New government procurement framework

Questions 1-4

Having read the discussion paper around the new structure I would respectfully suggest that the document has a number of inaccuracies about the current model and does not, based on contemporary leading practice head in the right direction.

A major inaccuracy is that Procurement in NSW government has a high level of Centralisation with decentralisation. This is incorrect. The existing model is more a federated model with almost complete decenteralisation. The NSW Procurement group does not have the ability to commit on behalf of the entire government with agencies continually doing additional procurement arrangements under the umbrella contracts that are more…

4 What are your views on Principal Departments and agencies with large procurement functions having appropriately qualified and designated Chief Procurement Officers?

Of course this is like saying "do you want longer summers and lots of ice cream?' Few people are going to object to the professionalising of procurement. But the reality is that the "appropriate qualification" is MCIPS and there are not many experienced practitioners with the savoir faire to work in the public sector who are also MCIPS. So recruiting career procurement practitioners will not be easy.

Secondly, I recall a consultancy report I once read that began with the more…

It is innacurate (as AJK stated) that the NSW Government had a centralised model, there were many tiers of decentralisation and a largely federated model exists already with it's own issues. The risk is that without a central body NSW will lack transparency.

Both models of procurement in NSW Government have issues. If you devolve procurement entirely to the local CPO the risk is that there will be further lack of transparency and risk to the NSW Public. At the least, though they were incredibly slow and lacked innovation, the central procurement bodies acted with complete transparency.

Did the review consider contacting any of the major vendors to ask their experiences and opinions directly?

Accountability and value for service a key issues that are avoided in a proactive way by some agencies in attempts to streamline the process. Circular C2006-55 out of the Premier’s Office allows Agencies to engage the Department of Commerce (Department of Public Works) to manage the planning and delivery phases of construction capital works valued over one million dollars without going to the market. What happens in reality is that Public Works is engaged for all manner of operating and capital works such as land contamination issues, building maintenance and managing cleaning contacts to name a few. Public Works sublets more…

Any change on the past is an improvement.

I have in the past submitted tenders, for electrical local work on mid north coast.

This price allowed for what I thought to be value for money, however a larger electrical firm got the project, but they do charge 3 times my hourly rate, I dont know how they get the work, when with the hourly rate they charge.

Also a lot of money seems to be lost on administration in State & Federal building projects, ie: schools & housing.

When the tender initially goes out, it has already gone from government to the transfield & more…