purchasing review based on your school's current needs for goods, works or services L, M, H What type of information must be provided at this What is the process for agreeing that items, say between £1,000 and £10,000 (you may wish to vary these figures,) are approved? 2 Develop your Business Case - the essential planning document for managing the procurement process M, H For items is this a school requirement? What type of information is required at this stage? What is the process for approving the business case? Are we satisfied with our current process? 3 Define your procurement approach - what are your options for carrying out this procurement? M, H Does the school consistently out Options Appraisal exercises e.g. comparing the relative merits of using Framework Agreements or Tendering? What is the process for Risk Analysis for all medium and high value purchases? 4 Markets and suppliers – understanding the market, identifying potential suppliers L, M, H How does the school ensure those responsible for procurement understand the market they are procuring from? What guidance does it give to responsible for procurement on the research they should engage in? How does it encourage suppliers to compete against one another to provide goods and services to the school? Does it hold ‘supplier open days’? 5 Tender and evaluation – advertising for bids, evaluating tenders, making the right choice M, H Review the most recent occasion you went out to tender for an item? What were the most effective and effective aspects of the process?
6 Awarding the contract – agreeing and signing the formal agreement, taking delivery of your goods or services M, H 7 Contract management – to ensure you're getting the goods or services you are paying for, securing best value for your money M, H It is likely to be inefficient to micro-manage low value contracts but for medium or high value contracts you should have a process for contract management. Identify 2 medium/high contracts – one contract you are pleased with and one where the service might be improved. Evaluate the difference between the two contracts and how you might bring about any necessary improvements. 8 Closure - lessons learned – at the end of the contract, what lessons will you take forward to the next procurement? M, H Is it standard practice to carry out a systematic review of the contract, how well it was delivered and how well the school managed it? Do governors receive evaluation reports on the management of medium/high contracts?
4 Review of current expenditure on specific goods and services The checklist below is designed to help you review your school’s current expenditure on specific goods and services in order to determine where efficiencies might be possible. You may not be able to review all of the items at one meeting but it is suggested that over time each area is visited and that a cycle of continuous review is established. Columns 2-5 should be completed in advance of the meeting. Goods Or Service Current supplier/arrangements Market last tested Outcomes from Benchmarking Has the school used any of the following: DfE/Audit Commission Tool? Performance Tables financial data? Locally generated data? If so, what were the outcomes? DfE support reviewed? Authority support reviewed? Academy Chain support reviewed? Has the school explored the support available when making this type of purchase? Has it used the support available? If not, why not? Action needed? Energy