NAVCA rejects Cabinet Office procurement pledge in favour of LGA draft

NAVCA, the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action, has rejected the Government’s “badly executed” Procurement Pledge and will instead support the Local Government Association’s draft version.

Calling on other voluntary organisations to follow suit, NAVCA said the Government’s pledge – drawn up by the Cabinet Office – “takes a top down approach that places too much emphasis on multi million pound companies to the detriment of the voluntary sector and local businesses”.

The Association argued that the LGA’s draft pledge by contrast “starts with users and citizens and gives a greater emphasis to voluntary organisations”.

NAVCA also pointed to the LGA’s emphasis on engagement and co-production, and its greater focus on the voluntary sector.

However, the organisation also called for a recognition that competitive procurement processes are “unnecessary and do not deliver value for money for community based services that respond to the needs of individual citizens”.

NAVCA, which represents local support and development organisations in England, claimed that the evidence supported its view that grant funding was the most efficient and cost effective way to commission these services.

Joe Irvin, NAVCA’s Chief Executive, said: “The government’s pledge is a good idea that has been executed badly. The LGA’s pledge is much more voluntary sector friendly which is why NAVCA is happy to support it. In fact, in these days of localism, as the LGA pledge is backed up by local government, it is more relevant to the work of the voluntary sector.

“As well as the pledge, we really welcome the recognition from the LGA that there is currently a risk-averse approach to public sector procurement that requires a change in culture at local government level. We believe that the voluntary sector and the LGA have many shared interests and look forward to others in the voluntary sector getting behind this pledge.”