02
Engage to understand
An open dialogue with the industry is critical to informing government strategy related to identifying which services or operations are suitable for outsourcing today and what will be possible tomorrow
02
Engage to understand
An open dialogue with the industry is critical to informing government strategy related to identifying which services or operations are suitable for outsourcing today and what will be possible tomorrow
(Time to read: 1.5 mins)
Although there are clear methodologies available for assessing whether or not an operation is suitable for outsourcing, those methodologies are only of use once an operation has been identified. To inform this selection process, government needs a clear understanding of the BPO industry to know what’s possible, and this understanding must be the byproduct of an open and ongoing dialogue with the market.
Engaging with the sector will elevate understanding of current and future capabilities. And this, in turn, will be critical in informing the decision-making process within government departments regarding what can or should be outsourced and the systems and protocols necessary for its management and performance assessment.
This engagement will also make it easier to understand the depth and breadth of competition for the provision of specific processes, solutions or services. The greater the competition, the greater the certainty of obtaining genuine value and of benefiting from a robust, proven service or solution and of ensuring that as and when an initial engagement has run its course and goes back out to tender, it attracts a selection of potential bidders.
However, the number of potential bidders is equally dependent on engagement and maintaining dialogue with the industry. Just as government can have misapprehensions or an outdated view of the industry, BPOs can also hold misconceptions about the reality of service provision to the public sector that deter them from bidding for government contracts.
As well as attracting a larger pool of potential outsourcing partners to each new contract, this open dialogue will inform and improve tendering and procurement processes. Organizations are more likely to bid for government contracts if they have sufficient time and resources to undertake the tendering process. Likewise, government agencies or departments will have a clearer understanding of what realistic bid criteria and project timelines are and use those insights when taking projects to the market.
Checklist
Actively engage in discussions with industry stakeholders to enhance understanding of current and future outsourcing capabilities.
Use information gained from industry engagement to inform the selection process.
Maintain communication with potential BPO partners to attract a wider pool of bidders for future government contracts.
(Time to read: 1.5 mins)
Data: A tender topic
Engaging with the industry and the wider potential markets for the provision of services and solutions will encourage more organizations to consider working in collaboration with the public sector and undertake the process of becoming qualified bidders or recognized suppliers. This can also help to add other forms of value to contracts, such as supporting or partnering with entities that are focused on equality, regeneration or specific social values or geographical areas. These added potential benefits could enable government to achieve greater efficiencies while simultaneously furthering a policy or political aim.
However, none of this is possible without accurate data to support and shape the procurement process. Even if organizations have clear visibility of government timetables and project pipelines, they provide little real value or insight if RFPs or other tendering documents do not reflect reality — especially if a process or service is already being delivered via an existing outsourcing partnership.
What data, insights or other metrics are available about the state of current service provision and what does this information say about the challenges of service delivery or the gap between government needs, citizen expectations and the current approach to provision? Without clear data and insights, how can government set realistic or achievable KPIs and SLAs and, more importantly, how can potential partners have confidence that their proposed delivery model or pricing structure can be delivered and sustained?
Without clear data and insights, how can government set realistic or achievable KPIs and SLAs?
Best practice guide From misconceptions to mastery
