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Consortium up for top public service award

Nottingham City Homes (NCH) is up for a national public service award for the innovative way it procures goods and services.

Its key aim is to bring together all Registered Housing Providers in the East Midlands to show how working collaboratively can bring savings to their organisations.

The Procurement team at NCH has been nominated in the 'Best Efficiency Initiative' category of the APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Annual Service Awards, held for local authorities and public sector partners across the UK.

The nomination comes following the team's work with private sector contractors, their commitment to tenant and resident involvement, and their innovative e-auctions that have saved NCH millions in the past two years.

In 2008 a Residents' Procurement Group was set up to work alongside the team and make sure that the views of tenants and leaseholders were taken into account when procuring products and services. Their biggest project so far has been the city-wide multi-million pound Secure Warm Modern programme (the Nottingham 'decent homes' scheme).

As part of the group's work, tenants and leaseholders joined procurement officers in visiting the factories of potential suppliers, testing the products and representing the customer's view. They also helped review proposals from potential Secure Warm Modern contractors, to make sure they were meeting the recommended standard.

The group was also heavily involved in the reverse e-auctions that were held to procure thousands of items such as sinks, taps, boilers and worktops. Suppliers were assessed against our standards and then those who met the grade went head-to-head in a reverse e-auction, to find out who could provide the best quality at the lowest cost. In just two e-auctions, the company saved more than £7 million.

Contracts the Procurement Team has set up have not just been about getting the lowest price, they have also been about providing that bit extra for our customers and the local community.

One element of the Secure Warm Modern programme that shows that in droves is the 'One in a Million' scheme. This says that for every million pounds NCH invests with a contractor, the company must employ an apprentice. We also insist that the apprentices are employed from within the Nottingham city boundary, so we are providing employment opportunities to people living in the areas we serve.

Mark Johnson, Director of Property Services at Nottingham City Homes, said:

We are really pleased that the Procurement Team has been recognised for its innovation at a national level. They are always looking for the most efficient way to procure products and services, as well as looking at the added benefits that can make a difference to our customers.

The APSE annual awards will take place in Derry, Northern Ireland, on Thursday 9th September.

Using their knowledge, skills and experience,, the team has recently led a project to develop Efficiency East Midlands (EEM), a unique procurement and benchmarking consortium for the region.

With an ever-expanding membership of nine regional members, representing 86,458 social housing properties, the consortium will look to make savings and use innovative procurement and benchmarking methods. It has the ability to save each member up to 50% on normal contractor rates for products and services.

Efficiency East Midlands is supported and funded by the Homes and Communities Agency.

For further information please contact Clare Hitchings on 0115 915 7246 or email clare.hitchings@nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk

(Tuesday 17 August 09:00:00 GMT)

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