WIREDGOV

A new strategic alliance between Government Procurement Service (GPS) and RCUK SSC Ltd Procurement (RCUK SSC) will help drive better value and improve procurement efficiency across the entire public sector.

Governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), this new alliance will see the two organisations collaborating more closely together, combining the complementary capabilities, information and technology of each organisation. New categories will be developed, providing centralised deals for customers using RCUK SSC’s existing expertise and procurement capability in these areas. The first of the new categories being developed are research, facilities management and construction.

RCUK SSC and GPS are also working together on the provision of strategic procurement support for Departments, a new service launched by GPS last year to help the delivery of high value and/or complex procurements. 

Through this MOU, GPS and RCUK SSC have taken concrete steps to implement the recommendations proposed by the Public Expenditure Efficiency and Reform Group (PEX) in December 2011. These include centralising procurement of common goods and services; delivering sustainable savings through aggregation of spend within appropriate centres of excellence; and a more efficient and transparent procurement service to better manage spend. 

David Shields, Managing Director of GPS said:

“This agreement demonstrates our shared commitment to working in partnership to deliver cost savings that benefit the whole of the public sector. This is an important step in the delivery of both the procurement and Civil Service Reform programme, which supports the drive to channel spend though aggregated arrangements to increase savings. It will also help streamline procurement resource across government, improving efficiency.”

RCUK SSC’s CEO Jonathan Preece added:

“This move is a major step forward for our organisation and supports the Government’s wider shared services strategy along with the recommendations of the Public Expenditure Sub-Committee on Efficiency and Reform (PEX) to improve efficiency. Both RCUK SSC and GPS look forward together to the continuing development of our strategic alliance.”