Procurement and Resources

Procurement

What is Procurement?

Procurement is the business management function that ensures identification, sourcing, access and management of the external resources that an organisation needs or may need to fulfil its strategic objectives.

Procurement exists to explore supply market opportunities and to implement resourcing strategies that deliver the best possible supply outcome to the organisation, its stakeholders and customers whilst maximising value for money through reduced costs and or increased service/ product levels to minimise the total cost of ownership and deliver the best value.

What do we do?

Professional and compliant procurement processes are delivered to ensure NFRS achieves the best value for money.

To deliver value for money, the Procurement Team ensures that purchases are process driven from identification of need through to contract formation. The processes are effectively managed to ensure compliance with the procurement policy, financial regulations, EU directives and public contracts regulations.

Stores, deliveries, stock and inventory management and repairs

Stores forms part of the Procurement Section. Stores purchases, holds and manages the organisations stock to enable operational equipment and uniform etc. to be delivered to stations, which is done on a bi-weekly basis. Minor equipment repairs are also carried out within Stores.

Financial system inventory management module

The Procurement Team manage and control the financial system inventory management module. All stock and non-stock products are generated by procurement after an appropriate process has been undertaken. All items required by the organisation should be requisitioned via an NFRS administrator.

Contract database registry

The Procurement Team collate and manage the organisations contract database. This is used to ensure transparency reporting compliance and ensuring that the re-tendering of contracts is undertaken on time.

Contract management

The team also manages multiple contracts to ensure compliance and to maintain a fully operational service.

Transparency reports

Invitation to tender (ITT) reports

Engineering

The Engineering department is split into two separate teams, Equipment and Transport.

The Equipment section is responsible for the testing and maintenance of all existing operational equipment, and RPE throughout the service. All equipment that requires asset management is tracked through the Red kite asset management system which has been adopted as the Service's recognised platform.

The Transport section is responsible for the cradle-to-grave management of the vehicle fleet including the management of all vehicle maintenance within the Service. All vehicle records are kept on the Tranman system which has been adopted as the services recognised platform.

Both teams liaise closely together with the Service Delivery, Procurement, Learning and Development, and Service Assurance departments to carry out research and development, and specifications for new equipment and vehicles. The Department also carries out investigations into near-misses involving equipment and Vehicles.

Equipment areas of responsibility

Liaising with Response and other service's nationwide regarding research into new kit
Liaising with Stores regarding the procurement of new kit
Working with Transport regarding new vehicle builds and stowage
Completing the testing of certain items of equipment such as branches and standpipes etc
Organise all outsourced testing by liaising with contractors for equipment, Holmatro, EPD's etc
Managing the Red Kite asset management system
Creating and managing risk assessments, Information Documents and Standard Tests for all items of kit
Completing near-miss investigations regarding equipment
Keeping operational staff up-to-date with equipment developments through the use of Staff Briefing Papers, Safety Critical Information, Safety Alerts and this intranet page

Transport areas of responsibility

Assisting user departments to create new vehicle user requirement documentation
Writing vehicle specifications and helping to guide vehicle users through the procurement process
Introducing new vehicles into the Service, and disposing of old ones in line with the current Service policy
Ensuring vehicle maintenance complies with all statutory requirements
Responding to vehicle breakdowns and defects
Supervision of the external maintenance contractor
Liaising with external suppliers to ensure the Service obtains value-for-money
Ensure that all aspects of fleet documentation are maintained following best practice and statutory requirements
Manage all Service vehicle-related accidents
Ensure the fleet has access to suitable fuel supplies
Monitoring and controlling vehicle movements
Planning for Service commitments and community events when vehicles are required
Ensuring that the Service has sufficient reserve appliance resilience available to cover
Ensure the day-to-day management of the Service Driver License checking system

Estates

What we do

Estates is a small department comprising the Estates Manager and the Assistant Estates Officer (HQ based), and also two Site Supervisors providing mobile maintenance services across the Estate. A busy team, Estates has a remit to:

maintain the NFRS estate in optimum condition and quality to ensure it meets the business need and that facilities and services are secure and fit for purpose in supporting front-line operational service delivery;
maintain full compliance of our properties and mechanical and electrical assets;
manage and administer the various leases and licences for collaboration and partner organisations who occupy accommodation within our Estate;
assist with scoping and project managing minor new works;
manage and administer workplace parking permits associated with the Workplace Parking Levy.
support NFRS in delivering its core operational activities;

We work within a property strategy and development plan to ensure that all Fire Stations and administration buildings provide a secure, safe, accessible and pleasant environment for all our staff, collaboration partners and stakeholders, and our plan is developed in step with wider NFRS organisational and strategic planning - taking account of future fire service needs, developing exiting facilities and replacing ageing buildings with new-build and fit for purpose fire stations.

A large volume of the maintenance work is outsourced – the portfolio of Estates Contracts includes :

Multi Activity Contract (MAC)

Buildings – structure and fabric
Building Services – Mechanical, and Electrical
Grounds – Hard Standing / Fences / Gates / Barriers
Legionella Services
Technical Expertise

MAC contract – A guide to our performance KPI’S
Priority Classification	Priority Description	Response / Rectification Time	Notes
P1	Emergency	4 hour response	Attend site within 4 hours of receiving notification of the Emergency. Outside of Standard Operating Hours, the emergency is to be attended, rectified / made safe and the site left secure.
P2	Urgent	48 hours completion	Repair to be undertaken and the asset brought back into service within 48 hours of receiving the notification of an Urgent repair.
P3	Essential	10 days completion	Repair to be undertaken and asset brought back into service within 10 days of receiving notification of the essential repair.
P4	Routine	30 days completion	Repair to be undertaken and asset brought back into service within 30 days of receiving notification of Routine repair.

FM Single Service Contracts

Estates also manages / administers a number of FM service related contracts including:

PAT Testing
Hygiene Services
Water Cooler Dispensers
Building / Mobile Security Services
Electronic Vehicle Chargers
Portable Fire Fighting Equipment
Insurance Inspection

Defect Reporting

Day-to-day planned and reactive maintenance is managed and coordinated via the Estates Concerto System – a Computer Aided FM System (CAFM) which all NFRS staff have access to through the NFRS Intranet.

When you report a defect through Concerto, Estates will triage the fault to:

determine who should carry out the repairs;
assign a response KPI depending upon the nature and urgency and expected duration of the repairs;
instruct attendance by either the Estates Supervisors and/or Contractors as necessary in accordance with the assigned KPI

The requester will receive automated updates on defect resolution process as the job status changes within Concerto.

Moves and Changes & Minor New Works

From time to time works may be needed on sites and stations to modify or enhance facilities and physical working arrangements to: improve operational performance and efficiency; enhance welfare and safety; or to support new initiatives. Such changes and new works should be requested via a Change My Space / Minor New Works Request Form.

Estates will be happy to assist and advise in the preparation of any request and will manage the instruction and implementation of any works and changes through to successful completion and handover.

Utilities & Business Rates

Estates administer and monitor utilities and business rates, ensuring that NFRS secures best market value for money. We also analyse trending data to identify opportunities to reduce our consumption and carbon footprint and promote targeted energy efficiency measures.

Security, Safety and Access Control

We support NFRS in maintaining high levels of safety and security around the estate - providing a consistently high standard of security, critical system condition monitoring, reporting and early warning to safeguard personnel, stations, assets and systems. These services include physical security measures such as access control, fire, intruder, CCTV, critical systems and infrastructure.

Leases and Licences

We administer a number of tenancies and licences to occupy and use services and facilities across the Estate with a number of partner organisations including Notts Police, and charitable and voluntary sector organisations.

What we don't do

As a simple guide to help direct your request to the right team - Estates supports the buildings (structure and fabric), all hard-wired / plumbed-in services, perimeter security fencing/gates and station-based portable fire fighting equipment. Generally speaking, if it isn’t nailed down – it isn’t Estates and will be dealt with by the following teams:

Operational Systems – Systel / Telecoms / Intercoms – ICT
Diesel Tanks and Dispensing Equipment – Equipment / Engineering Team
Grounds Maintenance – Procurement and Stores
Pest Control – Procurement and Stores
Cleaning – Procurement and Stores

If in doubt, we are happy for you to give us a call and enquire and we will help direct your call accordingly.