Equalities and procurement

As public bodies, local authorities, including Salford City Council, are required by law to promote equality, tackle discrimination and foster good community relations in all our functions. This specifically includes when we purchase goods and services. Furthermore, organisations in receipt of public money are obliged to adhere to the same equality objectives. In short public organisations should ensure that when they commission they do so in accord with their public sector equality duties.

There are different statistics of how much public money is spent on contracts with external agencies but figures include one third of all spending, or £20 billion worth of local government expenditure. Much of this is distributed to private and voluntary sector organisations. To give just one example, approximately 80% of Salford City Council's adult social care budget is spent purchasing services from external agencies.

Procurement is usually understood to mean the purchase of goods, works or services. However it covers a wide range of activities such as needs assessment, options appraisals and devising tender and contract specifications. It is related to, but not identical with, commissioning. A procurement process is not an end in itself, but intended to achieve the best possible value, while ensuring quality services are purchased. 

Furthering equality is a key goal of best value, because the procurement process is one of the most important tools that a Council has to further its equality objectives and outcomes. Local government procurement must be carried out to comply with both EC and UK regulations, such as the Public Contract Regulations 2006. The new Equality Act contains strengthened provisions on procurement, although we are awaiting further guidance on how central government expects local authorities to implement this. We will also be measured on our progress on procurement in the Equality Framework for Local Government.

We are currently working with the corporate Procurement team to review and update the guidance that is provided to officers across the authority on how to ensure equalities plays an effective role in their procurement. The Equalities and Cohesion team is also a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission procurement reference group.

This page was last updated on 22 March 2011