Value for Money
Lessons learned: competition in public procurement
Recommendations (6)
Source: NAO Recommendations Tracker · PAC follow-up below
Cabinet Office
Rec 1
Accepted
Work in Progress
Building on work it has begun to update its contract database systems and
standards, clearly define the information departments are required to publish, including how it should be structured
Cabinet Office
Rec 2
Accepted
Work in Progress
Through its procurement reform processes, act to improve the quality of information departments submit on contracts, as well as continuing to improve compliance with transparency requirements.
Cabinet Office
Rec 3
Accepted
Work in Progress
Set out how it currently uses the information and explore how it can the use the range of data collected on individual contracts to analyse competitive trends in markets and use this to support its work.
Cabinet Office
Rec 4
Accepted
Work in Progress
Work with departments to understand the barriers to early market engagement and take steps to address them.
Cabinet Office
Rec 5
Accepted
Work in Progress
Consider how to make improvements in the supporting elements of the commercial lifecycle as set out in Figure 6 (capability, commercial strategy, governance and accountability, and transparency and data) to support improvements in the effectiveness of competition.
Cabinet Office
Rec 6
Accepted
Work in Progress
Expand its guidance on frameworks, alongside working to ensure that where frameworks are used it is for compatible requirements and uses competitive pressure.
Parliamentary Committee Follow-Up
The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.
Sixth Report - Competition in public procurement
Public Accounts Committee
· 13 December 2023
· 12 recommendations