WIREDGOV

Collaborative framework will improve access to learning in the public sector

OGCBUYING.SOLUTIONS News Release (LDF26/01) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 30 January 2009

Organisations throughout the public sector will have simpler access to a wider range of good value learning and development solutions through a new framework agreement launched today by OGCbuying.solutions.

The Learning and Development and eLearning Solutions framework agreement, sponsored by Government Skills - the Sector Skills Council for central government - will deliver Learning and Development solutions for the public sector across 22 key competency areas ranging from communications, marketing and customer service to working with ministers, management, leadership and policy skills.

Buying Solutions has worked closely with a range of government departments and other public sector organisations, including the DWP, HMRC and DIUS, in order to produce these best practice procurement arrangements, which will replace a vast array of existing contract agreements.

The framework agreement is built around the Professional Skills for Government competency framework, which sets out the skills standards all civil servants need and is used as the basis for all government departments' competency frameworks.

All specialist Learning and Development requirements can be addressed through the framework agreements, and customers can use the further competition route where appropriate.

Commenting on the launch of the new framework agreement, Jane Nicholson, Category Manager at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said today: "By collaborating with other Government departments we are able to greatly increase our buying power and access a much wider range of learning and development suppliers than DWP could do on its own.

"Having a framework agreement means we can work with a more manageable number of suppliers to ensure they develop a good understanding of our overarching objectives, culture and values which will, in turn, lead to improved learning and development services for DWP staff."

Buying Solutions' Professional Services Category Director Simon Caddick added, "I think this framework agreement will come to be recognised as an exemplar of collaboration in government. We have worked hard to ensure that a wide cross section of requirements have been fully considered and taken into account in the formulation of these new arrangements.

"There is a widely-shared understanding that equipping the public sector with the skills they need to meet the ever-evolving challenges ahead of us is vitally important.

"I am confident that these new provisions, which are broad in scope and scale, will play an important part in helping public sector workers to meet those challenges."

For Information, advice and support services on all aspects of the framework agreement, call the Buying Solutions' Customer Service Desk on 0845 410 2222 and ask to speak to a member of the Professional Services category team or visit http://www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The full range of areas included by the Learning and Development and eLearning Solutions framework agreement are:

- Skills for Life
- Communications and Marketing
- Customer Service
- Diversity and Equal Opportunities
- eLearning (to be launched at a later date)
- Working with Ministers
- Finance
- Vocational
- Health and Welfare
- Human Resources
- Information and Records Management
- Information Technology
- Social Awareness
- Languages
- Legal
- Management and Leadership
- Organisational Development
- Policy Skills
- Procurement
- Programme and Project Management
- Specialist Services
- Security

About OGCbuying.solutions

OGCbuying.solutions is an Executive Agency of the Office of Government Commerce, which is itself an office of HM Treasury.

It provides public sector procurement professionals with a route to the products and services they need to maximise procurement efficiency and value for money. Its contracts and framework agreements offer substantial savings through significant buying power, economies of scale and strategic partnerships.

Rigorous tendering and evaluation processes ensure that products and services are checked for quality, price competitiveness, fitness for purpose and compliance with statutory requirements. These products and services are available through OGCbuying.solutions' framework agreements, managed services and other procurement arrangements.

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