Tender price is not everything: Letter
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Paul Gosling ("The cheaper, the better", 1 May) reported Sir Paul Beresford's and the Department of the Environment's intentions concerning the present compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) regime.
If "the DoE [takes a] decisive step to push councils to award more out- of-house work by shifting the emphasis from quality to price", this will severely compromise the procurement of quality professional services where precise tender specifications cannot be prepared and the method of delivery is of paramount importance to ensuring quality of public service.
But Sir Paul, as Environment Minister, should already know just how important quality is. His department produced that excellent discussion document Quality in Town and Country, promoted enthusiastically at seminars attended by his Secretary of State, John Gummer. Let us hope that the DoE adopts compatible and integrated policies on the environment and associated professional services procurement so that we can really celebrate the millennium.
David Yorke
Chairman
Royal Institute of British Architects, Northwest Region
Knutsford, Cheshire
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments