Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, today, (Wednesday 26 October 2022), launched the ‘Public Procurement Annual Report 2021.’
The document gives a comprehensive overview of the achievements, priorities, risks and challenges associated with public procurement for the year.
It demonstrates how a cyber-attack on the HSE, inflationary pressures on the construction sector, and ongoing global supply chain issues added to the challenges in the public procurement space.
The report was produced on behalf of the Interim Procurement Reform Board and reflects the work of the Board, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and the sector sourcing partners in Health, Education, Defence and Local Government.
Welcoming the report, Minister McGrath said:
“As society struggled to contend with ongoing issues from the pandemic and Brexit, new challenges arose for public procurement professionals, including supply chain problems, a cyber-attack on our health system and rising inflation in the building industry.
“At the same time, the public sector had to develop new services, such as a national vaccination programme. Those working in procurement demonstrated perseverance, agility and efficiency in the face of such difficult circumstances. I would like to acknowledge their hard work and dedication.”
The Climate Crisis was high on the agenda during 2021 and public procurement played its part in supporting efforts to combat climate change. The report states how sourcing greener products and services was a priority.
It illustrates how Green Public Procurement (GPP) advanced significantly during 2021, where public authorities seek to source goods, services or works with a reduced environmental impact.
The Government Chief Procurement Officer, Paul Quinn, added:
“During 2021, the OGP and its sector partners continued to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the almost €20 billion spent annually by government on goods, services and construction. In addition to the financial benefits of aggregating whole-of-government spending, we deliver societal benefits by better engaging with industry to deliver innovative and environmentally and socially sustainable solutions. The Office of Government Procurement plays an important role in developing new policies, guidance, systems, services and solutions to support the public sector in deliver for society.”
Chairperson of the Interim Procurement Reform Board Maurice Quinn said:
“The primary focus of the Board is constant improvement in public procurement. There is a huge amount of ongoing reform to bring green and social benefits to society and I wish to thank all colleagues working across this sector, suppliers and stakeholders.”
The Public Procurement Annual Report 2021 is available here.
ENDS
Notes to the Editors
The Interim Procurement Reform Board was formed in 2018 to oversee how procurement reform is implemented across the public sector including in Central Government and the four key sectors of Health, Education, Local Government and Defence.
The Board also oversees the operations of the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and advises the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It includes officials from across the public service as well as independent Board members.
Every year, the Board provides an annual report to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It sets out progress on the procurement reform programme, details activities of the Board and also includes details of the work of the OGP and the sector sourcing partners.
The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) was established in 2013 and, together with four key sectors (Health, Local Government, Education and Defence), has responsibility for sourcing all commonly used goods and services on behalf of the public service.
The OGP and its sector partners have established a comprehensive suite of framework agreements and contracts through which public sector bodies can buy goods and services. This enables savings for public service bodies and value for money for the State.
The OGP CEO is also the Government Chief Procurement Officer. The OGP is an office of DPER.