CJI Calls for Fairness and Value for money in Public Purchasing
29/01/2007
A report by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) examining how goods and services are acquired by the criminal justice system has called for fairness, equality of opportunity and value for money in public purchasing.
PRESS RELEASE
29 January 2007
CJI CALLS FOR FAIRNESS AND VALUE FOR MONEY IN PUBLIC PURCHASING
A report by Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) examining how goods and services are acquired by the criminal justice system has called for fairness, equality of opportunity and value for money in public purchasing.
The call was made by Northern Ireland’s Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice, Kit Chivers after the Inspectorate found there is currently no consistent procurement policy in place.
The report on procurement practice revealed this was the situation despite around £500m – just over one third – of the overall budget of the criminal justice system being spent on non-pay related matters each year, most of which is procurement of goods and services.
“The development of a specific policy would link procurement practice in the criminal justice system with policies in devolved parts of government. It would also help maximise opportunities for savings to be made and increase public confidence in the system,” said Mr. Chivers.
The inspection work carried out by CJI in the autumn of 2006 revealed there were a number of areas where procurement practice could be improved.
“The quality of Management Information Systems dealing with procurement in the criminal justice system are poor, therefore there is little comparative data collected on procurement expenditure.
“Management information systems within the PSNI are the most advanced but they are not available in most criminal justice agencies or for the system as a whole. We have recommended this should be addressed,” said Mr. Chivers.
Inspectors found that while the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland had declined, it continues to impact on procurement in the criminal justice system.
During the Troubles an artificial marketplace developed and a restricted number of suppliers met the purchasing needs of the criminal justice agencies. Alternative suppliers were either reluctant to get involved with these agencies or were excluded on the grounds of national security considerations.
“Access to wider tender opportunities were limited and contracts often extended for years without open competition,” said the Chief Inspector.
The end of the Troubles, combined with the introduction of European and National legislation, has helped create a fairer, more open system of public procurement.
“Further improvements can still be made,” said Mr. Chivers, “as shown by the results of the independent survey of suppliers carried out by CJI which formed part of the fieldwork for this report.
“Our survey showed there is a need for potential suppliers to have greater awareness of, and access to, tender opportunities in the criminal justice system.
“Work needs to be done to ensure firms with limited experience of working within the criminal justice system are not disadvantaged when they tender for contracts. Existing supplier lists should be reviewed and updated,” added Mr. Chivers.
In conclusion the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice recommended the various criminal justice agencies consider putting in place policies, practices and procedures that would support opportunities for collective working and ensure equality of opportunity.
“Too many current tender actions relate to only one agency even when a similar product or service is required by another organisation within the criminal justice system. If agencies worked in partnership these situations could be reduced and greater savings made,” said Mr. Chivers.