Government's post-COI framework delayed by high volume of responses

PRWeek can reveal a number of the post-COI frameworks have been pushed back, this time into the New Year.

Agencies hoping to find out if they have made it on to the Creative Solutions, Execution and Related Services framework will now have to wait until at least February after the deadline was pushed back from this autumn.

This has led to delays in the launch of the Strategy and Planning procurement process, although no date has been given for when the process will now start. 

A well-placed government figure called the situation ‘frustrating’,  adding that those in procurement were ‘slightly taken aback’ by the number and quality of submissions.

‘They want to do justice to the submissions, so they’ve slowed it down so they can do it properly,’ the source added.

But a senior agency source close to the public sector complained they had not – as of last Friday – been told of the decision: ‘The demand should not have been a surprise to the Government. It should have anticipated this and staffed up so it could deal with this in the right time frame.’

Earlier this year the old COI roster system was scrapped amid wider government cost-cutting measures.

A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said the extension of the process was to help deliver the ‘highest quality creative services to the public sector and best value for the taxpayer’.

She added: ‘Existing frameworks will be extended to ensure continuity of service whilst the replacement rocurements are being developed.’

This article was first published on prweek.com