Links I Liked [Public Procurement]

1. Crown Commercial Service Update for June 2015. Not many highlights but I will point out two policy updates. One already mentioned here about the new "obligation" of compliance with the Mystery Shopper service, the other about the statistical returns for 2013 and 2014 public contracts (which should be sent to the CCS by July 10th). Will the return rates improve? I remain sceptical.

In the meanwhile we are still waiting for further guidance on how to use the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

2. Nominees for the 2015 Procurement of Innovation Award have been published. None from the UK (or Portugal for that matter).

3. Civic Tech is the Next Big Thing. Fully agreed, although it will take an awful long time to see that happening often in the EU. We are getting there, albeit slowly.

4. Big shake up on the World Bank procurement guidelines and procedures is coming. Money is on that it will look more like EU procurement. It is probably no coincidence that the new Chief Procurement Officer of the WB is a Briton. I do not usually cover WB procurement here, but that may change in the future.

5. In the Philippines, there is no bad procurement just bad laws. Where have I heard this excuse before...

Speaking of the Philippines, they are one of the few countries with a Procurement Ombudsman. Did not really work out well there it seems.