Public Procurement: Challenging Traditional Sourcing Models

University of Sussex 2016 HEIF Programme

Public Procurement: Challenging Traditional Sourcing Models
The interaction between legal and commercial practitioners

Freeman Building, Room G16

‘Supporting and developing a broad range of knowledge-based interactions between the university and the wider world to increase economic and social benefit in the UK.’

Welcome to the 2016 University of Sussex HEIF programme. The purpose of the programme is to introduce a series of broad knowledge-based interactions between the legal and social science departments of the University of Sussex and public and private sector practicing partners delivering public services in the UK commercial sector.

The workshop focuses on the challenges facing public sector commercial practitioners as they embark on a programme of public service reform resulting from the UK government’s austerity programme. Particular attention is given to the interaction between commercial and legal practitioners as new sourcing models are developed, some of which can, and do, challenge regulatory boundaries. Key questions on legal interpretation, the management of risk, practitioner’s roles, skills, and capabilities will be discussed.

Programme

9:30 – 10:00

Arrival and coffee

10:00 – 10:15

Introduction to the workshop
Ian Clarke

10:15 – 11:15

Effective collaborative working between procurement and legal practitioners – a case study
David Forsyth

11:15 – 11:30

Coffee Break (The Moot Room Freeman Building)

11:30 – 1:00

Innovation v Regulatory Control: the legal challenges
Edward Vera-Cruz

Why is there so little procurement litigation in England?
Professor Erika Szyszczak

1:00 – 14:00

Lunch (The Moot Room Freeman Building)

14:00 – 15:00

Open Forum Discussion led by Ian Clarke and Erika Szyszczak: Tensions, challenges and conflicts for academics and practioners

15:00 – 15:30

Review and round up
Ian Clarke and Erika Szyszczak

Speakers

IAN CLARKE

A Specialist in Procurement and Sourcing Strategy, Ian works with senior executives in the public sector, helping to manage the tensions between public service innovation and competition law. He has a special interest in the challenges for legal practitioners in complex public service procurements and the development of new public sector trading vehicles. As the managing director of Excalibur Global Managed Services, Ian has worked in the health, local government, and criminal justice and education sectors. Prior to setting up Excalibur, Ian was the head of procurement for a FTSE 100 corporation, responsible for global sourcing and supply chain management.

DAVID FORSYTH

David is a highly skilled procurement professional who has operated at the highest level in the UK public sector. As a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force, he was the Station Commander at RAF Quedgeley running a highly successful, quasi-commercial logistic operation. He then became the Director of International Procurement at Crown Agents and the Head of Procurement at the Royal Berkshire and Battle NHS Hospitals Trust. He was also instrumental in setting up the West Sussex NHS shared services consortium where he was the Chief Executive Officer.

ERIKA SZYSZCZAK

Erika is a Professor of Law at the University of Sussex and Barrister at Littleton Chambers, Temple. Her research focuses on the application of EU economic law (competition and free movement) to state activity. She has recently completed a research project on the training of national judges in EU competition law and is working on training programmes for the national judiciaries with the European Judicial Training Network.

EDWARD VERA-CRUZ

An experienced senior commercial professional and public services delivery specialist with 25 years expertise across both private practice and the public sector (bringing a rare and very useful combination of concurrent professional procurement and legal qualifications and practice). Edwards’s career started in academia, followed by a stint as a criminal defence lawyer and later specialising in corporate insolvency practice. He became the managing partner of a niche firm specialising in international commercial transactions & projects, oil & gas/energy, and IP/ICT projects. In 2004, he moved into public sector commercial law to establish and head the commercial legal team at West Sussex County Council, and then as Chief Procurement Officer & Head of Strategic Sourcing from 2011. He is now an independent legal and commercial consultant.

If you have any dietary requirements for the day please contact the event organiser after registering.