WRITTEN ON February 23rd, 2006 BY William Heath AND STORED IN Government Procurement

A significantly-placed friend writes in to suggest it’s important we date our anecdotes.

Central Gov has performed better (I think) since Gershon created OGC. Stuff from four of five years ago is not necessarily relevant today.

My correspondent recalls submitting evidence to Peter Gershon’s original study for the PM.

I had asked my team to come up with a list of all the failings and problems of public sector purchasing, with evidence suggestions for their resolution. By the time I had combed through the lot and excised the stuff that did not stand up to critical evaluation, the list was not long…I knew [Gershon] would accept only carefully argued, evidence supported suggestions….

Public procurement is often frustrating. So is any well run competitive purchasing in the private sector, but folk in public sector sales teams
forget that fact. The private sector can do things quickly, and can be flexible about the sort of deals to cut, but they have their fair share of
difficult and incompetent people too, in my experience.

And as OGC were quick to remind the companies that complained abut the contract terms demanded by Granger “you signed them!” The fallout from that
remains to be experienced though, it remains a serious issue.

There is more fun to be had at some of the commodity level stuff and the fact that small local authorities will impose their own rules on purchasing over and above the usual legislation and OGC guidelines.