Hertfordshire Constabulary

Hertfordshire Constabulary's Procurement & Supplies Department is located at the Police Headquarters at Stanborough Road, Welwyn Garden City.

The Department has Contracts, Purchasing & Stores, Tailoring, Reprographic, and Graphic Design sections.

The Department aims to deliver Best Value for the Goods and Services provided, together with effective and timely management of the procurement process, to release benefits and efficiency gains that will minimise procurement costs and allow maximum funds for supporting policing policy.

Developing Procurement as a centre of expertise and influence within the Constabulary.
Developing an organisational structure that assists Internal Customers to manage local procurement through a devolved approach.
Developing links with policy makers and shapers to ensure that procurement is involved in, and influences all areas of expenditure, and to highlight the added value of the contribution that the procurement function can bring to the force and the police service.
Working with Suppliers and Internal Customers to develop and encourage partnering arrangements as appropriate to the strategic nature of the requirement.
Adopting the user of collaborative arrangements at local, regional and national levels and where appropriate involving other agencies, e.g. ACPO, NPIA, other emergency services, criminal justice agencies, and the community, as the first route to market in order to maximise purchasing power by harnessing economies of scale.
Proposing and making specific efficiency savings to reduce police officers and support staffs' time through improved processes, via purchasing cards, e-commerce, consolidated invoicing, direct debit, framework agreements, and call-off orders to 'fast track' routine and low value orders.
Using 'benchmarking' with similar forces, emergency services and other organisations, to compare costs of not only bought-in goods and services, but also internal structures and techniques.
Developing procurement team members to improve their skills through structured training to ensure continued professional development.
Obtaining cost reductions from the effective management of contracts and supply arrangements and realising efficiency gains through procurement process improvements.
Being provided with access to accurate financial information, including all major purchases, at the budget planning stage, thereby facilitating resource planning for future procurement activities.
Emphasising the need for responsibility of the local 'Purchasers' and their line managers/senior officers to adopt and support such arrangements and procedures to ensure a corporate approach is achieved.
Collating and analysing information on the Authority's transactions, payments and expenditure to highlight key areas of business, trends and opportunities.
Encouraging a wide range of suppliers to bid for contracts by being open, consistent and straight forward in the way we deal with potential suppliers, including local businesses and small/medium enterprises, and in so doing, endeavouring to achieve best value for money.
Developing effective contract management and internal customer feedback system, (e.g. Service Level Agreements) to contribute to continuous improvement.
Reviewing at 12 monthly intervals the Authority's Contract Regulations & Procurement Principles, and Procurement Procedures, so as to reflect current policies and procedural changes.
Ensuring that business continuity is maintained for critical suppliers by the inclusion of appropriate clauses in pre-tender questionnaires and contracts.
Adopting and demonstrating a strategic approach through the development of coporate systems, procedures and guidance, and ensuring that where procurement activity is managed locally it will be in a manner that is both directed and supported by the Headquarters Procurement & Supplies Department.
Regularly reviewing/overseeing the review of its existing arrangements with Suppliers to identify areas for improvement and potential cost reductions.

The Procurement & Supplies Department does not maintain an Approved Suppliers' List.

Procurement below £60,000 is devolved to budget holders at Headquarters Department and Areas, subject to the Police Authority's Contract Regulations & Procurement Principles, and Procurement Procedures, which are monitored by the Head of Procurement & Supplies. Procurements over £60,000 in value are tendered by the Headquarters Procurement & Supplies Department.

To achieve this, electronic requisitioning, purchasing and tendering is used where possible, including using Government Purchasing Cards and electronic invoicing. Tenders, and Contract Awards, are advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union via BlueLight, www.bluelight.gov.uk. Suppliers are able to access and register, free of charge, the Bluelight database, and no special software is needed for this.

Local, and small Suppliers are especially welcomed to tender for our business. Our address is:

Hertfordshire Constabulary
Procurement & Supplies Department
Stanborough Road
Welwyn Garden City
Herts.
AL8 6XF
United Kingdom