Managing Government as the Client

Given the situation in which central government departments operate, what are the peculiarities which make working for government different from commercial clients?

This full day seminar will hear from government clients on what they want from suppliers, and from senior executives well used to helping governments achieve their desired outcomes.

The environment in which Government acts is peculiar in that it spends public money and therefore has to be transparent, achieve value for money and be accountable. The leaders of major projects therefore face different challenges to those in the private sector and have to negotiate particular processes and approvals procedures.
Gateway Reviews, Project Steering Boards, Customers 1 and 2 (and sometimes 3), all provide opportunities for internal scrutiny which are sometimes not obvious or visible to contractors and supply chains. Further, many public sector projects are often a ‘one off’ procurement for the department or agency, and sometimes the project is led by persons not broadly experienced in procurement or delivery. Added to this, personnel can frequently change due to the project post being time limited or for career progression reasons. These and other issues present the background to the topic of this important seminar.

Vice Admiral Tim Laurence as head of a major government client, will chair this event and he will ensure that all both sides of this debate will be fully explored. We will hear a view from across European governments on the lessons that have been learned on how to better engage and be influenced by suppliers. AECOM will present their experiences in guiding governmental clients in the particular environment of the Middle East. These international lessons will be complemented by the very latest output of best practice for clients from the Institution of Civil Engineers who have spent the summer developing this guide with input from MPA members. We shall hear from the Highways Agency on what they are looking for in the way they will select and appoint consultants and contractors. Finally QinetiQ, with their unique operational position, will provide valuable insights on the tricks and tools to be used in interacting with and guiding government clients.

Delegates should gain much from this seminar to help them at senior executive level to modify behaviours to improve relationships, whether government client or supplier.