Published
The Palladian Academy Trust contracted CPC to provide a Managed Procurement Service in January 2018, to provide a dedicated procurement consultant to support the Trust on a two day a week contract. Main tasks included reviewing expenditure patterns, contract status, re tendering work, contract award and ongoing management with contractors. Reviewing procedures, policies and regularly meeting with each school business manager has been an integral part of CPC's role.
The contract progressed with CPC assigning to the Trust, an MCIPS qualified Procurement Consultant with extensive public sector procurement experience, who immediately completed an in depth spend analysis to identify areas of 'non-pay' saving opportunities. This also enabled the Trust to develop their strategic plan for procurement, along with benchmarking and expenditure data visibility.
By the end of the second year, the Trust will have achieved a 333.41% return on their investment.
A Contracts Database was also created to capture all spend categories, ensuring that re-tendering exercises were programmed into a Trust-wide Procurement Workplan.
In the first year of the three-year contract, significant cash savings and cost avoidance was achieved for the Trust.
By the end of the second year, the Trust will have achieved a 333.41% return on their investment.
CPC continue to work hard to maximise on savings, cost avoidance, best practice and compliance.
The ‘value added’ to the Trust of having a Managed Procurement Service (on site placement), has been that the Procurement Consultant spends time each week at the different Trust schools, which alternates through the 10 schools of the Trust. This provides on site, face to face support and guidance to School Business Managers and the Senior Management Team with Procurement, positive action in relation to Contract Management Support and supplier engagement, as well as meeting the requirements of the academies financial handbook. This has been highly welcomed across the Trust and has been used to identify common themes across the schools.