Shared services are a popular reform for public agencies under financial pressure. The hope is to reduce overheads and increase efficiency by consolidating support services like HR, finance and...
Three quarters of English councils have failed to find procurement savings following the launch of the National Procurement Strategy for local government, according to research.
The cost of fraud is far higher than previous estimates, and procurement accounts for most of this. With cuts to internal audit and procurement teams focused on savings, local authorities need all...
David Cameron has highlighted the importance of transparency in the public sector. A new standard contract for Whitehall outsourcing could help provide more information across services
Brexit campaigners have warned that Britain’s contributions to the European Union will increase if the country votes to stay in the bloc later this month.
Under EU rules, certain public sector contracts have to be advertised across Europe, although there is flexibility to give local providers an advantage. Would Brexit change how procurement is carried...
Government efforts to spend more money through small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have lost momentum and cannot be reliably measured, the Public Accounts Committee has found.
The Single Source Regulations Office has removed £1.27m from the costs engines manufacturer Rolls Royce may charge the Ministry of Defence for Hawk jet engines.
In May 2014, the Defence Reform Act passed into law and ushered in radical changes in defence procurement. Two years on, are there lessons to learn for other areas of taxpayer-funded purchasing?
Devolution could free local authorities to develop early intervention and prevention services that make greater use of social investment, a senior third sector figure has told Public Finance.
EU procurement rules often get bad press but they have not yet had a high profile in the UK referendum debate on membership. But they lie at the heart of the internal market and often have a big...
The government has ended a £23.2m electronic tagging contract for offenders after concluding that the proposed development of bespoke technology would have “significant problems”.
Putting NHS contracts out to tender may be controversial, but it can help match services to local needs and ensure value for money. However, bad execution could lead to a loss of public faith in...
Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock today confirmed that all public bodies are to be barred from undertaking procurement boycotts of Israel under revised government rules.
The body created by the Local Government Association to oversee council audits following the abolition of the Audit Commission is considering plans to jointly procure contacts across the sector from...