Skip Navigation
United Kingdom

Open Contracting Data (UK0093)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: United Kingdom Action Plan 2019-2021

Action Plan Cycle: 2019

Status: Active

Institutions

Lead Institution: Cabinet Office

Support Institution(s): Other actors involved - government DCMS, Department for International Development Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals, etc Open Contracting Partnership, UK Open Contracting Steering Group

Policy Areas

E-Government, Open Contracting and Procurement, Open Data

IRM Review

IRM Report: Pending IRM Review

Starred: Pending IRM Review

Early Results: Pending IRM Review

Design i

Verifiable: Pending IRM Review

Relevant to OGP Values: Not Relevant

Potential Impact: Pending IRM Review

Implementation i

Completion: Pending IRM Review

Description

Objective
To improve compliance, coverage, and quality of publication to Contracts
Finder so that all above threshold public contracts can be tracked from
planning to final spending.

What is the public problem that the commitment will address?
Although there is increasing compliance with the requirement to publish
contract opportunities and awards through the Contracts Finder platform,
there remain data gaps and limitations that make it difficult for government,
the private sector, and citizens to understand the full pattern of government
procurement and spending, and to identify who the government is doing
business with.

It remains difficult to answer questions such as:
● How many contracts does government hold with Firm X? And how close
to completion are these?
● How many government tenders are being won by suppliers outside the
United Kingdom?
● How do terms and values for waste management contracts vary across
public authorities?
● How many contracts include a transparency clause supporting citizen
oversight of delivery?
Building on existing foundations, a focus on better data should be able to
answer these questions.
Although policy and guidance call for publication of contracting documents,
these are also often not published: sometimes due to fears about commercial
confidentiality restrictions. Recent myth busting work has shown commercial
confidentiality should not restrict most contract document publication.

How will the commitment contribute to solve the public problem?
This commitment will drive continued developments of the Contracts Finder
platform, and UK implementation of the Open Contracting Data Standard
(OCDS) as a tool for transparency, accountability and operational analytics.
Improving the use and validation of non-proprietary, unique, reusable
organisation identifiers will help to provide a view of government business
with specific organisations, and will help identify the geographic origin and
beneficial ownership of those organisations.
Work on bringing subcontracting data into the Contracts Finder platform will
provide a clearer view of the government supply chain, including the presence
of SMEs, third-sector and mutual providers of services.
Improving compliance with policy requirements and guidance to publish
contract documents will assist analysis of how contract terms affect the price
and delivery of public services. The creation of additional OCDS compatible
metadata fields in Contracts Finder to indicate specific types of contract terms
(e.g. use of a transparency clause) will allow the consequences of outsourcing
on citizens access to information to be monitored.
Working with the community to build analytics tools of Contracts Finder data
will help government, private firms and citizens to use available data to be
more informed about public procurement.
Work on contract registers and spend linkage will support a move towards a
much more integrated public financial infrastructure, where citizens and
government can fully ‘follow the money’.
Providing transparency and open contracting guidance to the parties in Social
Impact Bonds to help improve this public contracting mechanism.

Lead implementing organisation
Cabinet Office

Timeline
September 2018 - April 2021

OGP values
Access to information, Public Accountability

Other actors involved - government
DCMS, Department for International Development

Other actors involved - CSOs, private sector, working groups, multilaterals, etc
Open Contracting Partnership, UK Open Contracting Steering Group

Verifiable and measurable milestones to fulfil the
commitment

Agree joint methodology with civil society for
measuring tender and award publication

Achieve 80% of above threshold tenders and awards on
Contracts Finder

Achieve 90% of above threshold tenders and awards on
Contracts Finder

Report regularly on publication of contract documents,
and extent of redactions.

Suppliers on larger central government contracts will
have to advertise subcontracting opportunities via the
Contracts Finder website.

Design and introduce fields for reporting on the use of
model contract transparency clauses

Design and pilot features to maintain a contracts
register and implementation progress information,
through Contracts Finder, supporting coverage from
planning -> implementation.

Publish buyer and supplier organisation identifiers for
90% of domestic awards, and all awards over £1m

Publisher supplier identifiers for 90% of international
awards

Consult widely on the impact and implications of linking
contracts and spend to identify opportunities for
identifier exchange between procurement and financial
systems

Four government agencies in DFID priority countries
regularly publish data in line with the Open Contracting
Data Standard (OCDS) by June 2020, with assistance
from Open Contracting Partnership (OCP).

Commitments

  1. Grants Data

    UK0090, 2019, E-Government

  2. Public Participation

    UK0091, 2019, E-Government

  3. Open Policy Making

    UK0092, 2019, Public Participation

  4. Open Contracting Data

    UK0093, 2019, E-Government

  5. Natural Resource Transparency

    UK0094, 2019, E-Government

  6. Innovation in Democracy Programme

    UK0095, 2019, Public Participation

  7. Sustainable Open Government

    UK0096, 2019, Capacity Building

  8. Local Transparency

    UK0097, 2019, E-Government

  9. Beneficial Ownership – UK

    UK0063, 2016, Beneficial Ownership

  10. Natural Resource Transparency

    UK0064, 2016, Extractive Industries

  11. Anti-Corruption Strategy

    UK0065, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  12. Anti-Corruption Innovation Hub

    UK0066, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  13. Open Contracting

    UK0067, 2016, E-Government

  14. Grants Data

    UK0068, 2016, E-Government

  15. Elections Data

    UK0069, 2016, Capacity Building

  16. Revising Freedom of Information Act Code of Practice

    UK0070, 2016, Open Contracting and Procurement

  17. Identifying and Publishing Core Data Assets

    UK0071, 2016, Legislation & Regulation

  18. Involving Data Users in Shaping the Future of Open Data

    UK0072, 2016, Capacity Building

  19. Better Use of Data Assets

    UK0073, 2016, Capacity Building

  20. GOV.UK

    UK0074, 2016, Open Data

  21. Ongoing Collaborative Approach to Open Government Reform

    UK0075, 2016, E-Government

  22. Open Government at All Levels

    UK0076, 2016, OGP

  23. Open Policy-Making and Public Engagement

    UK0077, 2016, Capacity Building

  24. Public Sector Innovation

    UK0078, 2016, Capacity Building

  25. OCDS Implementation

    UK0079, 2016, E-Government

  26. Open-Up Government

    UK0080, 2016, Capacity Building

  27. Open Data Plan

    UK0081, 2016, E-Government

  28. Open Data Service

    UK0082, 2016, Capacity Building

  29. Statswales

    UK0083, 2016, E-Government

  30. Data Research Centre Wales

    UK0084, 2016, E-Government

  31. Government Social Research Publication Protocol

    UK0085, 2016, E-Government

  32. Gov.Wales

    UK0086, 2016, E-Government

  33. Code of Practice in Supply Chains

    UK0087, 2016, Labor

  34. Starred commitment National Indicators for Wales

    UK0088, 2016, Fiscal Transparency

  35. Starred commitment Well-Being Duty

    UK0089, 2016, E-Government

  36. National Information Infrastructure

    UK0042, 2013, Records Management

  37. NHS England Website and Network

    UK0043, 2013, Health

  38. Revised Local Authories Data Transparency Code

    UK0044, 2013, Capacity Building

  39. Transparent Social Investment Market

    UK0045, 2013, Open Data

  40. Manage and Capture Digital Records

    UK0046, 2013, Capacity Building

  41. Starred commitment Cross-Government Anti-Corruption Plan

    UK0047, 2013, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  42. Starred commitment Company Beneficial Ownership Information

    UK0048, 2013, Beneficial Ownership

  43. Access to Police Records

    UK0049, 2013, Justice

  44. Transparency in Construction

    UK0050, 2013, Infrastructure & Transport

  45. Legislative Openness

    UK0051, 2013, Beneficial Ownership

  46. Whistleblowing

    UK0052, 2013, Legislation & Regulation

  47. Open Contracting

    UK0053, 2013, Open Contracting and Procurement

  48. Open Contracting Scotland

    UK0054, 2013, E-Government

  49. Starred commitment International Aid Transparency

    UK0055, 2013, Aid

  50. Health Care Data

    UK0056, 2013, Health

  51. Open Policy Making

    UK0057, 2013, E-Government

  52. Sciencewise

    UK0058, 2013, E-Government

  53. Publication of Draft Legislation

    UK0059, 2013, Legislature

  54. Opendatacommunities Programme

    UK0060, 2013, E-Government

  55. PSI Re-Use Directive

    UK0061, 2013, Legislation & Regulation

  56. Starred commitment Extractive Transparency

    UK0062, 2013, E-Government

  57. Ensuring a Clear Process to Support Reduction in Collection of ‘Unnecessary Data’

    UK0024, 2011, E-Government

  58. Developing Data.Gov.Uk and Identifying Other Digital Channels to Support Users

    UK0025, 2011,

  59. Evidence and Databases Behind Policy Statements

    UK0026, 2011, E-Government

  60. Data Underlying Surveys

    UK0027, 2011, E-Government

  61. Examining Ways for Improving the Use of Existing Published Data

    UK0028, 2011, E-Government

  62. Stimulate the Market for Innovative Use of Open Data

    UK0029, 2011, Open Data

  63. Spend up to 5% of Budget Support on Accountability

    UK0030, 2011, E-Government

  64. Include the OGP Eligibility Criteria to Determine Readiness for UK Budget Support

    UK0031, 2011, Aid

  65. Publish Aid Information from All ODA Government Departments

    UK0032, 2011, Aid

  66. Use a Single Domain for Government Services

    UK0033, 2011, E-Government

  67. Mandate ‘Channel Shift’

    UK0034, 2011, E-Government

  68. Go Online for All Consultations

    UK0035, 2011, E-Government

  69. Develop Practical Guidelines on Departmental Access to Internet and Social Media

    UK0036, 2011, Civic Space

  70. Open Data and Application Interfaces in Ways That Encourage Businesses

    UK0037, 2011, E-Government

  71. Create Cross-Government Standards on APIs

    UK0038, 2011,

  72. Establish Standardised Formats for User-Satisfaction Data

    UK0039, 2011, Records Management

  73. Provide Government Documents in Open Standard Format

    UK0040, 2011, E-Government

  74. Implement Crowd-Sourcing and Engagement Processes

    UK0041, 2011,

  75. New Power to Secure Release of Valuable Datasets

    UK0001, 2011,

  76. New, Higher Cost Cap for FOI

    UK0002, 2011, Right to Information

  77. Meaningful Disincentives

    UK0003, 2011,

  78. Maximum Time Limits

    UK0004, 2011, Right to Information

  79. Altered Procurement Rules

    UK0005, 2011,

  80. Mandating Phased Introduction of ‘Public by Default’

    UK0006, 2011, E-Government

  81. Formalising Public Data Principles

    UK0007, 2011, Records Management

  82. Having in Place an Open Data Compliance Monitoring Process

    UK0008, 2011, Records Management

  83. Making Clear the Minimum Citizens Can Expect on Publication and Quality of Data

    UK0009, 2011,

  84. Ensuring a Line of Continuous Improvement for Public Service Providers

    UK0010, 2011, Open Data

  85. Encourage Continuous Improvement

    UK0011, 2011, Records Management

  86. Setting Out How Citizens Can Challenge Where There Is Failure in the Process

    UK0012, 2011, Public Participation

  87. Establishing an Obligation to Consider and Act on User Feedback

    UK0013, 2011, Public Participation

  88. Making Clear That Licenses Must Cover Free, Commercial Re-Use

    UK0014, 2011,

  89. Merge Information Asset Registers…Into a Single Data Inventory

    UK0015, 2011,

  90. Set Consistent Expectations of the Appropriate Quality of Meta-Data

    UK0016, 2011, Records Management

  91. For Data Co-Ordinated Across Government, Set Definitions

    UK0017, 2011, E-Government

  92. Introducing Corporate Responsibility at Transparency Board Level

    UK0018, 2011, Records Management

  93. Strengthening and Broadening the Public Sector Transparency Board

    UK0019, 2011, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  94. Bringing the Sector Transparency Board Model to Other Parts of Public Sector

    UK0020, 2011, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  95. Reviewing the Existing Governance and Regulatory Model

    UK0021, 2011, Records Management

  96. Establishing a Framework for Public Service Providers Data Inventories

    UK0022, 2011, Records Management

  97. Developing a Clear Methodology to Support Intelligent Inventories

    UK0023, 2011, Records Management