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Purchasing Ethics

DCA Procurement Division follows The Government Code of Good Practice pdf file , produced by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC).

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In addition, DCA Procurement Division has set its own systems up to ensure purchasing ethics are maintained and general procedures can be categorised under a number of headings:-

Disclosure of Interest

DCA procurement staff will disclose any form of personal interest in a supplier or potential supplier which may influence, or be seen by others as influencing, an officer's impartiality and will seek to avoid situations which may lead to conflicts of interest, or allegations of conflict of interest.

Gifts and Hospitality

The general policy of DCA is that any offer of a gift or hospitality should be refused and all offers of gifts or hospitality are recorded in a register which is kept on open display.

Confidentiality of Information

Information provided by suppliers, which is considered to be "Restricted - Commercial" and all documentation received, including tenders is marked and stored accordingly. Certain information regarding contracts may be released into the public domain, under the Feedom of Information Act. Further information can be found on the Procurement Freedom of Information page.

Responsibilities

Procurement Division staff ensure that:

instructions and guidelines on ethical behaviour are seen and understood by all relevant staff
all staff are following relevant instructions and guidelines, including the keeping of written records.
Any cases of suspected unethical behaviour is reported to the appropriate authority
They act in a fair and ethical manner at all times, ensuring that all suppliers are dealt with in a fair and equal manner including:
- following management instructions and procedural guidelines
- keeping proper records of all major decisions made in relation to every purchasing exercise.
the roles of all officers involved in the purchasing process are clearly set down and authorising officers must be easily identifiable. Government Accounting requirements state that the stages of the purchasing cycle must be separated to ensure that the same person does not exercise both purchasing and financial authority.

Regular Management Reviews

Review teams from the Procurement Division and Internal Audit will conduct periodical reviews of the procurement systems and procedures in place. In addition, reviews by the National Audit Office (NAO) will also take place.

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