GPS Strategy

The GPS Strategy: Building the Procurement Profession

Heads of Profession and senior colleagues across Whitehall, led by Nigel Smith, CEO, OGC, have been working to review and profile the procurement profession in central Government.  This is part of a strategy that aims to increase the capability of Government Procurement Professionals, ensuring they have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to manage procurement activities which facilitate the delivery of Government policy and public services.  The strategy also seeks to attract and retain the right calibre of procurement professionals to manage the Government's future procurement activities.

Changes coming

To help take forward this strategy there are changes coming, which will improve the support and opportunities available to Government Procurement Professionals.  These include changes to the criteria for joining the Government Procurement Service (GPS).  In future becoming a member of the GPS Community will be open to anyone who matches the definition of Government Procurement Professional.

 

Data gathering

As a first step, the GPS Team at OGC has been working with Whitehall departments to ensure we are reaching everyone in central Government who fits the definition of Government Procurement Professional.  Departments have been engaged in the first in a series of data gathering exercises, identifying their own Government Procurement Professionals.  This data is being shared with the OGC GPS team who will use it to ask each procurement professional whether they wish to register as part of the GPS community and also to request some additional details to help the OGC in developing more tailored services for the GPS community.

 

Next Steps for GPS Strategy

Thank you to everyone who has supported the development of the GPS Strategy, aspiring to the collective goal of building the procurement profession in government. The commitment and energy already demonstrated by departments in getting us to this point has been greatly appreciated.

We intend distributing hard copies of the strategy document to all those involved to date in April/May 2009. This is later than expected but it is essential that we wait until the outcome of Sir David Normington's review on SCS reward has been presented to the Permanent Secretary's Management Group as we cite this work in our own strategy.

The next step for procurement and HR colleagues in departments will be to work with the GPS team to assess how the recommendations will impact on their department and begin shaping the next steps. GPS will shortly be contacting departmental representatives to share the detailed toolkit with them and answer questions on the way forward.

It is vital that this momentum is maintained throughout the next steps, and we look forward to your continued involvement.

 

Project Background

Transforming Government Procurement was explicit in recommending government departments ensure that "the right procurement people with the right skills are in the right jobs with the right incentives". 

The Government Procurement Service is leading a cross government initiative to build the procurement profession by identifying reward and career structures that reinforce the recruitment and retention of high calibre professionals.

A report to Commercial Directors in October 2007 highlighted the following issues in the strategy arena:

• Considerable discrepancies between departmental pay
• Payment of allowances being inconsistent and increasing the level of pay discrepancy between departments
• Bonus performance payments not always linked to any measure of added value to the business of departments
• No common approach across departments with regard to the recognition of professional qualifications or funding of these qualifications  

It was agreed that GPS will deliver guidance to government departments that will provide: 'a consistent, managed, transparent regime that rewards increasing professionalism, attracts those of sufficient calibre from outside, retains the required skills base and allows management movement between departments'.

This is part of the overarching aim of developing procurement as a recognised profession which attracts and retains high calibre individuals, in order to meet the government's delivery agenda ahead.

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Project Launch 

Heads of Profession and senior colleagues across Whitehall are supporting the development of the GPS Strategy, led by Nigel Smith, CEO, OGC.

The project was launched to support the procurement profession by producing guidance for reward and career progression within government. 

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About the Survey

The 2009 GPS Survey will be launched soon to anonymously record what and how government procurement professionals are currently rewarded and to generate procurement professional's feedback about working within the profession.  This will provide vital information about the procurement profession across Government.

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Frequently Asked Questions

See specific questions regarding the GPS Strategy