The expansion will underpin chief procurement officer Bill Crothers’ plans to extend the CCS’s role and activities. Following his review last year of government contracts with suppliers G4S and A4E, he put forward a set of recommendations – agreed by government – tasking the CCS with monitoring, approving and assisting with departments’ contract management work, and with producing best practice guidelines.
The CCS’s expansion was welcomed by Andrew Coulcher, business solutions director at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, who told CSW: “It’s encouraging that the government is taking a serious look at buying power and sustainable procurement expertise by adding resources to existing teams. The key here is to ensure these teams are professionally trained and skilled, and capable of delivering the targets the government has set and the taxpayer expects.”
However, other commentators warned that the CCS must move carefully to preserve good relationships with departmental procurement teams, and to avoid confusing accountability for delivery of procurement and contract management work.