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FOI release

FOI – 2024-000394 NSS Contracts Register (HTML)

Published on 20 December 2024

Date received – 26 November 2024 |Date responded – 20 December 2024

Request

I am writing to submit a Freedom of Information request for information related to the organisation's contracts register, procurement strategy document, and contact details. Please find the detailed requests below:

  1. Contract Register Request:

I am seeking the full and entirety of the organisation's contract register or database. The register should include the following columns/headings or something similar:

  • Contract Title: The title of the contract, e.g., "IT Services Contract".
  • Supplier Name: The name of the organisation providing the goods or services.
  • Estimated Spend (Total or Annual): [Radio Button] Whether the estimated spend is for the entire contract period or annually.
  • Contract Duration: The initial term of the contract in months.
  • Total Contract Period: The total duration of the contract, including any potential extensions.
  • Contract Extensions: The number of months for any potential extensions.
  • Contract Start Date: The date the contract officially begins.
  • Contract Expiry Date: The date the initial contract period ends.
  • Contract Review Date: The date on which the contract should be reviewed for renewal or extension.
  • Contract Description: A detailed description of the contract, this could include the purpose, scope, and key terms and conditions.
  • Contact Owner: The name, job title, main contact number, and email address of the individual responsible for the contract.
  • Contract Notes: Any additional relevant information, such as specific terms and conditions, risk assessments, or performance metrics.
  • Department: The department within your organisation that the contract is associated with.
  • Contract Award Date: The date the contract was awarded.
  • Participating Organisations: Other organisations involved in the procurement process.
  • Procurement Category: The category of the procurement, e.g., IT, Facilities, or Professional Services. [I will send you a list of categories]
  • Framework Reference: The reference number of procurement framework.
  • Central Purchasing Body: The organisation responsible for the overall procurement.
  • Tender Reference: The reference number of the tender notice.
  • CPV Codes/Pro-Class/eClass: Standard classification codes used to categorise public procurement. [Radio Button] On select they should be able to select the classes.

If any of the headings within your contract register has not been provided, please state this within your response.

Please provide the contract's register file in Excel format.

  1. Procurement Strategy Document Request:
  • Can the organisation provide a full version of their Procurement Strategy for the fiscal year 2024-2025?
  • If the Procurement Strategy is a strategic direction (2022-2025) instead of an annual plan, please provide an update document for 2023-2024. If an update cannot be provided, please provide information on when an update is planned to be published.

We require the full document. If any parts of this document have been removed, please state this within your response. 

  1. Contact Details Request:
  • Provide contact details of the person responsible for API or data sharing, including [Name, Job Title, Telephone, Email Address].
  • Provide contact details of the person responsible for the actual contract's register, including [Name, Job Title, Telephone, Email Address].

IMPORTANT:

  1. If the organisation has a CRM system or a similar system, ensure there is a facility to download and extract contract data.

  2. If providing a weblink to a portal, ensure that all contracts are included, as some organisations may only upload a small portion of their contracts.

  3. For organisations planning to make an exemption around spend, clarify that the spend information requested is an overall figure, and a complete breakdown is not required.

Please provide the contract's register file in Excel format.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Response

I refer to your freedom of information request that we received on 26 November 2024 requesting the following information.

We have now completed the search of our records and can provide you with the following information:

Contract Register Request:

Please find attached Appendix 1 – NSS Contract Register 2024, detailing the requested information.

Under section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act, 2002 (FOISA) an organisation does not have to provide the information if it does not hold it. NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) cannot provide the following information:

  • Contract review date
  • Contract Notes
  • Contract Owner - Please note we have provided the name of the person responsible but are unable to provide the job title, main contact number, or email address.

This information is not extractable from the contract register report in Public Contracts Scotland (PCS). Please see the following web link where a copy of the contract register can be found and downloaded, please note this register is updated on a quarterly basis: Public Contracts Scotland.

Procurement Strategy Document Request:

Please find attached Appendix 2 – National Procurement Strategy 2021-2026, detailing the requested information. This Procurement Strategy covers period 2021-2026, so this is still valid and is the current one in use.

Please find attached Appendix 3 - National Procurement Strategy 2024-2028, which is an updated procurement strategy which has been developed this year and is due to be adopted by 31/03/25.

Please find attached Appendix 4 - NSS Procurement Strategy 2020 to 2025, which is our organisation wide procurement strategy, which is currently still valid.

Contact Details Request:

The contact details of the responsible area who can provide assistance with the Contract Register, API and Data sharing are as follows:

Name: All enquires to NP Governance shared mailbox - email address provided below.

Job Title: Planning Manager

Telephone: All Enquiries are dealt with through the shared mailbox.

Email Address: nss.ssgovernance@nhs.scot

Important:

If the organisation has a CRM system or a similar system, there should be a facility to download and extract contract data.

Under section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act, 2002 an organisation does not have to provide the information if it does not hold that information. NSS does not use a CRM system for contract data. The data within Appendix 1 has been extracted from the PCS contract register.

You may forward me a Weblink to a portal to download the contract register, please make sure all the organisation’s contracts are provided as doing prior research I have found that most organisations have only uploaded a small portion of all their contracts.

Please see the following web link where a copy of the contract register can be found and downloaded, please note this register is updated on a quarterly basis: Public Contracts Scotland.

For those organisations planning to make an exemption around spend, the spend information I have requested is an overall figure and I am not requesting a complete breakdown of services relating to the spend.

Please find attached Appendix 1 – NSS Contract Register 2024, detailing the requested information.

I trust you will find the information of assistance and if you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us. ​ If you are unhappy with any aspect of how we have dealt with your request, you can make representations to us asking us to review the handling of your request. ​ If you require any further information, please contact the Associate Director Governance and Board Services (Board Secretary) within 40 working days of the date of this correspondence. ​

Contact

Address

NHS National Services Scotland
Headquarters
Gyle Square
1 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9EB

​ If after a review you are still unhappy, you also have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner, who can be contacted at Kinburn Castle, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9DS, or via their application form. ​ National Services Scotland (NSS) is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. You can view all FOI responses within our FOI Publications repository.