Central Procurement Directorate provides a wide range of services for its customer base across the public sector.
Supplies and Services Procurement
Central Procurement Directorate provides a procurement service to Northern Ireland Departments and other public sector bodies in respect of a wide range of supplies and service types ensuring best value for money, legal compliance and competitiveness.
The types of Supplies that can be procured via CPD include:
- IT hardware, software and services;
- office furniture and equipment;
- commodities (low value and high volume);
- direct labour supplies;
- vehicle parts; and
- specialist requirements.
Among the services covered are:
- business/mission critical services;
- ad-hoc services;
- routine/recurring servicing;
- PPP/PFIs;
- eBusiness services (including eCatalogues; eTendering; eQuotes; eAuctions; and ePayments);
- Programme and Project advice and support; and
- Gateway review process.
Works Procurement
Works Procurement Division provides centralised construction procurement, client advisory and project management services for capital projects and programmes of work funded by Government and the wider public sector.
A professional staff of 150 Architects, Quantity Surveyors and Mechanical, Electrical, Structural and Civil Engineers deliver Government’s commitments outlined in the NI Procurement Policy (2002) in the capacity of Client Adviser, Project Manager or Professional Adviser.
The key responsibilities include:
- Compliance with the Policy Framework for Construction Procurement;
- Promotion of the ‘Achieving Excellence in Construction’ Initiative.
- Support to business case and economic appraisal development;
- Assistance to the Client to identify their needs and develop a project brief;
- Procurement and contract strategy;
- Selection, appointment and management of supply chains;
- assistance to clients with the Gateway Review Process;
- Whole-life costing;
- Value engineering;
- Risk management;
- Health and Safety – ‘Buildsafe-NI’;
- Sustainability;
- Design Quality; and
- Cost Management.
Construction and Advisory Services
CPD provides a centralised project management and client advisory service to Northern Ireland Departments on construction procurement and has client advisory teams co-located with:
- the Department of Education;
- the Department of Social Development’s Housing Division; and
- Invest Northern Ireland.
It provides a grants advisory service as well as the professional and technical input into the Northern Ireland Building Regulations.
CPD also develops construction procurement policy for Northern Ireland and provides sponsorship to the Northern Ireland Construction Industry.