20.04.11
Government appoints ‘chief procurement officer’
John Collington (pictured), the former head of procurement in the Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group, has been appointed chief procurement officer for the whole Government.
Ministers labelled it a ‘significant change’ to procurement policy, ensuring the Crown receives the best value for money by acting as a single customer, rather than separate departments, when buying commonly used goods and services, such as energy and office supplies.
Collington will also take on responsibility for the transformation and operational delivery of the Government’s procurement agency, Buying Solutions.
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has also announced today that David Smith, commercial director at the Department for Work and Pensions, will additionally take on the role of the Government’s deputy chief procurement officer.
Maude said: “I am delighted that John Collington has agreed to take on the position of chief procurement officer. This new role will allow him to drive real transformation in government procurement, which in turn will realise significant savings for the taxpayer.”
Collington called the appointment “an honour and privilege” and added: “I look forward to working with David and my other commercial and procurement colleagues across government in delivering our ambitious plans to transform government procurement.”
The commodity goods and services to be procured centrally include energy, office solutions, professional services, travel, fleet, learning and development, ICT commodities, advertising and media, print and print management.
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