Barnet eyes strategic partner for £600-750m support and customer services contract
The London Borough of Barnet has kicked off its search for a strategic partner for a £600-750m contract to manage a new support and customer services organisation.
According to the OJEU notice, the services in scope are:
- Procurement
- Customer Services
- Estates (Asset Management, Building Services, Property Services)
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Information Systems
- Revenue and Benefits
The function of major project management, currently carried out predominantly through the council’s Corporate Programmes Team, is also in scope for delivery by a provider.
The partnership is intended to run for approximately ten years, with the option to extend for a further five years. It will be procured through the competitive dialogue process.
Barnet said the strategic partner could be a single bidder or a consortium. The purpose of the partnership arrangement “is to enable the council to meet its objective of service transformation and innovation to match customer need whilst ensuring business as usual activities are not compromised”.
The local authority claimed that the grouping of its support and customer services provided the borough with the opportunity to create a “truly citizen-centric” council. “It provides partners with the opportunity to work innovatively with a forward thinking public sector body,” the notice said.
The authority also suggested that remodelling support services delivery would provide improved services to internal and external customers. The council said: “It will ensure the sustainability of the services in the light of a changing customer base due to the One Barnet programme and central government funding.
“Barnet has been at the forefront of personalising services and the delivery of customer services is key to providing customers and residents with a positive experience of dealing with the council delivering a citizen centred council and developing deep insight as the basis for future commissioning decisions.”
The OJEU notice suggests that a number of other contracting authorities may wish to join the procurement, including Barnet PCT, any GP consortia established in Barnet or adjacent areas, bodies with responsibility for education and/or educational facilities in Barnet, and third sector bodies.
It also states the authority's view that TUPE is likely to apply to the arrangements.
In March this year Barnet started the procurement of a £270-290m, ten-year contract to deliver development and regulatory services.
Philip Hoult
