Today, RSUA submitted its response to the Public Sector Centres of Procurement Expertise’s (CoPEs) Supplier Procurement Process Survey, issued to gather general feedback on public procurement and identify opportunities for improvement.
The survey covered a range of issues, including questions on:
- Awareness of relevant tender opportunities
- Clarity and accessibility of tender specifications and requirements
- The timeliness and effectiveness of communication throughout the procurement process
- The main barriers or constraints to engaging with the public sector when tendering
- Overall satisfaction with the procurement process
RSUA response
Among RSUA’s observations were comments on the key barriers to participation in public procurement for government construction clients, as well as the need for greater transparency in procurement practices and more robust assessment of quality at tender stage.
Among the recommendations we put forward were:
- Addressing procurement approaches that require bidders to price services before scope and project requirements are sufficiently defined.
- Reducing over-reliance on the Design and Build procurement route and promoting project-specific procurement decisions.
- Improving the visibility, consistency and effectiveness of Pre-Market Engagement (PME) activities.
- Increasing openness around procurement outcomes to support wider learning.
- Reforming quality assessment processes to better differentiate bidders and place greater emphasis on capability and project understanding.
- Supporting more sustainable pricing mechanisms that avoid a “race to the bottom” on fees.
- Embedding net-zero whole-life carbon requirements within public sector construction projects.
- Highlighting examples of procurement approaches that have worked well.
RSUA’s full response can be accessed here.
If you have any questions or comments about this response, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, at curtis@rsua.org.uk
