Networks and cities' news

Spend Analysis as a tool for better use of resources in times of crisis.

At the start of 2020, the finances of many Polish local councils were in a difficult condition due to the need to incur large investment expenditures, because of an underestimation of the costs of the delivery of public services commissioned, such as education, or losses in the revenues of municipalities resulting from central government tax reforms. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated these problems because the method adopted to combat the virus, which consists in the economic lockdown, led to a serious recession.

The times of crisis force us to look more closely at our spend and internal resources, and to seek ways of increasing their benefits to the economy and society. One such tool is the public spend analysis according to the methodology of the City of Preston, implemented after the global financial crisis. An effective implementation of this good practice requires cooperation between all the parties involved in the process, both procurers and entrepreneurs.

Spend Analysis and Procurement Behaviours

The first meeting of Phase 2 of the Making Spend Matter Transfer Network took place in early February 2019. At the meeting, Preston City Council started the process of transferring the Spend Analysis methodology which they have been working with for the last six years to six other cities across Europe.

The Strategic and Responsible Public Procurement Policy of Pamplona Recognized as Good Practice by the European Commission

The Executive Agency of the European Commission for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) has recently published the guide Making Socially Responsible Public Procurement Work: 71 Good Practices Cases, which includes the case study called Strategy for Socially Responsible Public Procurement at Pamplona City Council. In this way, Pamplona's responsible public procurement policy is recognized at European level as a good practice to be replicated.

Planning Towards a Strategic and Responsible Public Procurement in Pamplona

Pamplona City Council has been participating since 2018 in the URBACT Transfer Network Making Spend Matter, whose initial objective is to carry out a spend analysis on public procurement with the purpose of facilitating and fostering SMEs, as well as social economy companies, access to tenders and public contract awards.

What Happens Next after Spend Analysis?

At our November 2019 Transnational Meeting in Bistrita each of the Partners of Making Spend Matter presented their final Spend Analysis findings. This heralded an important landmark in the Network as it highlighted that the Spend Analysis Methodology developed by Preston could be transferred to other Cities and contexts.

Making Spend Matter Toolkit Step 1: How is your city using procurement to make public spend matter?

We believe it all begins with understanding the strategic importance of public procurement!