Open Contracting: UK Actions

Tim Davies, OCDS Helpdeskdata@open-contracting.org

About the Open Contracting Data Standard

✔ Information on all stages of the contracting process;

✔ An open standard based on JSON schema;

✔ Designed around user need and global interoperability;

✔ An active user community, building tools, extensions and applications;

✔ A developing data quality framework - and free help-desk service to support data validation;

About OCDS

http://standard.open-contracting.org

The UK context

• 2013 Open Government Partnership National Action Plan committed to pilot Open Contracting Data Standard & trial model contract clause;

• Open Contracting Commitments put forward for 2016-18 plan;

• Good foundations - but many gaps: data quality is patchy and often poor, and it remains hard to follow a tender through the whole contracting process;

• Promising innovation - e.g. digital marketplace

The UK context

To better Open Contracting in the UK

4 steps

(1) Publish existing data;

(2) Improve quality & completeness;

(3) Extend to implementation;

(4) Promote engagement & use;

4 steps

(1) Publish existing data• Publishing tender & award data to a

common open format;

• A common approach across the UK;

Building on the existing Contracts Finder platform; and other local and regional portals.

Teapot Diagram: Credit SpendNetwork

(2) Improve quality & completeness

Planning Tender Award Contract

15%50% 75%

(2) Improve quality & completeness

Googlehttp://domain.comWeb Page Title

UK Open Contracting Dashboard

45%of contracting

processes include tender and award

42 of 207procuring entities

publish organisation identifiers for suppliers

22%of processes include a link to published copy

of the contract

tender, award & contractAreas publishing

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Tender ContractAward ImplementationView by procuring entity

•Dashboard: monitoring progress;

•Ongoing training & culture change;

(3) Extend to implementation

Planning Tender Award Contract Implementation

•Model clause for disclosure;

•Common data standard;

•Infrastructure project pilot;

Line-items Milestones& progress

Locationinformation Expenditure

(4) Engagement & use

•Better discovery of business opportunities through planning data;

•Fostering innovation that responds to government need;

•Red flag analysis for corruption risk;

•UK leadership in global initiatives: PPPs, climate finance, development aid;

•Further innovation…

Where next?

• March: Open Government Partnership National Action Plan commitment drafting;Dialogue to refine details and secure support.

• May: UK Anti-Corruption Summit;Open Contracting as component.

• June: National Action Plan published Work on implementation begins

Where next?

 

High Level Overview: Open Contracting Disclosure in the UK Open contracting is about publishing and using open, structured, and timely public contracting information to                             improve public integrity, efficiency, fairness, and effectiveness. The UK starts from a solid base, but is                               currently facing data quality and completeness gaps, and a lack of focus on use. The table below sets out                                     four concrete steps and the Open Contracting Partnership is ready to support the UK on this journey .  1

 Step & Context  Concrete Action 

Step 1: Publish existing data 

The UK already has structured data in Contracts Finder for many tenders and awards. More details and information on other stages is contained in local systems.  The first step is to make this data open in a standard form. This dataset is an essential part of the UK Information Infrastructure. 

Provide data APIs and downloads from Contracts Finder 

using the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) ­ with data posted to data.gov.uk at least weekly. This goal could be achieved with only one development sprint on Contracts Finder.   The process of mapping this data to OCDS will highlight current gaps in the data collected, providing an action plan for data improvement to meet user needs.  Additional collaborative work can also be explored to export OCDS data from contract portals in devolved 

administrations and other areas of the public sector.  

Step 2: Improve quality and completeness of 

planning, tender and award data 

There is a legislative framework for the information government and contractors must provide.  However, a recent study has shown that there is substantial missing information from the published record.  We recommend monitoring the quality and the completeness of the published data. Without change to the legal framework, the use of open standards and identifiers can improve the re­usability of data, enabling greater monitoring, analysis and innovation.  

Commission a data quality dashboard based on the OCDS output to monitor the quality and completeness of data provided to Contracts Finder, and published through other portals.   Set and monitor policy targets for data quality and completeness, including improving the number of linked tender and award notices, and the presence of key fields such as corporate identifiers in notices (which is important for beneficial ownership analysis).   Invest in the training and culture change process to ensure contracting platforms provide clear and accessible data on opportunities and awards.   

Step 3: Extend coverage to contract 

implementation 

Government already holds extensive information about contract implementation: including contract changes, payments and reporting on delivery. Publishing this information is key for public efficiency analysis and understanding the delivery of public services.   Through model contract transparency clauses, government can also ask contractors to provide additional structured information on key issues such as subcontracting and beneficial ownership. 

Pilot the ongoing collection and publication of contract implementation information in a number of projects, including at least one framework (for example, the digital marketplace), a major infrastructure project in line with Construction Sector Transparency Initiative, and/or a development aid or climate 

finance programme.   A pilot will enable government, the private sector, and citizens to have a full view of projects, from planning to completion ­ understanding progress towards financial and physical milestones.  

Step 4: Promote engagement & use 

Open contracting is about impact. The test of success is how usable and well used information is.  The UK can play an important leadership role, establishing open contracting as a central to the delivery of climate finance and development aid, and promoting open contracting practice across the world.  

The real results of open contracting come from the engagement of stakeholders from across  government, civil society, business, technologists, journalists, and academia. With participation of key stakeholders throughout, the UK government can define better contracting processes and outcomes that solve problems. To achieve this, the UK can co­create strategies, tools and projects with these stakeholders for the use of contracting data, including for red­flag analysis, monitoring spend, and evaluating the impact of public procurement. 

1 This document sets out practical steps to complement parallel work on developing OGP NAP Commitments.  

 

How the Open Contracting Partnership can support The Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) is a non­profit organization based in Washington, DC that works with                               governments, companies and civil society to open up public contracting so that the huge sums of money                                 involved are spent honestly, fairly, and effectively. We catalyse and assist local reforms at the city, regional                                 and national levels. The OCP could support Open Contracting in the UK through several avenues: 

 1. By leading a showcase and learning project to support the implementation of an open contracting reform                               

from beginning to end in the UK. We do S&L projects to create a positive demonstration effect and to                                     learn about and test new open contracting applications and tools. We only lead very few projects each                                 year, currently one in Ukraine and another in Mexico City. These projects advance both the disclosure                               and use of data and involve stakeholders from government as well as business and civil society.                               Through these projects, we provide knowledge, training, tools and sometimes seed funding to test new                             or scale up existing open contracting approaches.  

2. By supporting implementation of the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS). Our main asset here is                             the OCDS help desk that can provides pro­bono technical and policy advice and support to UK                               stakeholders to adapt and implement the OCDS. 

3. By strengthening the capacity of individual champions who have existing assets on the ground to                             implement open contracting. Champions can be either from government, business or civil society and                           they might ask for assistance with data disclosure or use. We offer them them technical advice, trainings                                 and tools on the OCDS. This OCP support is lighter and shorter than showcase and learning projects. 

About open contracting Open contracting refers to norms and practices for increased disclosure and participation in public contracting including tendering, performance and completion. The UK government included commitments to Open Contracting in the 2013 Open Government Partnership National Action Plan (OGP NAP), and is considering commitments for the next OGP NAP. This report can support implementation of those commitments.   To support high­quality disclosure of data and documents about public contracting, the Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) created the Open Contracting Data Standard.   

The Open Contracting Data Standard provides a common technical approach to share structured information on all stages of the contracting process, and sets out the key data that users need at each stage:  

         

Planning  Tender  Award  Contract  Implementation 

Including: Budgets 

Project plans Procurement plans Market studies 

Public hearing info 

Including: Tender notices Specifications Enquiries 

Including: Details of award Bidder information Bid evaluations 

Including: Final details 

Signed contract Amendments 

Including: Payments 

Progress updates Extensions Amendments 

Termination info 

 As well as data, a contracting process generates many documents ­ from needs assessment and market studies, to tender notices and calls for proposals, and the actual text of contracts. Providing stable, linked documents, where possible, enhances Open Contracting releases.