Transparency
Transparency is at the heart of the Procurement Act 2023 and other public sector procurement legislation. From the initial planning phase to contract management and eventual termination, the legislation emphasises open communication and integrity through its notice regime. Transparency is the foundation for building trust, ensuring accountability, offering clear oversight and is key to unlocking better value for money.
Benefits to the Council achieved through increased transparency include:
- Data-driven decisions: Access to richer, more detailed information to make smarter, better informed procurement decisions.
- Collaboration opportunities: Easier connections with other Local Authorities and suppliers to foster partnership working.
- Performance management: Early identification and resolution of poor contract performance.
- Risk awareness: Proactive management of commercial risks.
- Strategic planning: Enhanced forward planning to streamline procurement processes.
Benefits to suppliers through increased transparency include:
- Greater accessibility: Easier access to contracting opportunities, regardless of size or location.
- Increased visibility: Greater transparency in how public contracts are awarded and managed.
- Fair competition: A level playing field where suppliers have equal chances to succeed.
- Transparent decisions: Clear, accountable procurement decisions that foster trust.
- Seamless communications: Consistent efficient data sharing between suppliers and the Council.
Procurement Services is committed to exceeding the legislative requirements set out in the various regulations, providing an enhanced transparent view of our contracting activity with a keen eye on supporting small and medium enterprises in accessing opportunities with the Council.
Outside of the requirements set out in the Procurement Act 2023, the Council is also required to adhere to the Local Government Transparency Code 2015. The Council currently ensures that it publishes all required information as outlined by the Code, and will seek to expand its transparency publications over the term of this strategy by also publishing information recommended by the Code.
|
# |
Objective |
How will this be implemented and monitored |
OneCov Value |
Benefit |
Timescale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Contract Management |
Supplier Code of Conduct Produce new Supplier Code of Conduct setting out the expectations of suppliers contracting with the Council.
|
Value and respect |
Help to create safe, fair, and ethical working conditions by helping Suppliers develop ethical business practices, following applicable laws, safely monitor their supply chain, and follow business operations and fair business practices as expected. |
2025 |
|
2 |
Contract Management |
Training Provide comprehensive training and guidance to Contract Managers on the use of the Council’s e-procurement portal and contract management requirements / best practice. |
Nurture and develop |
Ensures compliance with the processes embedded within the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and wider public sector legislation requirements. |
Ongoing (Periodic & Ad-hoc) |
|
3 |
Contract Management |
Training Produce procurement induction programme and pack for new starters within the Council, supporting compliance with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules. |
Engage and empower |
Provides new starters with insight and overview of public sector procurement policies and processes and highlights the support functionality of Procurement Services in delivering compliant procurement activity. |
2026 |
|
4 |
Contract Management |
e-procurement Portal Refine data captured on the Council’s e-procurement portal and reported on via the Council’s Contracts Register and other internal reports. |
Create and innovate |
Understanding our data is key to enhancing the Council’s management of contracts, ensuring not only legislative compliance with regards to the Procurement Act 2023, but provides further data analytic insight in to cross-organisational opportunities. |
Ongoing |
|
5 |
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion |
Contracting and Spend Reports Produce and publish reports highlighting the Council’s contracts and spend with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). |
Own and be accountable |
Demonstrates Council’s commitment to contracting with a diverse supply base, identifying ways in which to increase opportunities to improve internal processes to support smaller organisations in bidding for Council contracts. |
Annually (April) |
|
6 |
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion |
Contracting and Spend Reports Produce and publish reports highlighting the Council’s contracts and spend with local suppliers (defined as CV1 - CV6). |
Own and be accountable |
Demonstrates Council’s commitment to contracting with a local supply base, identifying ways in which to increase opportunities to improve internal processes to support local organisations in bidding for Council contracts. |
Annually (April) |
|
7 |
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion |
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Survey Produce, publish and act upon an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Survey targeting feedback from local suppliers and SMEs. |
Engage and empower |
Allows the Council to understand the key areas for concern faced by local suppliers and SMEs when bidding for Council opportunities. Understanding these causes can assist the Council in structuring procurement exercises to reduce and / or remove barriers to entry. |
Annually (April) |
|
8 |
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion |
Workforce Diversity Aim to provide a baseline of data to understand workforce diversity monitoring of suppliers contracting with the Council. |
Value and respect |
Monitoring diversity can help highlight workplace inequality, identify underlying causes and help to remove unfairness and disadvantage. This commitment to social responsibility enhances a company's reputation and aligns with the Council's values. |
2026 |
|
9 |
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion |
Meet The Buyer Hold dedicated Meet the Buyer events to educate SMEs on the Council’s tendering process(es) and e-procurement portal. |
Engage and empower |
Demonstrates the Council's commitment to ensuring that all businesses, particularly SMEs, across the city are encouraged to bid for opportunities, supporting the local economy and driving innovation and value for money. |
Annually (TBD) |
|
10 |
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion |
Simplification of Documentation Support SMEs with a revised suite of simplified documentation to be used when conducting below-threshold procurement activity. |
Create and innovate |
Demonstrates the Council's commitment to ensuring that all businesses, particularly SMEs, are encouraged to bid for opportunities by considering the barriers to entry with regards burdensome documentation disproportionate to the value and complexity of the contract. |
2025 |
|
11 |
Professional Development |
Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Ensure that all Procurement staff are professionally qualified (MCIPS), maintaining membership and additional training requirements. |
Nurture and develop |
CIPS qualifications are highly regarded procurement professionals of all levels, as they are accredited by the organisation that promotes and protects the high standards of the sector, with the training and knowledge acquired from these qualifications of the required standard. |
Annually |
|
12 |
Social Value |
Themes, Outcomes and Measures Revise the approach to capture of commitment and delivery of social value offers through embedding of a TOMs approach for contracting activity above £100,000. |
Create and innovate |
The utilisation of the Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs) framework for capturing Social Value commitments in tender activity will align with the approach taken in other areas of the Council and provide Suppliers with a clear indication of the Council’s priorities. |
2025 |
|
13 |
Social Value |
Delivery Against Commitment Report Produce an annual report highlighting the delivery against Social Value commitments made in the Council’s procurement activity. |
Own and be accountable |
Monitoring and reporting on the delivery against Social Value commitments will provide actionable data in delivering the Council’s Social Value and Sustainability Policy and highlight opportunities for improvement. |
2026 |
|
14 |
Transparency |
Pipeline of Procurement Activity Produce and publish quarterly pipelines of forthcoming procurement activity over and above the legislative requirements of the Procurement Act 2023. |
Open and fair |
Supporting Suppliers to achieve economic growth and social equality by providing a larger pipeline of Council activity above and beyond the requirements under the Procurement Act 2023. |
2025 (and ongoing Quarterly Reports) |
|
15 |
Transparency |
Key Performance Indicators Publish Key Performance Indicator status (RAG) for Council Contracts on the Contracts Register. |
Own and be accountable |
Transparency is central to the Procurement Act 2023. By going over and above the legislative requirements of the Act, the Council is demonstrating its commitment to transparency regarding our contractual arrangements for all applicable contracts. |
Ongoing (Quarterly Reports) |