The LGA has worked closely with councils to develop the National Procurement Strategy 2022 and a toolkit that enables councils to set their own objectives and measure their own progress. It is proving to be very popular.

The National Procurement Strategy puts the councillor role front and centre, and this guide has been produced specifically for us. It looks at the roles councillor’s play – both executive members and those engaged in overview and scrutiny work – and provides hints and tips on how to get the best out of procurement and contract management. Just as in the national strategy the focus is on delivering the council’s objectives not something imposed from outside.

The environment councils are working in is enormously challenging. The sector has seen continued reductions in central government funding and the LGA sees procurement and contract management as important means of ensuring that budgets are well managed, and that best value is achieved across council revenue and capital expenditure.

Councillors have great influence on the way resources are used and can recognise how important procurement and contract management are to the delivery of our objectives.

Councillors do not need to be procurement professionals. But do need to be able to ask the right questions and that is where this guide comes in. As the guide says, it should not be forgotten that councillors need suitable training and development to be able to perform their roles effectively.