By Jamie Hailstone The Welsh Assembly has published a draft plan for better procurement, with the aim of saving £120m across the public sector by 2008. Its draft plan calls for more collaboration between local authorities, the health and the education sector. The Welsh public sector sourcing plan aims to cut down on the amount of duplication in the public sector and create a strategic approach to procurement. More organisations should work together, it says, issuing joint tenders and sharing best practice. The plan aims to build on the success of the Value Wales scheme, which gives support to Welsh councils on procurement, and has created £16.2m of savings over the last two years. ‘A great deal has already been achieved,’ said the assembly’s finance and public service minister, Sue Essex. ‘The NHS, higher and further education and local government in Wales collaborate well within their sectors, and Value Wales brought the sectors together two years ago so that new contracts have already delivered real savings of more than £16m. ‘Everyone has benefited with organisations using the savings to improve public services. ‘Work is also under way to ensure that companies in Wales are well placed to compete for public sector contracts.’ The sourcing plan has now been put out to consultation and the deadline for comments is 22 August. The plan will then be referred back to the minister, who will make a final decision about the proposals in the autumn. The outgoing director general of the CBI, Sir Digby Jones, earlier this month, called for councils and companies to work together to create better procurement. j.hailstone@hgluk.com
