This section includes documents that are no longer current, but could be seen as useful information to other authorities and contractors in particular.
Procurement Strategy
As all departments grow more dependent on external suppliers of goods, works and services, it is increasingly important for the Council to develop a clear strategy for how these externally provided resources are selected, acquired and managed. Even where services are currently provided in-house, a range of goods, works and services are procured externally in order to support service provision.
The Procurement Strategy 2005-2008 provides details of the strategic direction of procurement across the authority over the coming 3 years. The strategy is over three main areas - 'Socially Responsible Procurement, Efficient and Effective Procurement and Managing Suppliers'. It illustrates achievements that we have made, issues for particular areas and targets for coming work. You can download a copy of the strategy by clicking on the link on the right hand side.
Beacon Award 2006
At the end of March 2006, it was confirmed that Leeds had been awarded Beacon Status in the category of "Delivery of Quality Services Through Procurement". The bid was the Council's seventh consecutive success making it one of only two councils to achieve Beacon status in every year that the Beacon scheme has been running. The feedback given by the Beacon evaluation team rated the Leeds bid overall as 'outstanding' - the highest score possible.
The categories within the bid that were rated ‘outstanding’ or ‘excellent’ included:
- Procurement making a difference to the community and delivering continuous improvement
- Procurement contributing to more efficient and effective services
- Leadership, vision and strategy
- Services designed around needs and preferences of users
- Developing a mixed economy of service including support for small businesses
- Electronic procurement
- Effective partnership working
- Sharing learning and best practice with others.
Overall the strength of the Leeds bid was that we had examples of long-established best practice in every area of the bidding criteria.
As well as supporting local services, Leeds could demonstrate that it had shaped the agenda for local government procurement nationally:
- We had a corporate procurement strategy two years before the National Procurement Strategy was published - the current strategy
- We were measuring procurement savings and setting targets before Gershon.
- We had implemented e-procurement systems before the National e-Procurement Project came along. Leeds was a Pathfinder authority for electronic tendering.
- We were promoting regional working before the Centre of Excellence initiative was launched - a report on the project
- We were supporting small businesses before the SME concordat was published – our guidance for suppliers and contractors
Leeds was involved in each of the above national initiatives – either as member of a working group, project board, the host authority or a best practice exemplar.
The e-procurement Pathfinder Project
Leeds City Council was awarded Pathfinder status by the Government in 2001 to develop and implement electronic procurement as part of the Local Government On-Line (LGOL) initiative. Further information can be obtained by downloading the documents on the right hand side.
Best Value Inspection of Procurement
In 2000, as part of the Council's Best Value Review Programme, the Procurement Unit was required to review the way we buy works, goods and services from other organisations and companies.
In 2001, Leeds City Council's purchasing, procurement and contracting activities were subject to a rigorous independent inspection by the Government's Best Value Inspection Service. The results of the inspection were very positive with the service being judged as 'good' with 'promising prospects for improvement'. Further information can be obtained by downloading the documents on the right hand side.
E-Procurement for SMEs in the Yorkshire and Humber Region
In October 2002, Leeds City Council received funding from the EU 'Go Digital' programme to raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities of e-commerce for SMEs in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
An 'Electronic Tendering Toolkit' was produced, and was distributed to delegates at 3 events across the region. Over 350 people attended the events, which were held at the KC Stadium in Hull, the Central Science Laboratory in York, and at Magna in Rotherham.
The final report can be obtained by downloading the document on the right hand side.
E-Procurement Strategy for West Yorkshire
The ‘eProcurement Strategy for West Yorkshire’ describes the aims, objectives and ambitions of the West Yorkshire councils to work together, over the next 3 years, to improve the ways in which they procure goods, works and services, and is intended as a working document which will change throughout that period.
The West Yorkshire Procurement Strategy builds on a number of projects that are underway or have already taken place in the Yorkshire region, including:
- Leeds electronic tendering system, which was developed through the Government’s Pathfinder initiative and is now available to the majority of councils across the region.
- The Roses Marketplace, developed by Kirklees with ‘Invest to Save’ [ISB] funding, is shared with 9 councils, 4 of whom are from the Yorkshire region.
- The European ‘Go Digital ’initiative, which aims to encourage SMEs to adopt e-commerce, provided Leeds with funding to promote e-procurement, and in particular e-tendering, to small businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber.
- A Yorkshire and Humber Procurement Forum, which includes the majority of councils in the region, exists to share expertise and work on issues of mutual interest.
The strategy is intended to support the development of a comprehensive sub-regional procurement infrastructure, which will deliver best practice procurement solutions for its members. It will map out the way forward on reforming and continuously improving the procurement function across the councils, whilst reflecting the core values and corporate objectives of each.