Debate contribution: Schools: Improved Procurement Practices

Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on 25 February 2025.

MLA

Mr Paul Givan

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

25 February 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Schools: Improved Procurement Practices

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4815457

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank those who tabled the motion and welcome the opportunity to respond. At last week's debate, I forewarned the Assembly that there might be some element of repetition, which Members should expect in my response this week. Ms Sheerin got in ahead of her colleagues. I do not know whether that is leadership in action and leading the way in her party, but, in any event, she got ahead of this debate and got a lot of the scoops last week. I leave that internal management issue to her colleagues. I am sure that they are all at one on it, because it is an issue on which we should all be at one. I advised the Chamber last week that I had visited more than 150 schools in my time as Education Minister. Last week, I added another four to that number, and I will add again to that list this week. Those visits give me direct insight into the excellent work of our school communities, as well as many of the challenges that our schools face. One of those challenges is frustration with the current procurement processes. I fully appreciate the importance of ensuring that our schools have

"access to high-quality goods and services",

including maintenance, that meet our schools' needs and offer value for money. I share the concerns of our schools' stakeholders on the need to ensure that the Education Authority's approach to schools procurement offers our schools greater flexibility and reduces bureaucracy. I recognise that the process for securing approvals, complying with rules and regulations, managing processes and the associated paperwork can be overwhelming, particularly for our smaller schools, which, in most cases, will have less administrative support. I can advise the Assembly that I instructed my departmental officials to meet the Education Authority last year to determine what measures could be put in place or were already in motion to ease the burden on schools and allow greater flexibility in purchasing where appropriate. My officials have reported to me, and I am considering their advice on the meaningful steps that I can take to address our schools' concerns and frustrations with procurement. A number of Members highlighted that it is an issue that I recognised soon after I took up my post and wanted to see action on. Today's motion is an opportunity to re-emphasise the importance of that work. Before we go a little further, it is important to recognise that the EA is designated as the Department's centre of procurement expertise (COPE). That means that the EA is directly responsible for the procurement of goods and services on behalf of schools and for ensuring that effective procurement practice is embedded across the sector to provide best value for money. Presently, controlled and maintained schools are required to comply with the EA's purchasing and contracting procedures for the procurement of any works, equipment, goods or services using EA contracts and frameworks, where they exist. All grant-funded schools are also required to operate within the procurement legal framework and to adhere to the Northern Ireland public procurement policy and the relevant Northern Ireland procurement policy notes. The EA has already introduced measures to address the concerns voiced by school leaders that today's motion highlights. The EA's improvement plan for its commercial procurement service (CPS) includes initiatives for increasing the availability of core items on the EA's iProcurement shop, which is recognised by the EA and schools as an efficient method for ordering goods. In the last three years, the number of items available from the schools iProcurement shop has increased by over 70%. The EA also introduced a PunchOut catalogue with one of the largest suppliers of classroom resources that enables a direct connection between the EA's ordering system and the supplier's online shopping portal. That facility seeks to provide an efficient and streamlined purchasing experience for all users. The EA periodically issues procurement guidance documents to schools and is reviewing those guidance documents to ensure that they are clear and transparent. Those guidance documents also refer to items that are not available on an existing EA contract and the process that schools should follow in procuring. Every two months, an EA newsletter provides schools with information on recently awarded contracts, highlighting savings opportunities and general hints and tips for schools. Those newsletters also invite schools' participation in upcoming tender exercises. I welcome the EA's engagement with schools in that area, and I strongly encourage schools, where possible, to actively participate in the process. As I have outlined in response to numerous Assembly questions and during last week's Adjournment debate, the EA has been developing a new procurement strategy for its new maintenance and minor works contracts. That will be based on defined geographical areas and will allow schools greater freedom to engage locally approved contractors. With regard to the EA's term services contract for maintenance, which I outlined last week, for items not currently available through an existing contractual agreement, the EA is introducing schools' ability to source their own suppliers and giving schools the choice to procure low-value maintenance works — those under £5,000 — while ensuring compliance with health and safety and quality standards. That will be for maintenance works that form part of tenant responsibility, such as painting and carpeting. It is anticipated that the new delivery model will be implemented towards the end of the academic year, which is June 2025. The EA will also explore, where appropriate, the application of that delivery model more widely across the range of goods and services that it currently procures on behalf of schools. Perhaps one of the most significant changes that will make a material difference to schools relates to the procurement control limits. The Department of Finance, through Construction and Procurement Delivery (CPD) and the Procurement Board, is reviewing the procurement control limits for public bodies. Those limits determine the procurement process that contracting authorities, including schools, must follow when procuring goods and services. Any uplift to procurement control limits now provides an ideal opportunity for me and my officials to consider what changes can be made for schools that strike the balance between ensuring legislative and procurement policy compliance and addressing schools' concerns, which we are debating today. By way of example, increasing the lowest procurement control limit for schools from £5,000 to £10,000 for non-contract spend is likely to greatly benefit schools. I mentioned last week that I want to move to that £10,000 figure, and I can confirm that that is being proposed by the Department of Finance across all Departments in response to inflationary price rises. My Department has been consulted throughout, and I welcome the proposals and the greater flexibility that it will afford to schools. I can also say that I will keep this under review, and, if I feel that it is appropriate for us to move the limit from £5,000 to £10,000, that is what we will do and what I intend to do. If it is appropriate to increase that limit further, I will keep that under active consideration. Members raised a series of issues and have their own experiences that can help advise the policy in respect of this. I am very much open to receiving that advice and keeping the threshold under consideration. I listed initiatives that the EA has undertaken or is undertaking to remove unnecessary bureaucracy and simplify processes. Notwithstanding that, I fully concede that more can and should be done. To that end, my officials will engage with the EA and CPD to identify how schools-based procurement processes can be further improved. However, before I conclude, it is important that I highlight some of the benefits to schools that operate within the EA's procurement boundary. They include economies of scale, having the administration of procurement handled by the EA and schools being assured that they are fully compliant with all procurement legislation. It is important that we strike the right balance. Members highlighted the importance of health and safety, of standards being met and of the processes that can give us assurances around that. It is worth saying that that is something that we need to keep in mind in striking the right balance. The EA's procurement function seeks to improve supplier risk management; provide increased power that supports the maintenance of supply in difficult market conditions; support more effective contract management; and reduce the risk of supplier non-compliance with contractual and legal obligations. However, it would be remiss of me if I did not acknowledge that those benefits do not come without significant challenges. We must therefore find ways to create a more balanced procurement process by streamlining bureaucracy, reducing complexity by eliminating unnecessary steps and introducing more flexible procedures for low-cost purchases by decentralising key areas. While centralisation works well for high-volume, low-cost items, there should be room for schools to handle procurement for specialised or urgent needs locally through more tailored solutions. Procurement frameworks should be more flexible, allowing schools to choose suppliers that better meet their needs. The final way is through having greater school input. Schools should be consulted on and participate more actively in the development of procurement policies and frameworks and share their insights and expertise. Those are all measures that the Department and the Education Authority are actively exploring and working on. However, it will take time to see the substantial shift that is required to ensure that we create a system that is efficient, compliant, responsive and fit for purpose. Finding the right balance is key to supporting our schools in continuing to provide high-quality education. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for affording me the opportunity to address the concerns that colleagues have raised through today's motion.

1,621 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:02 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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