Much of this transformation has been enabled by Oracle Procurement software. In fact, Oracle has made us a case study, so we are called on to demonstrate procurement best practice to other Oracle customers.
Its all part of wider modernisation programme that is seeing HMPS reform the way it provides its corporate services: procurement, HR and finance. As well as improving the service we provide to our colleagues in the front line, modernising the way we work brings financial savings, many of which are being driven by procurement. It is money that can be redirected to support those front line services.
As you'd expect, we're committed to supporting and developing our people. More than 60% of the team are now fully or part qualified through the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. We have a competency framework in place against which all procurement people are assessed and on which individual training programmes are based.
Our objectives are:
- To reduce costs year on year so that there is a reduction in actual expenditure or an improvement in output
- To assist stakeholders so that those directly managing offenders are not diverted by procurement activity
- To ensure the performance of the procurement group compares favourably with private sector procurement operations that support equally complex operations
- To ensure that public sector provision is preferable to private sector provision
- To ensure that there is diversity among suppliers ensuring the skills and added value of the voluntary and community sector, small and medium sized enterprises and black and ethnic minorities are embraced
- To ensure that procurement decisions are environmentally focussed so as to reduce consumption of non-sustainable materials and use recycled and recyclable products.
