Procurement policy - Rules for Contracts

Our Procurement Strategy and Rules for Contracts are the underpinning documents for the procurement policy

Procurement Vision

To obtain the right means to meet the needs of the community.

Specifically the challenges ahead are to:

• engage with the community
• develop partners and partnership working to work with them to meet the needs of the community
• place social regeneration, economic and environmental issues at the heart of procurement
• involve members in the procurement strategy so that they provide leadership in embedding procurement excellence into the culture of the Council
• identify appropriate service delivery options
• make procurement happen at the right level with the right people
• make procurement a key management activity
• use technology and in particular e procurement to support organisational and behavioural change
• make the corporate procure to pay processes systematic and flexible to achieve best value
• drive down procurement costs whilst obtaining value for money
• stimulate markets to be able to procure from a diverse and competitive range of suppliers including minority businesses, voluntary and community sector groups , small firms and social enterprises
• be customer focussed using internal consultation and involvement to support service objectives and improve performance
• meet the targets of the National Procurement Strategy as appropriate for SMBC
• Comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act in all activities and in particular commercial activities
• Become a key player in the Regional Centre of Procurement Excellence to benefit from good practice in other authorities with a view to increasing collaboration throughout the region.

Leadership and responsibility

Leadership and responsibility will be as follows:

• Member responsibility for procurement and its strategic implementation will be with the Cabinet Member for Resources and be scrutinised by the Scrutiny & Overview Committee.
• Officer responsibility for compliance with this strategy will rest with the Corporate Procurement Manager.
• All procurement activity across the Council must comply with procedures and best practice processes contained in the Rules for Contracts and the Procurement Code.

Process Management

In managing procurement processes we will ensure that:

• Records and procedures set out in the Procurement Code are properly maintained, decisions are recorded and clear audit trails exist in order to ensure openness, propriety and probity.
• Resources relating to procurement will be kept under review as part of the Best Value processes and the use of electronic means to reduce acquisition and transaction costs will be vigorously pursued.

Rules and best practice

The following rules and best practice shall apply:

• The rules for procurement will be those determined by EC and UK law, standing orders and those set out in the Procurement Code.
• The corporate Procurement Code will be regularly reviewed to ensure continuous improvement. Responsibility for this will rest with the Corporate Procurement Manager.
• In dealing with suppliers and providers, the Council will ensure that there is an equal opportunity for all who meet the stated criteria, to participate in tendering for any Council requirements.
• The Council will undertake to train officers responsible for procurement in best practice techniques.
• The Council will strive to achieve the targets set for BV8 (Best Value Performance Indicator for percentage of invoices paid by the Council within 30 days).

Contact Details

For more information on Contracts, please phone the Corporate Procurement Service

Telephone: 0121 704 6089

Email procurementteam@solihull.gov.uk