The UK government wants todouble the size of its public sector commissioning academy by 2016. According to Supply Management, the ultimate goal is to have 1,500 members after the next four years.
Tim Eyres, head of 11-19 strategy and commissioning at Norfolk County Council, spoke to Supply Management about the academy, saying that the organization was able to co-locate its commissioning and commercial teams to form a commissioning hub.
“Bringing the two elements together made it a simpler, more streamlined process for procurement elements and from the providers’ perspective, allowed them to integrate their delivery more fully,” Eyres said. “This has been achieved with approximately a 15 per cent reduction in the overall budget while minimizing the impact for families and service users.”
Moreover, more than 250 buyers have been through the academy and another 250 are expected to have taken part by the end of the year, reported the news source.
According to Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, the commission academy helps build commercial skills across the public sector. It is a part of the UK’s long-term plan for a stronger economy, Maude explained, adding that the academy “has become a must-attend program with participants telling how it has helped transform their thinking.”
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