Policy Manual
Procurement - the "cradle to grave" process of acquisition and not simply the price - and its disciplines, is at the heart of the way that we run much of our day to day business, whether it is setting up framework agreements for buying a range of IT services, commissioning a consultancy, or establishing multi-million pound contracts.
It is an integral part of resource and budget management, and its importance to Government and Departments responding to resource pressures, is stated fully in the 1995 White Paper "Setting New Standards" (Cm 2840).
The Procurement Policy Manual sets out the Scottish Executive's Procurement Policy. It applies to all procurements, e.g. goods, services (including consultancies and research) and works/construction. The policy applies to procurements funded from both programmes and running costs. It is intended for the information of everyone in the Scottish Government who is involved in procurement whether as budget holder/customer, purchaser, expenditure authoriser, or contract manager/project sponsor.
The key elements of the policy reflect essential values set out in the Mission Statement, i.e. to act with integrity and honesty, to pursue value for money, and to encourage continuous improvement and innovation. In this context it is worth pointing out that such key elements as use of competition and separation of duties help to protect the individuals involved in procurement in addition to value for money and openness.
It is the responsibility of line managers to ensure that staff involved in the procurement process adhere to the policies outlined in this Manual