Supporting financial wellbeing in a COVID-19 world

As the UK starts to gradually unwind the lockdown restrictions which have been part of our lives for the last 12 months, a pressing question for every organisation, regardless of their size, is what they can do to support their people in the year ahead.

According to recent Edenred research with 2,000 UK based employees, over 18% indicated that financial wellbeing was their primary concern heading into 2021.

A combination of 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, recent pay freezes for many public sector employees, and Brexit contributing to the rising price of some everyday household goods, means that employers are being challenged to find new ways to effectively support their people financially throughout 2021 and beyond.

Over 200 public sector organisations are currently using Edenred’s ‘mydiscounts’ scheme to help give their staff a financial boost. Available for free via our Employee Benefits framework, the online platform gives employees direct access to shopping discounts of up to 30% at hundreds of online and high street retailers. This includes brands such as John Lewis, Curry’s PC World, Deliveroo, ASOS, M&S, Tesco and many more.

So, whether it is on the daily essentials, dining out, fashion, the latest tech or making travel plans, mydiscounts provides an engaging way for your employees to save substantial sums of money. Last year, over £1.2 million was saved by public sector employees by using the mydiscounts platform.

Savings anytime, anywhere

A new mobile app has been launched by Edenred to make things even easier for your people. Available on both iOS and Android, it offers a fast, simple, convenient way for your users to save money on the go.

Edenred can help you ensure maximum engagement with the scheme from your employees. As standard, you can expect to receive a regular email programme highlighting the latest discounts, flash sales, competitions and much more.

To find out more about the mydiscounts platform available through our Employee Benefits framework:

Visit the framework page

Call 0345 410 2222

Email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk 

Fill in our online form

Office Supplies: aggregated eAuction opportunity

We recognise that with budgets and resources more squeezed than ever, procuring public sector office supplies and equipment is no easy task. At CCS, we offer a complimentary aggregation service, also known as collective buying, to help take some of the pressure off.

By combining the similar needs of customers from across the public sector, we can increase our national buying power to achieve savings that would not be possible by individual purchasing.

Our team of experts deliver social and economic value on a day-to-day basis, so are able to take care of the process for you to get the best possible deal. This helps release your internal resources to focus on other areas of your business or on more complex procurements.

Get involved

Our category team are looking to run an aggregated further competition with an eAuction through Lot 2 of our Office Supplies (RM6059) framework. 

Indicative timescales are to have all requirements finalised for a June release of tender documents to RM6059 Lot 2 suppliers.

If you have a requirement and would like to benefit from collective buying, please contact our Office Supplies team by emailing us quoting ‘RM6059 aggregation opportunity’ and we will get in touch to let you know of next steps.

To find out more about this framework, visit Office Supplies framework webpage.

Adapt and thrive – how to plan for the workforce market of the future

This article originally appeared in the February / March 2021 edition of Public Sector Executive

Even before the events of the last 12 months, technology, demographic, and social changes were making it increasingly difficult for the public sector to attract and retain talent.

The combined effects of low unemployment rates, skills shortages, digital transformation, and pressure on accessing emerging talent meant a fluid work market where people could often move between roles quickly. The shock of 2020 and its cycle of lockdown, furlough, and reopening has changed everything.

We’re still coming to terms with what comes after the pandemic in terms of the employment landscape. As of December 2020, 9.9 million furlough claims had been made. Unemployment is rising, from 4% at the outset of the pandemic to 5% in the autumn.

According to Pertemps Managed Solutions, leading market analysts estimate there are 8 times more people applying for jobs than there were pre-COVID-19, and there are currently around 60-65% less jobs being advertised.

Rising unemployment could mean that the public sector is increasingly seen as a more secure and safe place to work. Although as skills shortages remain in many areas, the public sector will still need to work hard to attract and retain the right talent. 

Flexing your workforce strategy

In these uncertain times, having a structured and responsive recruitment strategy, alongside a well-planned programme to upskill your existing workforce and attract new talent, will ensure you are agile and resilient.

The right blend of temporary and permanent employees, including apprentices, is important.

It is reckoned that the contingent labour market grew by 1.9% between 2014 and 2019, and it was expected to grow another 2.6% by 2024. The primary reason for this is workers adopting more flexible working patterns.

Whilst the exact spend on contingent labour across the public sector is not known, it is estimated that, based on the number of full time equivalents currently working in the sector, it is about a third of the total market.

It’s too early to say how the events of the last 12 months will impact the public sector’s contingent labour market, but it is likely to only increase both the desire and the need for people to work remotely and flexibly in the long-term.

Adapt and thrive

If you haven’t already, it’s time to consider how the changing workforce environment will impact on your organisation in the long-term:

  • Increased flexibility and remote working are here to stay: ensure you have the right processes, policies and recruitment channels in place to attract new workers, onboard them remotely and capture robust data to support your future workforce planning – whether you are recruiting contingent workers or permanent employees.

 

  • Plan for the next generation: take the time to find the right training programme for your apprentices in a remote learning environment, and align your talent requirements with your strategic goals – this will help you identify the skills you need to grow and identify where your skills gaps lie.
  • Look at the whole: a programme of total talent management for both your permanent and contingent workforce will help your organisation be agile and resilient – increasing your ability to make your whole workforce visible, engaged, and connected to your corporate and recruitment strategies

 

Find out more

Crown Commercial Service’s Workforce whitepaper explores the ways in which you can rise to the opportunities and challenges of attracting and retaining talent in the public sector.

Whether these challenges are new to you or issues in which you are already well-versed, the crucial point is: what is your organisation going to do right now to rise to the challenge? How are you going to ensure your organisation can attract, retain and develop the talent you need and that you are agile and resilient as an employer? 

This is where CCS can help. Whatever your current position, CCS can take some of the pressure off and help you take the first steps towards improving your workforce planning – whether that is simply getting started with a preferred supplier list or helping you appoint a total talent management strategic partner.

You have the power to make better recruitment decisions for your organisation. Find out more about workforce solutions from CCS.

Download a complimentary copy of the CCS whitepaper

 

How our Technology Products and Associated Services framework helped Defra improve brand awareness

The requirement

Defra was looking for software as a solution (SaaS) to replace their existing social media monitoring platform, as they had concerns about the reliability of the data, breadth and depth of analytical capability and lack of support.

The department wanted to improve their social media strategy and was looking for:

  • a better understanding of their social media audience
  • increased brand awareness and exposure through more targeted and focused campaigns
  • innovative solutions, such as influencer marketing

None of this was available through their current supplier.

The solution

To find the best solution for their needs, Defra issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) under our Technology Products and Associated Services (TePAS) framework. TePAS offers competitive prices on products and services from a wide range of specialist suppliers. They used lot 3 which is for Software and Associated Services.

The results

Getech, a supplier on TePAS, subcontracted the opportunity to Socialbakers, as the RFP was a good fit for them.

Socialbakers provided a fully managed and supported social media solution. They helped Defra explore alternative and innovative uses of various social media platforms and data streams to help with their strategy. This included support from an onboarding manager and strategic account management team to ensure significantly improved results were achieved. The solution allowed Defra to identify and monitor key influencers and brand ambassadors and measure the impact of influencer focused campaigns. This has enabled them to streamline influencer engagement and plan targeted usage ahead of the UN Climate Change Summit (COP26) in 2021.

With an increased level of data at their disposal, Defra was able to optimise their content strategy. Focusing on the target audience and fine-tuning the appropriate messaging resulted in a greater reach and depth of engagement, leading to:

  • a 115% increase in organic interactions
  • a 53% increase in average organic reach per post on Facebook and Instagram
  • their engagement rate doubling

Giulia Farro, Senior Digital Insight & Evaluation Manager at Defra, said:

Socialbakers analytics is a powerful tool that massively simplified and automated our monitoring and reporting. It gave us the chance to easily label all our content, regardless of whether we posted via Socialbakers or natively, and provided an effective holistic view of our performance across multiple platforms and channels.

Let us add power to your procurement

Our Technology Products and Associated Services framework offers you a flexible way to buy IT hardware, off-the-shelf software and associated services to suit your organisation’s technology needs, big or small.

To find out how we can help you, you can:

Document Management and Logistics solutions: assisting with your every need

The past 12 months have been extraordinary and, the Document Management and Logistics team here at CCS have been on hand to support you throughout the year.

In the early days of the pandemic, we helped facilitate moving laptops and office equipment to support working from home. We’ve also been by our customers’ side as they’ve procured print and post solutions to help communicate with their customers at this difficult time and even as they’ve taken steps to digitise their services.

Our Document Management and Logistics group covers: 

  • courier services (including specialist courier)
  • records and information management 
  • postal goods, services and solutions 
  • managed print and content services 
  • multi-functional devices 
  • logistics and warehousing 
  • print management and print marketplace

Here is an overview of our all commercial agreements in this group:

Courier services

Through our Courier Services agreement (RM3798) you can: 

  • move items which require enhanced insurance and liabilities such as laptops and mobile phones 
  • access core courier services such as same day, next day and inter-site collection and delivery services 

To complement our Courier Services agreement, we also have a specialist courier services agreement (RM3799) which will help with the movement of more specialist requirements; specimens, samples, disposal and destruction solutions – solutions which are subject to strict handling requirements.

Postal Goods, Services and Solutions

Our Postal Goods, Services and Solutions agreement (RM6017) is a one-stop shop solution for all your postal service needs: 

  • whether you are looking to lease or purchase a franking machine right through to hybrid mail solutions which can help you to communicate with your customers whilst you may be working from home, including reminders by text message or email 
  • digital mailroom solutions which can open, scan, screen and digitise inbound mail to reduce the amount of handling of items on site 

Multifunctional Devices, Managed Print Services and Records Management

This agreement provides following solutions:

  • the ability to lease or purchase your printers 
  • access to print management software to help you put in place a hybrid mailing or better manage your information workflow
  • solutions to not only physically store your records but also to digitise and scan all your records, so they are available regardless of where your staff may be working from

Print Management Services

Our Print Management Services agreement (RM6170) provides a fully managed, end-to-end  print service catering for all your print needs. 

We have it covered in this agreement:

  • operational print (day to day printing for businesses), 
  • transactional print (billing services, database management, direct mailing)
  • security print (such as any sensitive mailing, including cheques)

Print Marketplace

Our brand new Print Marketplace is now live.  

  • The new platform creates instant pricing for a range of simple printed items from suppliers’ estimating systems and allows a print job to be quoted, created and paid for within the supplier environment 
  • Over 90% of the supply base are SMEs  

This new innovative solution allows you ease of access and a point of sale transaction. See for yourself how easy it is to use by watching our video.

Logistics and Warehousing

Our new Logistics and Warehousing solution (RM6074) was launched in November 2020. 

  • It allows you to access a wide range of services including the collection, receipt, warehousing/storage, management, processing and onward distribution 
  • It is the first logistics and warehousing commercial agreement available in the marketplace, created specifically for central government, charities and wider public sector organisations.

Get started

Our agreements are here to help you save you time and money.  On average customers save between 9% – 30% by using our solutions.

Want to know more?

If you want to find out more information on the above please visit our Document Management and Logistics solutions web page.

Alternatively, if you would like to speak to a category expert at CCS, please complete our short contact form and we will be in touch.

Procurement card solution delivers greater efficiency for Walsall Council

A review of their existing purchasing card service led Walsall Council to transfer to Lloyds Bank, through our Payment Solutions commercial agreement, in a bid to secure cost-savings and enhanced efficiencies.

When Walsall Council put their purchasing card operation out for tender, they were looking to reduce costs and to make their operations run more efficiently.

Danielle Russell, Purchasing Cards Officer at Walsall Council, explains why it became clear very early on that Lloyds Bank could provide the solution they needed.

“The presentation from the Lloyds Bank team was very professional,” she says. “They took time
to understand what we needed from the system and the fact that the Commercial Card Data Management solution they offered was delivered by Fraedom, a supplier we were already familiar with, was a huge bonus for us.”

Effective supplier management

The nature of the services the Council delivers means that there are a variety of transactions passed through their purchasing cards system.

The provision of an automated payment system using virtual cards with existing suppliers, not only allowed the council to lock down approved spend and manage suppliers more effectively, but eliminated the manual processing and reconciliation that the Council previously undertook.

Louise Pearl, Client Development Manager, Commercial Cards, Lloyds Bank, has worked closely with the Council across the implementation.

“Lloyds Bank is a Commercial Card supplier to the UK public sector under Crown Commercial Service’s RM3828 Payment Solutions Agreement, giving us the experience to respond to the needs of Walsall Council. The greater automation of services has been a huge win-win for the Council, not just in terms of reducing admin, but also in terms of enhancing security.”

Smooth implementation

As with any transfer of services, one of the Council’s greatest concerns was around the implementation process. As Danielle points out, however, this was handled professionally.

“The turnaround time was really good,” she says. “It was a very smooth and professional transition. The team had really put our minds at rest in the early stages pre-implementation and the fact that the new system wasn’t too dissimilar to what we were used to made it much easier for users and administrators.”

Louise agrees: “The transfer was seamless and the intensity of the work we undertook, really paid off.”

Looking ahead, Danielle is keen to develop the relationship with Lloyds Bank even
further:

The automation of the payment system works so well that we’re looking to expand the programme. The improvement in relationships with suppliers and the ease of using the automated service is a clear factor in this drive to expand across our supply chain.

The power is in your hands

Anything can be bought on a card, meaning you have unlimited chances to benefit, while the benefits increase exponentially the more purchases you make.

Whether you’re already using procurement cards but want to further harness their power, or if you want to introduce them into your organisation, you can quickly and easily start seeing the benefits.

To learn more:

  • visit our web page, it’s packed with detail – including an interactive infographic – on how to get the most from procurement cards.
  • email our team of experts
  • calling 0345 410 2222

Payment Solutions framework helps increase efficiencies and rebates for 3 government departments

This case study explores the benefits the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, FCDO Services and the Department for Work and Pensions saw when they consolidated their procurement card programmes.

Background

Through a joint contract, The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and FCDO Services (FCDOS) annually spend over £100m on procurement cards. The cards are primarily used to purchase low-value goods and services such as catering, training and stationery.

The FCDO began to develop a new category strategy for payment solutions in late 2018. It aimed to use their significant spend on procurement cards to leverage greater business and cost efficiencies.

It was the first full category strategy developed by the FCDO under Chief Commercial Officer, Tracey Williamson. The strategy included a phased approach to raising card limits because the FCDO wanted to enjoy their existing benefits – such as a rebate and a streamlined buying process – but on a greater scale. This could only be achieved through channeling greater spend through their card programme. 

 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) annual spend around £3.7m per year through their card programme – predominantly purchases of low value goods and services and car hire. Until July 2020, it was a standalone programme for the DWP.  

The clustering agreement

Through better category-level dialogue between commercial departments, the FCDO, FCDOS and DWP identified an opportunity to utilise Lot 1 of the CCS Payment Solutions agreement to set up a ‘clustering’ agreement. A clustering agreement allows a buyer to allow other contracting authorities to contract together, under a single call off. 

In this case, clustering allowed the DWP to join the FCDO/FCDOS call-off contract with the current provider, Royal Bank of Scotland, and leverage FCDO/FCDOS’ considerable spend through the contract. 

As procurement card rebates are stepped – with rebate size in direct correlation to total spend – consolidating the card spend of the FCDO, FCDOS and DWP results in a higher combined card spend under one contract, meaning both departments would receive a higher rebate from the supplier than would be achieved if each department held an individual contract.

The DWP card programme moved on the combined FCO/FCOS contract with RBS – via the clustering mechanism – on 1 July 2020. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was arranged between the departments, to ensure future responsibilities and accountabilities were clear.

Outcomes

In combining their spend through the clustering mechanism, the DWP were able to benefit from access to an established contract, saving valuable staff time on a new procurement.

The aggregation of spend also meant that DWP benefited from the highest rebates available from the bank, maximising the amount of money returned to the public purse via the rebate.

After 5 months on the programme:  

  • both departments are receiving a higher rebate from the supplier – meaning more money generated and returned to the public purse
  • DWP forecasts a rebate improvement of £48,000 per year (based on pre-COVID spend volumes)
  • the project delivered a quick Public Contract Regulation (PCR) compliant way for DWP to call off and enjoy the benefits of economies of scale while saving tendering and transition time
  • the changeover between old and new DWP contracts was seamless, with no disruption for DWP cardholders. There was no need to reissue cards, for example 

In reviewing the success of the programme, both departments noted that others looking to follow in their footsteps should:

  • all parties on the original contract – in this case, FCDO and FCDOS – must reach early agreement on the principle of clustering
  • regular dialogue and updates helped FCDO and DWP move the clustering proposal along towards a conclusion
  • ensure all parties are clear on their future responsibilities, including management of their individual programmes and consulting on plans with other clustering parties – the MoU proved an important document in this
  • commercial departments and CCS should ensure ongoing strategic engagement to help develop similar synergies and opportunities in future

What they said

Rakhee Dave-Shah, Head of Corporate Category, FCDO Commercial, said: 

The development of a new Payment Solutions category strategy was an excellent way to deliver clear business improvements. Using Crown Commercial Service’s clustering provisions under their Payment Solutions framework means we are now taking a wider, strategic approach and are more joined-up with our partners. The new clustering agreement will deliver added value for all involved.

Kirsty Turner, DWP Commercial, said: 

As with all government departments, DWP is keen to achieve best value for money in all areas of spend. While planning for the future of the service after July 2020, we engaged with stakeholders beyond our immediate team and in doing so identified an opportunity to utilise the clustering provision. 

The FCDO and FCDOS commercial team were supportive throughout and although DWP’s spend does not materially increase rebate advantage for them, aggregation in this way has enabled DWP to benefit from an increase. 

Our agreement has provided structure and a joint understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all parties during the term of the contract and on a day-to-day basis, DWP will manage their service provision independently, removing any burden on FCDO/FCDOS in allowing DWP to utilise the contract. 

Our joint engagement, and using the CCS framework, has facilitated further conversations and sharing of best practices adding more value to the agreement. This has been a really positive example of how departments can work collectively to achieve best outcomes across government.

Start benefiting today 

Whether you’re already using procurement cards and want to further harness their power, or if you want to introduce them into your organisation, you can quickly and easily start enjoying the benefits. 

Already using procurement cards?

If, like most, your organisation already uses procurement cards, we recommend that you conduct a thorough review of all current and future purchases to see where there’s an opportunity to spend more on cards. 

New to procurement cards?

If your organisation is not currently using procurement cards, or are interested in switching providers, contact our team today. 

You can also find out more about the agreement on our Payment Solutions web page.

Workplace collaboration solutions to help you transform the way you work

We’ve been busy developing a new dynamic purchasing system (DPS) for audio visual (AV) technical design and consultancy services, and it is now live giving you access to the expert support you need with this sophisticated technology.

Designed for customers with complex needs – in either design or scale, it is a direct and easy way to get help with everything from conference room design to collaboration zones and meeting spaces that will help you transform your workplace.

Workplace collaboration

There is a growing demand for workplace collaboration solutions as they have been shown to lead to improved productivity. Solutions can range from the technologically simple, such as a screen and soundbar, to ones needing complex design and technology. 

This is where our DPS comes in. It will help you find software agnostic solutions that will improve interoperability and collaboration, whatever your current IT application suite  – ensuring a hassle free experience for all your users. 

Whether you need a complete solution that includes scoping your requirements, design, implementation and support or you just need a specific service, the DPS will help you find the right supplier. Pick any combination of design consultancy, integration, installation and warranty, and solution support.

Innovation and social value

We chose to use a DPS for this agreement as suppliers can join at any time. This means that the latest innovations are always available to you, and it’s easier for SMEs to join.

The agreement is also one of the first to operate under the new social value guidance. Suppliers will be expected to provide additional levels of social value to central government customers – and wider public sector customers can choose to request additional social value contributions too. 

Empowering you to make better technology buying decisions

To find out more about the DPS please visit the web page. You’ll find a customer guidance document there that includes a step by step guide to using this agreement.

If you have got any further questions please get in touch:

North Devon District Council – minimising costs and reducing waste

Over 25% savings were made

Established in 1974, North Devon District Council is a local authority responsible for delivering a wide variety of services including Council Tax collections, housing and planning applications. 

The Council is focused on meeting the needs of both local businesses and citizens, with a duty to ensure all money is well spent and offers great value for the taxpayer, despite financial restrictions. 

North Devonshire has a population of 94,600 and the Council has just over 400 employees, spread over a number of different sites.

The requirement

The Council has a duty to ensure sustainable and environmentally friendly operations.One of the areas with the highest maintenance costs and a significant environmental footprint was its printer network.

The Council reviewed its print offer and identified a need to rationalise the entire estate, as it owned numerous desktop printers that required frequent toner replacements. 

This was expensive and time-consuming. Each device needed regular maintenance and repairs to diagnose faults and remove paper jams, which not only added extra IT support costs to the Council’s overall expenditure but wasted a significant amount of paper, ink and energy, negatively impacting the Council’s environmental credentials. 

The solution 

After the initial evaluation, all printers and associated devices were decommissioned, and the Council invested in a new fleet of Kyocera Multi-Functional Devices (MFDs), saving a significant amount of money while simultaneously allowing visibility on printer usage. Over the course of the initial contract, the Council decommissioned various sites and consolidated its staff into fewer buildings, which enabled it to reduce the number of MFDs required. 

When that contract was due for renewal, the Council carried out due diligence by talking to other suppliers and comparing different products and services to determine other available solutions. Using Crown Commercial Service’s RM3781 framework for the tender process, the Council carried out a thorough evaluation of a number of potential suppliers on cost and quality. After comparing a range of different companies, the Council selected Kyocera, the Managed Services Provider, as the winning supplier and the contract was signed in October 2017.

Having run a full assessment of the existing printer setup to identify inefficiencies, Kyocera developed a required solution. It upgraded the existing Kyocera MFDs to faster machines, with proximity card readers for additional security, monitoring and data analysis, as well as ‘follow me’ print software. This enabled the Council to monitor all printing activity, deleting unclaimed prints to ensure minimal wastage, as well as ensuring that staff only print the documents they need. 

The entire solution is backed up by Kyocera’s industry-leading service level agreement (SLA), which offers a four-hour response time, guaranteeing exceptional customer support with minimal device downtime if there was an issue. 

Nina Lake, Business Information Systems Manager for North Devon said: “We were delighted with the level of service that Kyocera provided throughout the process. The team managed the decommissioning of our existing fleet of MFDs and rollout of the new devices seamlessly. The implementation was superb, the lead engineer was present at all sites during the roll out, even rolling up his sleeves to help out with the installation on a couple of occasions. We could not have been more pleased with how smooth the whole process was, and were delighted with the level of stakeholder management that Kyocera provided.” 

The solution was implemented quickly to ensure the council maintained continuity of service and the entire system was delivered exactly as specified in the Project Initiation Document and Plan. This ensured all machines were delivered, installed, configured and ready for use with virtually no disruption to the service.

The results 

The project has seen Kyocera consolidate all existing MFDs by introducing centrally managed printers running on powerful print management software, which reduces the print load, minimises costs and ensures wastage is kept to a minimum. 

Kyocera’s solution has also enabled North Devon Council to achieve a significant reduction in its rental budget, as this contract saved the local authority over 25% on the previous contract.

Nina Lake explained: “When the system first went live, there were a couple of early teething problems as you would expect, but these were dealt with very quickly and efficiently by the Kyocera support team. Now all the machines, devices and services are running effectively, and I very much look forward to working closely with our Account Manager to see if any further efficiencies and savings can be identified. I am sure there will be future opportunities to expand this relationship, as Kyocera continue to develop their range of products and services.”

For further information

View our webpage for guidance and more information on RM3781

Get in contact info@crowncommercial.gov.uk

Helpdesk: 0345 410 2222

The Construction Playbook: what is it and what does it mean for you?

In this blog, John Welch, Deputy Director Construction explains what The Construction Playbook is, what this means for wider public sector organisations and how it can transform and drive success in your buildings projects.

What is The Construction Playbook?

The Construction Playbook

The Construction Playbook has been co-developed and endorsed by the Construction Leadership Council and wider industry. It aims to encourage collaboration and better strategic relationships between the public and private sectors and to drive improvement and innovation within the construction industry. 

The Playbook captures commercial best practices and specific sector reforms outlining the government’s expectations of how contracting authorities and suppliers, including the supply chain, should engage with each other. And how to get the right from the start.

These are set out in 14 key policies for how the government should assess, procure and deliver public works projects and programmes that all central government departments and their arms length bodies are expected to follow on a ‘comply or explain’ basis recognising that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.

The Playbook sets out what is expected from industry, including continuous improvement in building and workplace safety, cost, speed and quality of delivery, greater sharing of better data, investment in training the future workforce through upskilling and apprenticeships, and adoption of the UK BIM Framework. Providing greater certainty to construction through long term plans for key programmes.

 

How does it impact me and why does it matter?

COVID19 has emphasised the importance of thinking about programmes and projects in new ways and the necessity of creating a more robust and sustainable industry that can build back better. That’s why all of the wider public sector can benefit from this drive for industry reform in our buying actions. 

Up to £37 billion of contracts across economic and social infrastructure will be brought to market over the next year from Government departments, wider public sector and other public bodies: from building schools, hospitals and prisons, to major infrastructure and the wide range of construction, engineering and other works programmes.

These are programmes that are aimed at improving our cities and towns, supporting the delivery of new homes, enabling more productive education environments and boosting our healthcare provision. 

Andy Mitchell, Co-Chair, Construction Leadership Council, says

“It will aim to deliver a better and fairer industry, with stronger and more open relationships between the industry and its clients, fewer disputes, and more equitable contractual terms, that ensure prompt and fair payment and a balanced allocation of risk, where these are managed by the organisation best placed to do so. 

And it will help ensure that investment in construction projects creates the greatest economic, social and environmental value possible, and contributes to the delivery of strategic policy objectives such as our legal obligation to achieve net zero carbon by 2050 and levelling up across the UK.”

How can CCS help? 

CCS were an integral part of the task force in the development of the Playbook and part of the 1,000+ hours spent on its development.

Having both led, and providing expertise, on early supplier engagement, outcome based specifications, effective contracting including standardisation of terms of conditions as well being embedded in drafting teams on areas like risk management, long term planning and of course the overall procurement process. CCS continues to be part of the steering group supporting and overseeing the Construction Playbook’s implementation.

We have been able to put a lot of the policy areas into practice during our response to COVID19 supporting central government and wider public sector customers. 

We are driving early supplier involvement through our innovative procurement options available and facilitate the idea and design of modern methods of construction into practical application, whilst constantly seeking innovation and best practice from our supply chains.

Our current construction category agreements include all of the policy areas set out in the Construction Playbook putting us in a great position to support you at any stage of your project or programme, and giving you the assurance that you are contributing to a more robust and sustainable industry which can build back better. 

Next steps

For more advice and guidance on getting the best out of your construction projects please fill in our short online form and one of our commercial experts will be in touch. 

You can also explore our full range of construction frameworks on our agreements page.