Government 'lacks capability' to address long-standing digital procurement issues
06 Jun Commercial

Government 'lacks capability' to address long-standing digital procurement issues

Public Accounts Committee warns of “an insufficient level of digital commercial skills across departments”
by Tevye Markson
If the government is serious about closing the SME gap, it must go beyond ticking boxes and embrace structural change
29 May Commercial
If the government is serious about closing the SME gap, it must go beyond ticking boxes and embrace structural change
Home Office seeks 'AI infrastructure delivery partner'
28 May Commercial
Home Office seeks 'AI infrastructure delivery partner'
DBT seeks watchdog's advice on £136m Post Office subsidy to replace Horizon IT system
01 May Commercial
DBT seeks watchdog's advice on £136m Post Office subsidy to replace Horizon IT system
Key trends shaping procurement in 2023 Partner Content
23 Jan 2023 Commercial
Key trends shaping procurement in 2023
On the back of Proxima's newest CPO report, in which the industry's leading voices share their insights on the year ahead, the procurement specialist outlines the key trends impacting the commercial environment
Consultants to aid push for ‘better, smaller and fairer' Cabinet Office by 2025
13 Jan 2023 Commercial
Consultants to aid push for ‘better, smaller and fairer' Cabinet Office by 2025
CO2025 reform programme is intended to deliver a "slimmed-down, high-performance" Cabinet Office
DfT explores virtual queues to manage Dover lorry gridlock
05 Jan 2023 Commercial
DfT explores virtual queues to manage Dover lorry gridlock
Department to lead project looking at potential use of tech in avoiding 20-mile backlogs of vehicles
Procuring services and equipment for the period of mourning and turning heads with a net-zero initiative: Gareth Rhys Williams’ 2022 highlights
29 Dec 2022 Commercial
Procuring services and equipment for the period of mourning and turning heads with a net-zero initiative: Gareth Rhys Williams’ 2022 highlights
The government chief commercial officer also looks back on earring dilemmas and water-pistol duels
Justin Reuter: From flying in the RAF to procurement Partner Content
15 Dec 2022 Commercial
Justin Reuter: From flying in the RAF to procurement
Proxima’s new Executive Advisor on how his move from serving on the front line to working in procurement, strategy and operations ensures that the defence sector is being steered by those who understand what is needed
Know your worth: how the Government Office for Technology Transfer is helping unlock the value of knowledge assets
08 Dec 2022 Commercial
Know your worth: how the Government Office for Technology Transfer is helping unlock the value of knowledge assets
GOTT has been set up to help public sector organisations make the most of their knowledge assets. Its chief outlines its priorities and how it will help departments to realise the value of their intellectual resources
NAO sounds alarm as funding shortfalls threaten departmental shared-services drive
30 Nov 2022 Commercial
NAO sounds alarm as funding shortfalls threaten departmental shared-services drive
Cabinet Office “doesn’t know how much has been spent or what benefits to expect”, watchdog warns
Cabinet Office warned of ‘serious risk’ to services as UKCloud customers hit with sevenfold price increase
22 Nov 2022 Commercial
Cabinet Office warned of ‘serious risk’ to services as UKCloud customers hit with sevenfold price increase
Customers that cannot pay fees seven times higher than contracted price face a race against time to migrate data from collapsed £40m public sector hosting firm
Consultants should be made to declare lobbying of spads, MPs told
16 Nov 2022 Commercial
Consultants should be made to declare lobbying of spads, MPs told
Departments also urged to up their game on transparency surrounding perm sec and ministerial meetings
Defence procurement has an opportunity to step up to the global challenge   Partner Content
08 Nov 2022 Commercial
Defence procurement has an opportunity to step up to the global challenge  
The war in Ukraine, rising costs and supply chain challenges mean a perfect storm is brewing in defence procurement. Proxima shares learnings from the private sector
Troubled Ajax programme 'far from on track' as MoD rejects contractor's claims
07 Nov 2022 Commercial
Troubled Ajax programme 'far from on track' as MoD rejects contractor's claims
MoD and former minister say new schedule to deliver Ajax armoured vehicles has not yet been agreed as noise problems remain
Home Office 'committed' to Rwanda deportation scheme as airline pulls out
21 Oct 2022 Commercial
Home Office 'committed' to Rwanda deportation scheme as airline pulls out
Privilege Style says it "will not operate flights to Rwanda" after pressure from campaigners
‘Competing priorities’ hinder efforts to boost civil servants’ commercial skills
19 Oct 2022 Commercial
‘Competing priorities’ hinder efforts to boost civil servants’ commercial skills
Recruitment and spending controls also making it harder to train up contract managers and commercial specialists, Chisholm reveals
Cabinet Office needs new tech partner for property database after contract scrapped
14 Oct 2022 Commercial
Cabinet Office needs new tech partner for property database after contract scrapped
Second procurement process set to launch after late-running £1.3m InSite contract is cancelled
EXCL: Government to spend up to £62m on lease of second ministerial plane Exclusive
12 Oct 2022 Commercial
EXCL: Government to spend up to £62m on lease of second ministerial plane
"Brexit jet" lease extension comes despite expected public-spending squeeze and foreign secretary's insistent that “money’s tight”
DHSC chief commercial officer steps down
11 Oct 2022 Commercial
DHSC chief commercial officer steps down
Steve Oldfield also led the Office for Life Sciences
Civil servants question honesty of private partners – and each other
29 Sep 2022 Commercial
Civil servants question honesty of private partners – and each other
CSW survey finds two-thirds of officials struggle to find common ground with other government departments
Truss chief of staff Mark Fullbrook no longer paid via lobbying firm, No.10 says
27 Sep 2022 Commercial
Truss chief of staff Mark Fullbrook no longer paid via lobbying firm, No.10 says
Fullbrook joins government payroll as a special adviser following criticism of "questionable" contract
Cabinet Office ethics team signed off on PM's chief of staff being paid via lobbing firm
26 Sep 2022 Commercial
Cabinet Office ethics team signed off on PM's chief of staff being paid via lobbing firm
Liz Truss's chief of staff is being paid as a contractor through Fullbrook Strategies
DWP signs £1.4m deal to tap LinkedIn for recruitment
20 Sep 2022 Commercial
DWP signs £1.4m deal to tap LinkedIn for recruitment
Contract covers a range of licence subscriptions to be used across department
Headhunter fees for second fruitless attempt to hire government digital head revealed
15 Sep 2022 Commercial
Headhunter fees for second fruitless attempt to hire government digital head revealed
Department releases information on appeal under FoI rules – 18 months after request was made
DWP signs £170k deal for Microsoft Teams training
14 Sep 2022 Commercial
DWP signs £170k deal for Microsoft Teams training
Contract with specialist firm covers programmes on ‘managing information’ and ‘running large meetings’
Consultancy Playbook: How to get the best result when sourcing consultants Partner Content
05 Sep 2022 Commercial
Consultancy Playbook: How to get the best result when sourcing consultants
The best practices for ensuring successful delivery whilst getting the greatest value from increasingly constrained budgets
MoD to decide on future of troubled Ajax programme by end of year
17 Aug 2022 Commercial
MoD to decide on future of troubled Ajax programme by end of year
Department insists costs won't go above £5.5bn after being told to "fix or fail" armoured vehicle programme