29 June 2001
Delivering Better Services for Citizens, published on June 27, urges the creation of a joint national forum convened by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, the Local Government Association and the Confederation of British Industry to encourage discussions between local authorities and suppliers.
It also calls for the LGA, the Improvement and Development Agency and the 4Ps to devise a better system for disseminating information on the markets for local authority goods, works and services.
The report was produced by the Local Government Procurement Taskforce, which was established by the former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Local Government Association in July 2000.
Chair Sir Ian Byatt said a cultural change in councils was urgently needed: 'Too many local authorities still see procurement as a backwater, concerned only with the buying of paperclips.
'There is a great opportunity for local government to improve services to citizens in affordable ways. This report looks at current practice and draws on lessons learned in the private sector. It sets out practical ways to improve procurement to take advantage of these opportunities.'
PFjun2001
