FEATURE FOCUS: SUMMER LEARNING LOSS
requirements of dynamic markets and contract management procedures. It marks the most significant shake up of procurement policy in a generation.
What’s more, according to the UK Government, one in every three pounds of public money, some £300 billion a year, is spent on public procurement. A statistic that demonstrates the sheer scale of the transformation at hand.
Any regulatory reform has its challenges and doubly so in a marketplace as diverse and expansive as the UK public sector. The new procurement regime offers potential value, competition, and can assist decision-making, but it may seem a daunting prospect to educators already tight on capacity.
Awareness must translate into understanding
The reform should, in theory, improve processes – helping education providers along the way. The problem is the lack of acute understanding into what it entails and the risk that many may find themselves being left behind.
Working across education and public sector organisations, YPO has first-hand knowledge of the challenges faced when grappling with procurement practices. In an attempt to build on this qualitative knowledge, YPO and Education Insight recently published the
Procurement Reform: Preparing the Public Sector for Change (2023) to pinpoint the pain points for public sector organisations. One of its key findings highlights how awareness of the reform is simply not translating into understanding. The report found 93% of procurement professionals are aware of the reforms, but the majority (57%) of bodies were unclear about the implications. Moreover, while 8 out of 10 participants are aware of the introduction of changes to procurement notices and the creation of a single register of suppliers. Only 42% believe the amendments will drive efficiency for their organisation and 80% feel these initiatives will actually increase the administrative burden for procurement teams.
Procurement reforms are imminent, but much of the public sector is almost certainly unprepared.
Preparing for the change
It is clear that procurement professionals are facing a myriad of financial, logistical and resourcing challenges. The lack of clarity as to the procurement changes being introduced on October 28th are only adding to this. Far from being a benefit, the perception is that procurement transparency comes at considerable cost to educators. This, however, is not necessarily the case.
Some of these issues, such as the provision
of training, can be addressed through under- utilised government initiatives. Others, can be accounted for through greater levels of support from procurement stakeholders, and that is where experts can help. Partnering with education procurement services can be a game-changer for educators. These services can extend the capabilities of internal teams, offering expertise and resources that might be otherwise inaccessible. Organisations like YPO can help put educators on the front foot and deliver increased financial value, recognise social value and free up precious time and resources. The scale of procurement change to educators will be significant – with many going from long-established practices to a new unknown. However, a helping hand as practices evolve will equip educators with the means to navigate a challenging landscape. Through effective procurement and support services there are ample opportunities to bolster efforts.
September 2024
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