Body established to support council procurement

This new company will be a dynamic partner for public authorities delivering improved services in local communities

 
Cllr Edward Lord, Local Partnerships

Local Partnerships, which is a joint-venture between the Local Government Association and public-private infrastructure support body Partnerships UK, aims to work on behalf of all local public service bodies in England and Wales, including councils, third sector organisations and social enterprises, offering advice on contracts and infrastructure delivery.

The body's operations is also home to the LGA's project delivery specialist 4ps, which has already worked with Partnerships UK on the Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme (WIDP) – the Defra-backed PFI waste contract support initiative.

And, waste is one of the nine key areas that the new Local Partnerships organisation will focus its support on, alongside the likes of social care and transport and regeneration.

Commenting on the aims of the new body, its chairman, councillor Edward Lord, said: “Local Partnerships will provide trusted, professional support to local public bodies to improve their ability to source and deliver high quality, cost-effective public services and infrastructure.

“This new company will be a dynamic partner for public authorities delivering improved services in local communities. We are all very much looking forward to working with stakeholders and local public bodies in the months ahead to maintain the transformation of our vital public services,” he added.

Local Partnerships joins a growing list of bodies aiming to offer support to councils and other public bodies operating in the waste and recycling sector, alongside the likes of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Waste Improvement Network (WIN) and the nine Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships.

While waste does feature as one of the new body's areas of focus, its specific immediate priorities for waste and recycling are not clear, with much of the information on the company's website about its aims for the sector appearing to date from 2007.

And, David Locke, who is heading up the waste sector for Local Partnerships, was unavailable for comment.

However, in general terms, the company has said its priorities include:

• Running gateway reviews on projects run by local public bodies;
• Providing efficiency advice on asset management and back office functions;
• Skills development programmes to build capacity and capability in public bodies;
• Procurement packs with best practice advice;
• Providing expert transactor support to individual projects;
• Management and delivery of regional and national investment programmes.

Commenting on its goals, the chairman of the LGA, councillor Margaret Eaton, said: “Local Partnerships is an integral part of the LGA group and fulfils an important role in improving the quality of people's lives by helping to deliver change on the ground in local communities.

“Local public bodies are working with limited resources and Local Partnerships will work closely with them to ensure the delivery of first class services,” she added.