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Collaborative consultancy services framework announced

Collaborative consultancy services framework announced

BUYING SOLUTIONS News Release (RIEP14/04) issued by COI News Distribution Service on 22 April 2009

Buying Solutions has today announced the creation of a new national framework agreement covering consultancy services.

The collaborative arrangements, which go live on 1 December 2009, have been developed in conjunction with the needs of the nine Improvement & Efficiency Partnerships (IEPs) and take into account the key drivers that local authorities need to transform their services.

Working in partnership with Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands, the innovative framework agreement will be developed to reflect the needs of local government for skills in core disciplines including:

* Strategic Consultancy
* Organisational Change
* Programme & Project Management

Jane Daly, Transformation Coordinator at Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands, said today, "Working with Buying Solutions has enabled us to develop a national framework agreement that fits the transformation requirements of the nine Improvement & Efficiency Partnerships."

"The needs of local government have been taken into account and by dividing consultancy services into functional and sector specific smaller lots it will enable SME's offering more 'niche' services an equal chance to tender for them with value for money considerations."

The partnership will enable customers in local government to benefit from Buying Solutions' procurement and project management expertise, as well as the IEP's technical expertise and knowledge of their sector requirements. This will ultimately result in better and much improved services to customers and a real increase in productivity across England.

Simon Caddick, Director of Professional Services at Buying Solutions added, "We value highly the expertise and knowledge brought by Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands in shaping Buying Solutions' consultancy services framework agreement. Their participation will ensure that the framework agreement meets the specific needs of our customers in local government, to support them in delivering business improvement."

"We look forward to further collaboration with the Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships to deliver improved value from consultancy spend for those local government customers."

For more information or to register an interest in the new Consultancy framework agreement, please contact the Buying Solutions Customer Service Desk on 0845 410 2222.

Note to Editors

Buying Solutions current offerings include Organisational and Functional Consultancy framework arrangements, which cover the above disciplines and can be viewed here:

http://online.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk/services/ConsultancyServices/

About Buying Solutions

Buying Solutions is an Executive Agency of the Office of Government Commerce in the Treasury. We are the national procurement partner for UK public services.

We have extensive expertise in procurement, with over 500,000 products and services delivered through over 600 suppliers, in ICT, property and office solutions, energy, travel and professional services.

Our EU-compliant, benchmarked framework agreements and other procurement arrangements enable organisations to deliver improved value for money in their commercial activities. We also provide expertise and professional support to our customers.

More details are available on the website: http://www.buyingsolutions.gov.uk

Media contact:
Ben Heppenstall
ben.heppenstall@buyingsolutions.gsi.gov.uk

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