b'38 Local Government Lawyerthat are already, or are planning to sell legalpricing that delivers only modest savings. services to other organisations, down fromUsed properly, however, frameworks can 58% in 2015 to only 41% in 2019. allow local authorities to outsource more How, then, are local governmentof their legal services requirements by employers planning to respond to theusing the cost savings achieved to allow an combined challenges of increasing demandincrease in the volume of work outsourced.for legal services and growing difficultiesThe London Boroughs Legal Alliance with recruiting and retaining good lawyers?(LBLA), which Kennedy Cater established The number one coping strategy identifiedand has now managed since 2009, is a by respondents to the survey is to usepositive case in point. This collaboration private practice law firms more and more,of London authorities has grown to be but with 82% of respondents not expectingone of the most successful collaborative The use of frameworks and the competitive pricing that is consequently available to clients is contributing to the growth in work outsourced to private practice firms and an improvement in value for moneyto receive an increase in their budgets forpartnerships of local authority legal teams external legal services, this will bring otherin the UK, and has been at the forefront significant challenges. However, since theof innovative procurement practice and survey was last run in 2015, when only 3%efficiency strategy, delivering both solicitors of respondents outsourced more than 30%and barristers frameworks for the 23 of their legal work, this has now nearlyauthorities who are members of the LBLA. trebled and risen to 11%, so how are theseLBLA members also benefit from monthly apparently conflicting responses beingmanagement information reports and spot reconciled?checking of their invoices so that they have There is evidence to suggest that thea clear and detailed analysis of their spend use of frameworks and the competitiveacross the frameworks and know that the pricing that is consequently availableinvoiced fees are accurate and appropriate. to clients is contributing to the growthAs such, both frameworks continue to in work outsourced to private practiceprovide the members with significant firms and an improvement in value forsavings and attract new authorities to the money, particularly for routine work; 53%Alliance. of respondents felt that fees were aboutKennedy Cater also manage frameworks right, compared with 43% in 2015; a 23%in the social housing sector, which suffers improvement.from similar pressures to local government, Frameworks of themselves, however,and there too we have seen a significant dont provide the cost savings and valueincrease in the usage of the frameworks. added benefits that they are capableThe roundtable panel discussion also of, unless they are underpinned by aconfirmed the view that there seemed well-conceived procurement strategyto be a more positive attitude towards and specification focused on deliveringrelationships between local government an outcome that meets the principleand private sector firms with one delegate requirements of its users. Too often,commenting, The frameworks and private not enough focus is given to the pre- firms are very good and when you need procurement phase of the tender processthem theyre at the end of a phone and able resulting in too many or too few firms beingto respond instantly to your demands. appointed, the incorrect lot structure, anThe next most identified strategy for inadequate range of suitable firms andcoping with future demands was helping'