance on Framework Agreements in the Procurement Regulations (September 2008) “an agreement or other arrangement between one or more contracting authorities and one or more economic operators which establishes the terms (in particular the terms as to price and, where appropriate, quantity) under which the economic operator will enter into one or more contracts with a contracting authority in the period during which the framework agreement applies”. Download OGC Guidance

Achilles suggestion: It is essentially a device for eliminating most stages of the procurement process for repeat purchases where the required quantities are unknown. Frameworks generally set out the terms and conditions for subsequent call-offs but place no obligations, in themselves, on the procures to buy anything.

2. Can I use another authority's framework agreement?

Achilles suggestion: If the framework provides for use by other bodies and your authority is referred to, either by name or as part of a generic group (eg universities, police forces, central Government departments etc) then you should be able to use another authority’s framework

3. Can other people use my framework?
Achilles suggestion: It is common practice for contracting authorities to let framework agreements which provide for use by other authorities. Such collaboration between authorities is encouraged where appropriate. Caution has to be exercised when letting the framework to ensure that the contract notice states clearly that the framework will be used by other authorities (indeed it may only be for other authorities if let by a central purchasing body). In order to ensure transparency the other bodies should be clearly listed or at least referred to as a generic group (eg universities, police forces, central Government departments etc).

4. Should all the parties to a framework be listed in the framework in order to be able to use it?
Achilles Suggestion: The OJEU contract notice must state the contracting authorities entitled to call-off under the terms of the agreement. The authorities can be individually named or a generic description may be used.

Framework Agreements – OGC Guidance on Framework Agreements in the Procurement Regulations (September 2008)  Include the identities of all the contracting authorities entitled to call-off under the terms of the framework agreement. The authorities can be individually named, or a recognisable class of contracting authority may be used – e.g. Central Government Departments, local authorities or health authorities in a particular region etc. It should be noted that European Commission guidance on frameworks indicates that classes of contracting authority should be defined in a manner that enables “immediate identification of the contracting authorities concerned. It is not considered to be sufficiently precise to refer to all contracting authorities in a particular region”.

When class descriptions do not allow ‘immediate identification of the contracting authorities concerned”, a reference to where details of the authorities covered can be obtained should be included in the notice. For example, if there is an accessible list of contracting authorities in a relevant “class”, or an organisation with responsibility for maintaining details of the members of a “class”, that list or organisation should be quoted in the Contract Notice and, where possible, a link to this information included.

5. What are the NUTS codes?
Achilles Suggestion: These are additional codes, which are not required by the legislation but are provided for in the Commissions standard forms. The aim of the codes is to identify more exactly where in a member state the purchasing organisation is based. This is to allow a supplier to search only in regions where it has an interest or marketing presence.The codes are in the form of a country identifier (for the UK this is UK) a three figure number. Thus Durham has the code UK112. For further information on frameworks the OGC Guidance on Framework agreements in the Procurement Regulations (September 2008)

Useful Documents

OGC Procurement Policy Note:- Use of Framework agreements set up by non-contracting authorities

Some organisations that are not contracting authorities have either established or are attempting to establish arrangements described as framework agreements for use by contracting authorities across the public sector. These agreements should not be used by contracting authorities - this PPN outlines the issues and risks for contracting authorities considering the use of these agreements. Read Full Policy Note

New Remedies Directive 2009

OGC has released The Public Contracts (Amendment) Regulations 2009 which brings the New Remedies Directive into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 20th December. To access a copy of the regulations please click here.

Part B and below threshold information
COMMISSION INTERPRETATIVE COMMUNICATION

on the Community law applicable to contract awards not or not fully subject to the provisions of

the Public Procurement Directives

The European Community has recently adopted new directives for the award of public works, supplies and services contracts (1). They set up detailed rules on EU-wide competitive tendering procedures. However, the Public Procurement Directives do not apply to all public contracts. There remains a wide range of contracts that are not or only partially covered by them, such as

— Contracts below the thresholds for application of the Public Procurement Directives (2);

— Contracts for services listed in Annex II B to Directive 2004/18/EC and in Annex XVII B to Directive 2004/17/EC that exceed the thresholds for application of these Directives.Download information

OGC - Promoting Skills through Public Procurement
Maintaining our investment in talent is more important than ever. In the current

challenging economic climate, it is vital that we drive continued investment in

skills and training, so that we can be in a strong position to take advantage of

opportunities when the economic situation improves.

There is a strong business case for investing in skills and training. For individuals,

it can mean increased career opportunities, greater flexibility and increased

confidence. For employers, it can lead to increased workforce motivation,

improved productivity and a greater capacity for innovation. And for the

economy, skills help to drive productivity, social mobility and fairness.

Download Document

OGC launches new tools to support the success of key Government IT programmes and projects - 9/2/2009

The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has today launched two new tools aimed at driving success in the procurement and delivery of complex public sector IT programmes and projects.

The first, a procurement Pre-Qualification Tool (PQT) aimed principally at the procurement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions, looks to strengthen the likelihood of achieving positive outcomes, providing better value for money for the taxpayer.

Developed in conjunction with the Department for Work and Pensions, the NHS and the ICT industry, the new toolkit is part of a raft of OGC measures focused on safeguarding the successful delivery of Government's projects and programmes. It provides a clear mechanism to enable contracting organisations to assess a major ICT procurement before the tendering process, measuring the preparedness of the customer, the market, and the procurement itself. Download

OGC - The Procurement Excellence Model

The procurement excellence model provides a guide to applying the EFQM Excellence Model® to procurement activities to identify areas of strength on which to build and opportunities for improvement. The Guide provides procurement related comment and interpretation to each of the main criteria in order to give emphasis and direction when applying the Excellence Model.

Procurement Excellence Pilot

Procurement Excellence Guide

Local Authority Procurement Excellence Guide

Members Guide to Procurement
This guide is designed to help elected members play an effective role in procurement.
That includes leadership, decision-making and scrutiny roles. Read more (15 pages, 145KB)

Procurement Essentials
This is a quick reference guide for local government officers. It describes the essential features of modern procurement practice in local government. Read more (32 pages, 242KB)

Local Performance Indicators for Procurement
These indicators are designed to help English local authorities with the implementation
of the National Procurement Strategy for local government that was launched in October 2003. Read more (31 pages, 236KB)

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