Contracting Guides

Numerous government, academic and business players have published guidance on how to negotiate the process of competition and contracting successfully. This section brings together a range of comprehensive guides.

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Competitive Dialogue in 2008: OGC/HMT Joint Guidance on Using the Procedure (PDF)
Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and Her Majesty's Treasury(HMT), 2008

A practical guidance document on the EU Competitive Dialogue procedure for procuring complex public projects. It develops a general approach which may need to be adapted for specific sectors or circumstances.

UK

Creating Momentum in Contracting Management-The Acquisition Innovation Handbook (PDF)
Private Sector Council, 2006
Partnership for Public Service
This is the first edition of the Acquisition Innovation Handbook. In detail, it looks at what is felt is the three key aspects to successful post-award contract management; a sustainable and accountable partnership, infrastructure for success, and a system of measures to monitor and improve performance. The handbook is intended to be used as a guide for improving contract management.

USA

Tendering for Government Contracts A Guide for Small Businesses (PDF)
Office of Government Commerce (OGC), 2004

A guide designed to help small businesses in Engalnd explore business possibilities within the public sector and how to bid for contracts in such areas.

UK

How to Manage Service Acquisition
Office of Government Commerce, 2002

A document that provides an overview of the process of acquiring a major service from private sector providers, from looking at strategic aims, through determining requirements, the formal procurement process and implementation, and re-competition at the end of a contract. These guidelines were designed in line with the principles of HM Treasury's Green Book and EC procurement rules.

UK

How to Manage Performance
Office of Government Commerce, 2002

Practitioner guidance on performance management developed by the Office of Government Commerce, with special attention to the issue of performance measurement, seeking to help the practitioners develop practical, comprehensive and feasible targets.

UK

How to Manage Service Provision
Office of Government Commerce, 2002

OGC's guidelines describing the main components of service management from a business point of view: managing service performance, the working relationship, the contract and changes to requirements.

UK

Contract Management Guidelines (PDF)
Office of Government Commerce (OGC), 2002

Guidelines for public sector managers responsible for managing long term commercial arrangements with the private sector. The main areas covered are managing service delivery (formal governance), managing the relationship, contract administration, seeking performance improvements, and managing changes. This guidance does not cover the process of creating a commercial arrangement.

UK

Contract Management in the Australian Public Service (Web Page)
Australian Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, 2000
Report No. 379, Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra
Evaluation of the effectiveness of contract management in the Australian Public Service, emphasising the deficiencies found due to lack of experience on the management of complex contracts. The report also provides recommendations for enhancing the government's managerial capacities regarding service contracts.

Australia

Competitive Tendering and Contracting in the New South Wales Public Sector
NSW Public Bodies Review Committee and the Standing Committee on Public Works, 1998
Joint Inquiry, Parliament of New South Wales, Sydney

Australia

Outsourcing State and Local Government Services: Decision-Making Strategies and Management Methods
O'Looney, John , 1998
Westport, Connecticut: Quorum Books
This book states the importance of local authorities role in the outsourcing agenda, stipulating that the decision must ultimately be taken at that level. Furthermore the book provides detailed guidance for state and local managers to decide whether or not to outsource some government services, and if so how to do this.
ISBN 1-56720-169-5
USA

The Contracting Organization
Domberger, Simon, 1998
Oxford University Press
This book examines the proper application of inputs and outputs, performance monitoring, financial and non-financial incentives.
ISBN 0-19-877457-5
USA

Contracting for Change: Contracts in Health, Social Care, and Other Local Government Services
Walsh, Kieron; Deakin, Nicholas; Smith, Paula; Spurgeon, Peter & Thomas, Neil , 1997
Oxford University Press
An analysis of the effects of contract-based changes in the public sector, its managers and staff, as well as the effects on the users of public services.

UK

Competitive Tendering and Contracting by Public Sector Agencies' (PDF)
Industry Commission (now the Productivity Commission), 1996
Report No. 48
A report of an Industry Commission study looking at issues in public sector contracting, with recommendations and conclusions. It touches on almost all aspects of the performance measurement debate including incentives, inputs vs outputs, monitoring, setting requirements, perverse incentives. Appendix E contains a review of empirical studies into the cost effects of contracting. There is also a case study of the experience of contracting out Amberly RAAF base, which include a cost-benefits analysis.

Australia

The Outsourcing Manual
White, Robert & James, Barry , 1996
Aldershot: Gower Publishing
A general introduction to outsourcing, providing insight into the process usefulness, characteristics and implications whether in the private or public sector.

UK

Serco Institute Resource Centre

Contracting Guides

Serco Institute
Resource Centre