Civil servants question honesty of private partners – and each other
29 Sep Commercial

Civil servants question honesty of private partners – and each other

CSW survey finds two-thirds of officials struggle to find common ground with other government departments
by Beckie Smith
Truss chief of staff Mark Fullbrook no longer paid via lobbying firm, No.10 says
27 Sep Commercial
Truss chief of staff Mark Fullbrook no longer paid via lobbying firm, No.10 says
Cabinet Office ethics team signed off on PM's chief of staff being paid via lobbing firm
26 Sep Commercial
Cabinet Office ethics team signed off on PM's chief of staff being paid via lobbing firm
DWP signs £1.4m deal to tap LinkedIn for recruitment
20 Sep Commercial
DWP signs £1.4m deal to tap LinkedIn for recruitment
2022: The year that procurement drives significant societal change Partner Content
24 Jan Commercial
2022: The year that procurement drives significant societal change
Proxima recently sat down with procurement leaders from both the public and private sector, including Simon Tse of the Crown Commercial Service, to discuss the trends to keep an eye on for 2022
Consultants still make up a quarter of test and trace workforce as bosses admit jobs 'less attractive' to civil servants
19 Jan Commercial
Consultants still make up a quarter of test and trace workforce as bosses admit jobs 'less attractive' to civil servants
Significant progress made on cutting consultant numbers, but short-term roles and secondments deter officials from applying
High Court rules 'VIP lane' for PPE procurement unlawful
12 Jan Commercial
High Court rules 'VIP lane' for PPE procurement unlawful
Some firms marked as high priority for contracts with "no objectively justifiable grounds for expediting the offer", court finds
Tory peer ‘secretly involved’ with firm that won £200m in PPE contracts after she referred it to ‘VIP lane’
07 Jan Commercial
Tory peer ‘secretly involved’ with firm that won £200m in PPE contracts after she referred it to ‘VIP lane’
Companies in the fast-track lane were 14 times more likely to win contracts than other suppliers, according to the NAO
Gareth Rhys Williams on 2021's toughest trials: 'maintaining morale (and gallows humour) in the face of scrutiny'
31 Dec 2021 Commercial
Gareth Rhys Williams on 2021's toughest trials: 'maintaining morale (and gallows humour) in the face of scrutiny'
2020 may have been a year like no other, but 2021 was a chip off the old block and relentless from day one. Government's chief commercial officer tells us about 12 more months of dealing with Covid while pushing ahead with new challenges
‘Lessons we’ve learned will stand us in good stead’: CCS chief Simon Tse looks back on 2021
21 Dec 2021 Commercial
‘Lessons we’ve learned will stand us in good stead’: CCS chief Simon Tse looks back on 2021
2020 may have been a year like no other, but 2021 was a chip off the old block and relentless from day one. The Crown Commercial Service chief executive tells us about 12 more months of dealing with Covid while pushing ahead with new challenges
MoD spent millions on Afghan crisis charter flights Exclusive
16 Dec 2021 Commercial
MoD spent millions on Afghan crisis charter flights
Ministry closed five short-notice whole-aircraft charter agreements over nine days in August
New year, new era. Public Procurement sets up for 2022 Sponsored
14 Dec 2021 Commercial
New year, new era. Public Procurement sets up for 2022
The transformation public procurement has undergone over the past 12 months is remarkable. Simon Payne, client director at Proxima, discusses what developments have instigated the movement towards a more sustainable and value-driven future
Lack of digital know-how at top of government contributes to IT failures, MPs say
10 Dec 2021 Commercial
Lack of digital know-how at top of government contributes to IT failures, MPs say
Public Accounts Committee highlights failure to understand issue of decades-old ‘legacy’ systems used in border control and state pension
Gareth Rhys Williams launches the Government Commercial Function Strategy 2021-2025 Sponsored
09 Dec 2021 Commercial
Gareth Rhys Williams launches the Government Commercial Function Strategy 2021-2025
Central to this strategy is a focus on transforming the public procurement regime, harnessing and using data as a strategic asset for decision-making
Companies that fail to deliver could be banned from winning public contracts
07 Dec 2021 Commercial
Companies that fail to deliver could be banned from winning public contracts
Cabinet Office unveils plans for ‘simpler, clearer and more flexible’ procurement rules
Former GDS chief gets green light to advise McKinsey
03 Dec 2021 Commercial
Former GDS chief gets green light to advise McKinsey
Kevin Cunnington's role at management consultancy will be limited to the Middle East
BEIS slammed by MPs for ‘pointlessly rushed’ green homes scheme
01 Dec 2021 Commercial
BEIS slammed by MPs for ‘pointlessly rushed’ green homes scheme
Public Accounts Committee chair says scheme’s flaws "should have been blindingly obvious to the department"
Gareth Rhys Williams on how the government is using procurement to drive its net zero strategy Partner Content
29 Nov 2021 Commercial
Gareth Rhys Williams on how the government is using procurement to drive its net zero strategy
Part I: Proxima sits down with the government’s Chief Commercial Officer to discuss its plan to transform the way that procurement operates to achieve the net zero emissions by 2050 target
Delivering social value and catalysing change: An interview with Malcolm Dare Partner Content
19 Nov 2021 Commercial
Delivering social value and catalysing change: An interview with Malcolm Dare
Proxima speaks to the National Highways Executive Director of Commercial & Procurement about how his organisation uses its position to deliver positive change
Cabinet Office explores creation of £5m digital platform to manage all government grants
18 Nov 2021 Commercial
Cabinet Office explores creation of £5m digital platform to manage all government grants
Department claims system would "completely reset the way in which government, public sector bodies, charities, SMEs and citizens interact"
BEIS spends £1m on emergency financial advice as energy suppliers collapse Exclusive
12 Nov 2021 Commercial
BEIS spends £1m on emergency financial advice as energy suppliers collapse
Contract for finance support as energy suppliers collapsed was awarded without a tender
Government urged to create 'Domesday Book' of public contracts
11 Nov 2021 Commercial
Government urged to create 'Domesday Book' of public contracts
Union argues central register of deals would improve transparency, inform taxpayers and help procurement staff
Scope 3 emissions are no longer the elephant in the room Partner Content
09 Nov 2021 Commercial
Scope 3 emissions are no longer the elephant in the room
If organisations are going to decarbonise, their ability to do so is going to be entirely linked to the change that you can affect in your supply chains, says Simon Geale, Executive Vice President, Procurement, at Proxima
'Broken' defence procurement system wasting billions, MPs say
04 Nov 2021 Commercial
'Broken' defence procurement system wasting billions, MPs say
PAC 'extremely disappointed and frustrated' that MoD has not learned lessons
'No evidence' conflicts of interest considered in Greensill contract
29 Oct 2021 Commercial
'No evidence' conflicts of interest considered in Greensill contract
NAO report raises "questions over the government’s ability to prevent conflicts of interest", PAC chair says
Suppliers bidding for top contracts required to commit to net zero by 2050
07 Oct 2021 Commercial
Suppliers bidding for top contracts required to commit to net zero by 2050
New guidelines will ask companies to disclose emissions stemming from indirect factors such as routes to market and staff commuting
Labour would claw back money spent on failing Covid contracts, Reeves pledges
28 Sep 2021 Commercial
Labour would claw back money spent on failing Covid contracts, Reeves pledges
Shadow chancellor also promises “biggest wave of insourcing in a generation” if party wins next general election
Health security agency seeks commercial experts
27 Sep 2021 Commercial
Health security agency seeks commercial experts
Three deputy director jobs intended to give UKHSA's “best-in-class commercial department"