North Wales councils launch ambitious efficiency partnership
14 May 2008
The six North Wales Councils have launched an ambitious new partnership to save millions of pounds from the cost of goods and services purchased by the region’s local authorities.
Whilst these Councils have been working together to provide local services for a number of years, this innovative new development will further support the aim of ensuring value for money services for North Wales residents.
Geraint George, Chair of the North Wales Procurement Partnership Board and Gwynedd Council’s Head of Policy and Performance said:
“North Wales councils buy around £400 million worth of goods every year. By standardising the way we purchase these goods and organising procurement on a regional level, we will be in a much stronger position to negotiate the best possible deals from suppliers.”
“We are confident that this ambitious new partnership will deliver significant savings for each council, better value for money for the tax payer and a simpler and more effective process of ordering and paying for goods. It represents the determination on the part of local government to respond to the Assembly Government’s “Making the Connections” agenda and make savings from working together.”
The new North Wales Procurement Partnership will have a small team of staff who will work with groups of professional officers throughout the region to buy more goods and services collaboratively.
The partnership will be hosted by Gwynedd Council but is a genuine regional partnership funded by all six North Wales Councils who will manage the service through a joint management board.
The Partnership will also be working closely with local suppliers and the Welsh Assembly Government’s Department of Economy and Transport to ensure that local businesses are in a position to maximise the opportunities the new arrangements offer to win work from local authorities.
Notes to Editors
• The North Wales Procurement Partnership consists of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham Councils.
• The North Wales Procurement Partnership is being established as a result of the work of the North Wales Regional Partnership Board, which consists of Leaders and Chief Executives across each of the North Wales Councils. The Board has already set up The Wales Penalty Processing Partnership which processes recovery of parking fines on behalf of four of the North Wales Councils and is sponsoring a range of collaborative projects.
• The North Wales Procurement Partnership will be managed by a joint management board on which each Council will be represented. The Board will manage a small team of procurement specialists who will work with user groups of professions to establish joint, North Wales-wide contracts.
• Procurement of Goods and Services by local councils varies enormously from the purchase of pens and paper, bin-bags and street lamps to the purchase of services such as care packages for older people and foster care services for children. Councils also buy the building and repair of assets like roads, schools and leisure centres. Each major service in local government has significant expenditure on procurement and improved purchasing has enormous potential to save money without cutting services.
• The initial target of the Partnership is to save around £2 million per annum (cumulatively).
• The Partnership aims to work with the Health Service and other public bodies in the future.
• The Partnership developed from a specialist consultancy study commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) by NQ Consulting, which suggested that procurement practice and resources in North Wales could be improved.
Ends