P R OCUR EMENT INSIGHTS
While governments might face challenges in the shape of change management , what are the obstacles CPOs making the transition from private to public are likely to encounter ?
“ In the public sector , for every penny you spend you have to be certain you ’ ve achieved the best value ; that you ’ ve made the right decision with the right supplier for the right value composition on behalf of the public you serve . And that can be a different ethos to what they may experience in the private sector . Governments can sometimes be so vast that there could be issues with things like data siloing . The public sector can also be complex in terms of its technology landscape . CPOs will undoubtedly inherit a number of different technologies . And then there ’ s change management . People who have grown up in government become used to a way of working which can be driven by the pursuit of best value for their citizens or by legislation . But what CPOs bring is their ability to manage those things . They ’ ll be used to companies that are complex and have legacy issues . They can find new ways to bring technology in and make better , faster decisions .
It ’ s about being able to break through the change management process and that is very valuable to governments .”
The perception of public procurement still remains one of inflexibility that is heavily influenced by ‘ top down ’ decisions . Does Devlin think that ’ s something private sector CPOs may struggle with ?
“ I don ’ t . One of the things that has really come to the fore for CPOs in the private sector is how they deal with compliance and making sure that every penny is driving value for their company . It ’ s about a different way of thinking about the same problems . The value that they bring is in doing large complex projects for large organisations , making them successful , driving savings , building better supplier relationships , creating ethical supply chains and then supporting them . These themes are also really important to government . It might not be seamless , but CPOs have the experience , and this means they ’ d be able to go in and create value from day one .”
Clearly , a CPOs role in the public sector transcends the traditional buying , planning and contract admin
30 March 2018