Dundee City Council opt for our Agency Model to take forward several pieces of work

Like all Scottish Councils, Dundee City Council is a core member of Scotland Excel. The City Council actively participates in over 80% of Scotland Excel’s frameworks; either directly or through their Tayside Contracts affiliation.

Our Flexible Procurement Team’s work for the City Council includes undertaking a wide and varied range of Invitations to Quote (ITQs) and Invitations to Tender (ITTs) in areas ranging from construction (works) and services, economic development, I.T. and qualification training.

Overview:

Dundee City Council had several vacancies in their procurement team and needed immediate assistance to help keep up with the demands of time-sensitive competitive tendering, while they prepared for recruitment.

The City Council first used our Flexible Procurement Service in March 2022 on a limited agency model basis. They initially requested assistance for three days a week for eight weeks. (The agency model allows our members to purchase procurement time weekly, over a period of time that suits them.)

We supported their construction services team on a series of tenders primarily related to installation, servicing and repair and maintenance.

With Scotland Excel’s Flexible Procurement Team operating as Dundee City Council employees, the City Council soon realised the huge benefit that the Scotland Excel team brought and a request to extend the period of our involvement quickly followed.

Our team was asked to provide further support until the end of 2022. This meant we were able to assist the City Council with several more complex tenders. This involved working on the development of strategic solutions for long term benefits, including developing frameworks for the engineering and estates teams and assisting with addressing the City Council’s Construction Services store stock management systems and repair and maintenance contracting through consolidation and call-offs under existing frameworks. Our involvement in this work, alongside the continued management and delivery of a high volume of ITQ activity, provided the City Council focused resources to meet their time-sensitive procurement demands.

What we did:

When our work began to support the City Council’s construction services division, we managed 12 quick quotes for them within the first month alone. During the first four months, we delivered 25 quick quotes including call-offs from various frameworks.

We worked closely with the Procurement Team, and with the technical experts within service areas, at each stage of the tender process.

Work undertaken by the Scotland Excel team includes:

• Market research on tender options to make appropriate recommendations on route to market.
• Publication and evaluation of quick quotes for various supply, service and works.
• Managing mini-competitions through existing Scotland Excel and other frameworks.
• Working with the council to renew one framework and develop a second multi-lot framework.
• Managing and prioritising multiple tendering exercises for the City Council concurrently, often working within tight timescales.
• Liaising with the City Council’s legal team as appropriate
• Developing and refining templates to assist procurement processes

Prioritisation of tasks for Dundee City Council is agreed with and communicated to the procurement team on a weekly basis.

This work has all been delivered virtually, without incurring any travel costs for the City Council.

Outcome:

To date, Scotland Excel’s flexible procurement team has been involved in 42 different projects with Dundee City Council, ranging from market research to framework development. Our relationship will continue to the end of 2022 and will allow departments such as construction, engineering and social care to deliver a wide range of services for local people. Our involvement with the City Council has allowed it to focus on areas of future development and the recruitment of a new procurement lead.

Testimonial:

Julie Thompson, Corporate Procurement Manager (Dundee City Council), said: “Scotland Excel’s Flexible Procurement Team are exemplars of best practice, highest professional standards and procurement capability.  They have (and continue to do so) supported Dundee City Council to deliver a multitude of procurements within a relatively short period of time.  The service has been invaluable to the sustainability of service delivery”.