A selection of our publications providing help and advice on
this topic:
A review of collaborative procurement across the public
sector
May 2010
Given the size of public sector procurement spend and the
potential to significantly improve value for money, public bodies
should work together much more effectively than they currently do
and there should be a clear framework to coordinate public sector
procurement activity. This review has been jointly produced by the
National Audit Office and the Audit Commission.
A review of collaborative procurement
across the public sector
Successful Commissioning: How to secure value for money through
better financial relationships with third sector organisations
March 2010
The Successful Commissioning guide is useful
for all commissioners, procurement officers and managers, and
grants officers who work in local authorities and local health
organisations, including in primary care trusts. Third sector
organisations will find the tool useful in thinking about their
involvement in delivering public services.
The guide clearly sets out the main issues
for effective financial relationships with third sector
organisations; makes use of existing guidance in an accessible and
practical way, and; dispels some of the ‘myths’ that exist around
commissioning with the third sector.
Successful
Commissioning guide
Financial relationships with third sector organisations: A
Decision Support Tool
2009
The Decision Support Tool for public bodies in
England provides practical support to officials who are involved in
making, or advising on, 'real-life' decisions about the design of
appropriate funding relationships with third sector
organisations. It takes into account such issues as programme
objectives, funding channels, duration of award, full cost
recovery, EU state aid considerations and much more.
Better Funding: Financial
relationships with third sector organisations (A decision support
tool for public bodies in England)
Intelligent Monitoring: New guidance to help cut red tape for
charitable, voluntary and community organisations
2009
The Government gives £12 billion to charities
and other voluntary and community organisations every year. Our
Intelligent Monitoring guidance will help focus time and money on
key services.
Intelligent
Monitoring
Contract management framework
December 2008
The framework is a good practice guide for
managing a broad range of contracts. It is particularly relevant
for contracts where services are delivered over a long period of
time (five years plus) where customers need to ensure that service
levels and value for money are maintained over the duration of the
contract.
The framework comprises:
- Section 1 which outlines the activities that organisations
should consider when planning and delivering contract
management;
- Section 2 which discusses how to evaluate the risk and value
opportunities inherent in contracts; and
- Section 3 which illustrates how the activities from Section 1
and the evaluation from Section 2 can be brought together to
develop contract management plans and priorities.
The
Guide (PDF - 204KB) was published in December 2008 alongside
our value for money report on Central government’s management of
service contracts. It was used to evaluate the management of eight
major central government service contracts. It was jointly
published by the NAO and the OGC and forms a key part of the OGC’s
contract management guidance.
NAO Report (HC 65 2008-2009): Central government's management of
service contracts: Good practice contract management framework (PDF
- 210KB)
Consultancy Assessment Toolkit
2007
The Consultancy Toolkit provides a framework
for reviewing the extent to which an organisation is achieving
value for money from its use of consultants. It is aimed at
procurement or commercial teams, customers/buyers of consultants,
or audit staff. It can be applied to the use of consultants
department-wide, or at a project-level. It is designed to diagnose
areas of weakness and raise awareness of where improvements can be
made.
Accessibility note:
The Consultancy Assessment Toolkit uses the
Javascript scripting language to provide its interactive features
and cookies to keep track of your answers. If you are using a
browser that doesn't support Javascript and cookies or has them
turned off it will not operate correctly.
We have produced an alternative to the
interactive pages in the form of a PDF format printable
document.
Getting value for money from procurement - how auditors
can help
April 2001
A set of six questions for departments to
consider to promote value for money in their expenditure on
professional services, taken from from pages 15-16 of the NAO Value
for Money report, "Purchasing Professional
Services" (HC 400 2000-2001) published in April 2001:
Getting value
for money from procurement - how auditors can help (PDF -
1MB)