Government Procurement Service goes online

Released on 28/05/2009

The Government Procurement Service (GPS), based in the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), has launched a new online portal for government procurement professionals. GPS Online is part of a wider programme to raise the professional skills and capability of the procurement profession within government.

The new portal provides a networking and knowledge sharing forum for central government procurement practitioners and information to support professional development and career management. Hosted on the Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA) Communities of Practice network, it is open to all members of the central government procurement community. Access to procurement vacancies, discussion forums, a resource library, a contacts directory, events and live news feeds are available.

The site will also help the GPS to tailor further activities and initiatives for the government procurement community by gathering and responding to members' feedback.

Nigel Smith, OGC Chief Executive and Head of the GPS said: "The procurement profession is a vital body in the drive to achieve value for money. I encourage all procurement professionals working in central government to sign up to GPS Online. This new service marks a significant step in what we are offering the government procurement community to assist in their career management and development.

"The new portal is one of many initiatives through which the GPS is supporting the government's agenda of building a strong procurement profession with high calibre professionals who have the skills and capability to deliver greater value for money on behalf of the taxpayer."

Other GPS initiatives launched recently include the Government Procurement Graduate Scheme, the Fast Stream Procurement Placement Option, the Career Management Programme, and Skills Frameworks for Procurement Leaders and Practitioners.  

For further details of GPS Online and other GPS initiatives click on the following links:

http://www.ogc.gov.uk/GPS.asp

http://www.ogc.gov.uk/groups_and_networks_gps_online.asp

Notes

About the GPS

The aim of the GPS Reform Programme (launched 2007) is to raise capability across the central government procurement community. This is a community where procurement professionals are valued and supported in their professional development and where individuals and procurement teams are equipped to meet the government's procurement needs now and in the future. To this end, raising the profile of the professional community, increasing capacity and raising capability are at the heart of the GPS Reform Programme.

Vision: 'The GPS Reform Programme aims to create a sustainable balance of appropriately skilled and suitably managed procurement professionals to match the growing scale and complexity of the government's delivery agenda.'

The GPS provides a framework to enable procurement professionals to develop the capability needed to deliver better public services and greater savings from public procurement. The GPS is establishing a comprehensive package of support for the government procurement profession seeking to enhance their procurement capability.

About the OGC

The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is an independent office of HM Treasury, established to help government deliver best value from its spending. The OGC works with central government departments and other public sector organisations to ensure the achievement of six key goals:

• Delivery of value for money from third party spend;  
• Delivery of projects to time, quality and cost, realising benefits;  
• Getting the best from the government's £30bn estate;  
• Improving the sustainability of the government estate and operations, including reducing carbon emissions by 12.5% by 2010-11, through stronger performance management and guidance;  
• Helping achieve delivery of further government policy goals, including innovation, equality, and support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs);  
• And driving forward the improvement of central government capability in procurement, project and programme management, and estates management through the development of people skills, processes and tools.

OGC provides policy standards and guidance on best practice in procurement, projects and estate management, and monitors and challenges departments' performance against these standards, grounded in an evidence base of information and assurance. It promotes and fosters collaborative procurement across the public sector to deliver better value for money and better public services; and it provides innovative ways to develop government's commercial and procurement capability, including leadership of the Government Procurement Service.

Media contact:
Michael Dunning, Media Relations Manager, OGC
T: 020 7271 1318
M: 07771 815245
E: michael.dunning@ogc.gsi.gov.uk

Contact details:
OGC Service Desk
Tel: 0845 000 4999
E-mail: ServiceDesk@ogc.gsi.gov.uk