An independent report has concluded that poor management practices at the DVLA in Swansea left it open to criticism when former employees were given highly paid roles as consultants.
PricewaterhouseCoopers were called in last August after it was revealed that some employees had taken redundancy packages and then returned as consultants on rates of between £600 and £800 a day. They have concluded that there was no evidence of fraudulent activity but have made a number of criticisms of DVLA management:
“We consider that the agency left itself exposed to criticism and financial risks through poor management practices, notably the failure to adhere to the substance of agreed procedures and a lack of rigour when conducting reputational risk management. Particular areas of concern include:
- lack of evidence to support the decision to opt for a “Master Vendor” approach and to package together consultancy and interim management needs within a single contract;
- constitution of the evaluation panel and how changes to membership were effected;
- performance of the financial health and capacity appraisal for potential suppliers;
- handling disclosure of potential conflicts of interest with interested bidders;
- operation of the CIMS service request arrangements in live running;
- completeness of disclosures made under the business appointment rules and the level of rigour and scrutiny these were subject to.
“That said, we found no evidence that DVLA staff had acted in breach of any procurement regulations. Neither did we find evidence of fraudulent behaviour by any one individual, or collusive behaviour on the part of a number of individuals.”
The report concluded: “Following this review, the agency is updating its business appointment guidance and operating practices. This will build on work already done to improve procurement guidance following the appointment of a new supply chain manager and a previous audit review completed March 2008.”
More details can be found here.
Related posts:
