Our market is in a period of flux as pragmatism engulfs the public sector. From the onset of the new parliamentary term in May the central government contract market has experienced uncertain conditions as it readies itself for extending review.
October’s public spending review by Sir Francis Maude’s Economic Reform Group is seen by many as the watershed date that will lead to more clarity moving forward. During this period Badenoch & Clark has been working closely with our customers in defining new ways to offer better value and service going forward. Buying Solutions (now part of the Cabinet Office), has recently launched the Non Permanent Staffing Framework, tailored to the needs of the public sector with the aim of reducing costs by delivering better value and higher quality services across the whole of HM Government. In addition the ECR is reported to have identified £800m worth of saving through renegotiating contracts with existing suppliers.
Inevitably we are entering a period where flexibility will become paramount as government organisations become used to delivering vital public services with fewer resources. In doing so a shift in the way in which Government uses specialist contract staff is likely to come about, mimicking more closely the way private sector organisations use this flexible resource.
Inevitably we are entering a period where flexibility will become paramount…
We can already see a greater emphasis on the delivery of discreet portfolios of work and greater provision to transfer skills to civil servants. This approach will allow for a more in depth internal skill set and therefore offer greater value in bringing in external contractors. For employers the key is ensuring that the right permanent employees are identified to learn these skills.
Our advice to employers is to work closely with your suppliers, ensure they understand your business needs and challenge them to be innovative with their solutions. It is helpful to share your resource and project plans even when they haven’t been fully approved, sharing these issues helps may help them bring plans to the table that cost much less that you had envisaged. It is also useful to think about what skills may be needed when working with fewer staff, it is for example anticipated that business transformation skills will be much sought after.
For employees, this means keeping your relationships strong and current. In this market the most important thing is being proactive and if that means developing a better relationship with fewer agencies in order to make sure your name is the one that is thought of first, then make sure you do it. When roles do come along listen to your agency and take advice on how best to market yourself. There are and will be jobs, the key is to make sure you are the best connected to give yourself every chance of securing the right role. It is important to also remember that a slight drop in rate now can mean that your CV has no gaps and will enable a higher rate in the future.
