Guardian article here: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

And top tips on how to do tax reform from @gemmatetlow.bsky.social @tompope.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social here:
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

With huge thanks to @njdavies.bsky.social and other colleagues at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk for collaborating on this work

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

14. Finally, any new procurement legislation should be focused on providing clarification and standardisation, without adding unnecessary complexity or instability to the relatively new (and widely recognised as very good) Procurement Act, which people are very much still getting to grips with.

13. The commercial profession has a strong, cross-gov identity and network – this should be leveraged to foster wider collaboration. The GCF should continue to support the communities of practice that have grown in recent years.

(It’s easy to say commercial capability should be maintained, but it will be difficult to do when facing targets for 10% admin budget cuts by 28/29)

12. So GCF and departments should use missions to guide prioritisation on capability

11. The Government Commercial Function should develop a long-term strategy for boosting the number of senior commercial specialists within government departments and their ALBs, and establish the expectation that all those managing contracts are commercial specialists

The final group of recs are on strengthening procurement capability and data

10. Managing Public Money guidance should be updated to make accounting officers responsible for procurement data, and the new central digital platform should focus on public sector orgs + suppliers being able to use it

9. Government should make the most of ‘pull’ mechanisms to promote innovation. This should include Innovate UK's Contracts for Innovation and also Advance Market Commitments that could be used to incentivise development of scalable innovation (low carbon concrete e.g. ⬇️)
www.ukri.org/news/innovat...

8. DSIT should be coordinating procurement of innovation, with support from the Cabinet Office. They should be using procurement data to identify opportunities for collaboration, and the new Commercial Innovation Hub should share best practice in buying innovation

7. Public sector organisations should have multi-disciplinary teams horizon scanning for contracts due to expire/be renewed, proactively reviewing how technological and/or social innovation could improve outcomes in these areas (this should be easier to do with a better Find a Tender service)

6. Cabinet Office/DSIT should publish further guidance setting out best practice in procuring innovation (with legislation changing, and risk aversion widespread, contracting authorities are often uncertain about what should/shouldn’t be done)

The 2nd group of recommendations are on better using procurement to bring innovation to the public sector

4. Ministers must back civil servants to procure innovation, even following failure

5. Preliminary market engagement should be a core part of procurement (which it very much isn’t right now)