Interoperable Procurement 

Briefly describe the initiative/ project/service; please include your aims and objectives

Interoperability, “the ability to securely exchange data independently of technology,” is the key enabler that underpins all six missions of the Transforming for a Digital Future Digital and Data Strategy and supports several government cross-cutting priorities, including Health (Integrated Care), Security, and Net Zero. 

All Public Sector Organisations must address interoperability issues and challenges to ensure future sustainability, efficiency, and effective delivery of secure online public services. No single government department or Public Sector Organisation doesn’t include data in its plans for serving citizens. However, more must be done to address the data skills gap, harness improved collaboration and data sharing, and reduce reliance on legacy systems.

As an executive agency of the Cabinet Office Crown Commercial, the biggest Public Procurement Organisation in the UK, we recognise the importance of procurement in delivering interoperable outcomes and that public sector organisations are uniquely positioned to accelerate interoperability through a more collaborative process to procure technologies. 

With the above in mind, over the past 18 months, CCS has partnered with the Government and Industry Interoperability Group ( GIIG) and Cabinet Office Policy Teams to design, develop, and draft standard “boilerplate” clauses for built and digitally built environments and secure funding to undertake a customer/supplier discovery to discover the barriers and opportunities in delivering public sector interoperability. 

What are the key achievements? 

Standardisation through procurement for Interoperability: 

The initiative’s core goal is to establish consistent Cabinet Office-approved standards to ensure that different systems and organisations within the public sector can seamlessly exchange data and information independently of the host technology from which it originates. 

As an output of the project, we consulted with industry and the public sector to design two clauses: NSC: for the Built Environment and MSC: For the digitally built environment. The two clauses are designed to work together within both physical and digital environments, ensuring alignment and data standardisation across supply chains throughout the asset’s lifecycle. This methodology represents a first for CCS and public sector procurement, enabling the integration of various categories, vendors and frameworks through standards. 

Interoperable Procurement Customer Discovery: 

To support the implementation of the standard clauses, CCS funded an” Interoperable Procurement Customer Discovery.” To complete the discovery, we conducted qualitative interviews with stakeholders from all public sectors to understand decision-makers and procurers’ perceptions of interoperability and help us identify the next steps necessary to support the consistent use of data standards and specifications during procurement. 

The key findings of the discovery were as follows: 

• Public Sector “decision makers” and procurers’ understanding of interoperability is still evolving 
• Public sector organisations rarely implement place-based strategies to procure technologies and data systems to improve interoperability. Tools need to be developed to demonstrate how to procure interoperability 
• Legacy systems and inertia affect the ability of public sectors to deliver interoperability 
• Individual Public Sector Organisations are poorly positioned to bargain on interoperability 

These themes have resulted in several initial recommendations to address gaps in buyers’ knowledge and expertise in procuring interoperability, which include: 

• Working with public sector partners to develop an Interoperability Awareness Programme for buyers and managers 
• A glossary or “Jargon Buster.” to ensure consistent understanding 
• A repository of relevant government policy drivers, existing guidance, and use cases 
• Facilitate the combined buying power of the public sector through CCS supply chains 

How Innovative is your initiative? 

A “whole public sector approach to interoperability” is crucial to facilitating the move from the current silo-based landscape and has several significant benefits, including improved collaboration, enhanced efficiency, a holistic approach to challenges, strengthened resilience, and shared innovation. Mandating specific data formats, communication protocols, and APIs for the public sector at the procurement stage will ensure that different systems can communicate and share data seamlessly, whether procured from various vendors by other public sector organisations. Over time, the public sector will become interoperable by default through the agreed-upon use of standard clauses in the procurement process. 

What are the key learning points? 

This programme is highly scalable. 

1: While all public sector organisations start their interoperability journey at different starting points, the key to effective implementation is through a holistic vision for delivery and coordinated collaborative action between departments and agencies in all public sectors. Using public sector procurement to establish common data standards is feasible and highly scalable; however, to realise actual benefits and value, it will require collaboration and a collective mindset. 

2: CCS is uniquely positioned to collaborate with the public sector and engage with the supplier market to support the implementation of new standards, policies, and processes; however, it is the public sector and Gov Depts that must define and agree upon the required standards.

3: Basic awareness training and tools to improve decision-makers and procurers’ understanding of interoperability are critical to propel public sector interoperability forward and ensure the success of a national programme. 

Additional Comments 

Interoperability is not the responsibility of a single group of individuals, one sector, or even a government department dictating what we must do. We are now at a critical juncture where, by collaborating with our public sector partners and the supplier marketplace, we have a genuine opportunity to define and agree on common data standards. This will enable us to implement an interoperable infrastructure across the public sector. Using procurement as one of the key components for the successful.