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Public sector procurement is often in the spotlight and seldom because it is being praised for doing a great job. We were interested to learn how a function so often criticised and on the frontline of public sector spending cuts was embracing SRM. We contactedMary Wildsmith, Supplier Management Officer within the Procurement and Commissioning function at Surrey County Council (SCC). She was happy to share an example of how a new approach to supplier relationships was being introduced. Mary started by giving us an insight to challenges faced by local government procurement. SCC is the fifth largest local authority in the UK. It provides services to 1.1 million people and spends over £650 million on goods and services with external contractors annually. The council’s focus is on delivering the highest quality services to its residents in the most efficient way and it is committed to doing this through instilling a ‘one team’ approach in Surrey. By working to make sure its entire staff, partners and businesses are pulling in the same direction, lasting improvements are being made for the county. The approach is crucial in helping to unlock new opportunities while also tackling existing challenges. SCC has addressed the twin threats of reduced funding and increased demand for services head-on to uncover new ways to provide more for less. While identifying savings of £280m, the council has still been able to increase funding for essential services such as adult social care and school improvements. The future poses serious challenges, with funding continuing to reduce and demand for services growing. The pressures facing the council are substantial: › The county has some of the UK’s most heavily used roads › The number of people aged over 85 is set to double in the next 20 years › There has been a near 20% rise in the county’s birth rate over a decade What follows is an example of strong and effective supplier management, exercised by SCC in the context of the challenges it faces.
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