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Posts tagged Private Sector Procurement

A cautious partnership

May 18, 2012

Renata Towlson is senior buyer (best practice) at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustI have recently awarded a high-value contract where the public sector establishment will have to find a way to develop a good relationship with a small private company to deliver the commissioned service successfully.

It was not easy to arrive at the solution, however budgetary constraints dictated the outcome and the private company’s offers was commercially more competitive and the small panel evaluating the tender responses was united in its outcome. (more…)

Order, order, procurement must be allowed to speak

November 30, 2011

As expected, yesterday’s autumn statement did not have much that was new to say in terms of new procurement initiatives. While commitments such as completing all government procurements within 120 working days (except the most complex) and increasing communication between the public and private sector are interesting developments, we already knew about them thanks to Cabinet Office disclosure a couple of weeks ago.

However, the time I spent watching the chancellor address parliament was not wasted. Watching the fiery debate, I began to see just how difficult it must be for procurement to get across the details and importance of initiatives to stakeholders. (more…)

Purchasing is not a panacea

October 14, 2011

Renata Towlson is senior buyer (best practice) at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustSpeaking at the CIPS Conference 2011, Ellis Watson, managing director of newspapers at publisher DC Thomson, said: “When you have good procurement it’s one of the most liberating tools in an organisation’s armoury. I know the difference you make is enormous.” (more…)