Early actions

Europe-wide actions

Revise the definition of 'Value for money' so that it includes the following as legitimate evaluation factors commitment to minimising environmental impact, improving workplace and population health, strengthening social cohesion, enhancing capability of local businesses and promoting community regeneration.

Identify 'communities of action' in order to promote understanding (supported by evidence) about:

• the contribution of health as a cross cutting driver of public policy
• the contribution of health sector procurement to regional/local competitiveness, health improvement and social inclusion
• using inter-regional benchmarking as a means of sharing good practice, promoting a cost effectiveness approach to procurement, learning and dissemination.

Identify and develop metrics that allow us to operationalise the revised definition of 'Value for money'.

Regional and local level actions

Identify 'regional communities of action' in order to promote understanding (supported by evidence) about:

• the contribution of health  as a cross cutting driver of public policy
• the contribution of health sector procurement to regional/local competitiveness, health improvement and social inclusion
• using inter-regional benchmarking as a means of sharing good practice, promoting a cost effectiveness approach to procurement, learning and dissemination.

Where not already in place, create regional centres of excellence in procurement and innovation. These will support public sector organisations and SMEs to engage with this agenda and ensure that relevant expertise is not duplicated across sectors.

Undertake procurement spend analysis within regions to identify baseline and potential long-term benefits.

Regional health systems should define their own 'economic footprint' as a basis for baselining and then monitoring the contribution of their procurement activity to regional economic development.

Health sector procurement organisations should look at how they can simplify procurement processes by reducing bureaucracy and clarifying procedures.

Develop and disseminate e-Procurement tools as a means of opening up competition and improving SME access.

 Develop training schemes that help local businesses develop the capacity and capability to comply with the requirements of public sector contracts.

Develop a database of accredited local suppliers who have participated in a public procurement training scheme.

Regional health systems should work with centres of excellence, business associations and economic development agencies to create managed SME networks in health market segments¹.

Develop awareness and capability training schemes for health sector procurement staff, both senior management and operational, to allow the concept of appropriate local procurement to be broadly accepted.

Regional health systems should be engaged to accept the concept of local and regional procurement gains as 'acceptable currency' for procurement performance.

¹ Note that there will be different 'local' relevancies for different markets.