CAL News

Here we keep you up to date with all the news relating to procurement, that could be of interest to auditors and procurement professionals. Be it the release of a new standard form of agreement, a court case concerning contracts, or the issue of fresh guidance by a professional body we will include reference to it here.

 

If you have or hear of any news that you think could be of interest to others, then please contact us and we will include details on our site.

Revised EC Public Procurement Thresholds [January 2012]

New thresholds for public sector procurement, in line with the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement, came into force in the European Union on the 1st January 2012. The thresholds have been raised by around 11% to accommodate fluctuations in exchange rates over the previous two years which, probably, does not reflect the “substantial” increase that the UK Government was looking for. These thresholds are set in sterling and revised every two years. Therefore, they are not subject to daily currency fluctuations and will continue to apply until the 31st December 2013.

 

Also on the 1st January 2012, the Commission withdrew a relaxation of the rules regarding use of the accelerated restricted procedure, which it had previously agreed as an emergency measure during the financial crisis. Therefore, for contract notices submitted to the OJEU the accelerated restricted procedure is again only available in situations where urgency renders the time limits for the restricted procedure impracticable.

OFT Construction Case Collapses [May11]

The OFT investigation into alledged bid rigging collapsed after firms had their fines slashed on appeal and the OFT decided not to challenge the judgements of the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Judgement increases options for shared services [Feb 11]

A supreme court judgement clarifies the extent to which public sector bodies need to comply with EU Regulations when placing contracts.

Impact of EU Procurement Rules on Councils [Jan 11]

LGA report suggests that EU Procurement Directive may have resulted in improved transparency, but it may also have increased costs, stifled innovation and produced a more risk-averse culture when letting contracts.

Creating Excellent Buildings [Jan 11]

Produced by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) this on-line guide [now archived] provides expert advice for people commissioning building projects. Experienced clients describe how to deliver a high quality building and get the best from all the people involved.

Authorities to standardise their contract rules [Jan 11]

The WLGA (Welsh Local Government Association) has formed a project team with the objective of standardising Contract Procedure Rules (CPR) across the Welsh Authorities. The project team facilitator met members of the North Wales Contract & Procurement Group in January 2011 to discuss the project and receive their input and comments. He was due to meet the South Wales Group in March 2011.

Infrastructure Cost Review [Dec 10]

Report by HM Treasury, suggests that the cost of major infrastructure projects could be cut by at least 15% (£2bn to £3bn pa) by improvements that include clearer accountability for project decisions, better focus on lowest outturn cost (rather than initial price) less use of bespoke solutions, and more risk-based assessemnt of procurement options.

An Introduction to Projects and Project Auditing [Oct 10]

Guidance published by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors, provides a brief introduction to the management of projects and the roles that internal auditors can play.