7. Statement of current levels of shared service / Cluster Project activity within Transport Scotland in the period

7.1 Shared Services / Cluster Project working is a key element of Transport Scotland's efficiency agenda and we are committed to achieving quality public services that are valued by their customers and that realise efficiencies by employing best business practice and improved collaborative working.

7.2 Transport Scotland currently shares the following services and systems of the Scottish Government: Information and Communications, Human Resources, Estates services, Payments, Financial Reporting and Payroll. In addition Transport Scotland also shares services with other authorities, such as the Road Asset Valuation System.

7.3 Over the year, Transport Scotland has contributed to this agenda in the following ways:

It is the Agency's policy to use collaborative contracts, such as the ones awarded by Scottish Procurement, wherever practicable. Cash savings of £559,967 in 2012-13 (2011-12 £539,104) were delivered through expenditure of just over £1.9 million (2011-12: £2 million) on Scottish Procurement-led collaborative contracts and frameworks, thereby contributing to the Scottish Government's efficiency savings targets.
Transport Scotland encourages sustainability in procurement, for example by using community benefit clauses in contracts such as the Forth Replacement Crossing project, to provide targeted training opportunities with a particular focus on youth employment and helping the long term unemployed.
Transport Scotland supports the drive for improved procurement capability by assisting and supporting other central government organisations through participation in the Clusters Project. This approach involves a lead organisation providing mutual support and mentoring to assist the other organisations to raise their procurement capability. Transport Scotland is participating in Scottish Procurement's Cluster Project which is aimed, in particular, at improving the procurement capability of those Scottish Government organisations which have little or no expertise in this specific field.
Transport Scotland procures contracts in such a way that gives Scottish firms, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), a fair chance to compete, including the advertising of sub-contract opportunities on the Public Contracts Scotland website.
Transport Scotland encourages innovation by allowing bidders the opportunity to come with new ideas whenever practicable, using existing contacts.