Tendering For Care

It is quite amazing how long it is taking for the reality of the new procurement environment to dawn in some areas. A major Trade Union - Amicus appears to have little understanding of what is happening and the legal context which constrains the way in which public purchasers must now approach the procurement process. We hear regularly of Boards of Trustees who believe that this is a current government "fad" which will go away sometime soon. Meanwhile others are trying to get around the tendering process using approaches such as Direct Payment systems, which are themselves governed by procurement rules, and more importantly by employment legislation. On the other hand we are receiving a number of calls each week from organisations who have lost core contracts and do not understand why; how do they need to approach the tendering process in order to be successful?

The front page of "Third Sector" published on 15th November 2006 provides both a warning and a positive lesson for the future. The attached document, which can be downloaded as a .pdf file, explains why.