This book has been prepared at the request of the National Housing Federation (NHF) and there is a note stating it is vital that housing associations follow the rules where applicable; otherwise they may be in breach of funding conditions or the regulatory code. There is also a caveat that housing associations seek there own legal advice on the application of these general principles to their specific circumstances where they consider it necessary.
This book is based on the rules that concern European Union procurement which were updated in 2006, in which the three existing directives at that time were consolidated into one along with clarifications about what was allowed, such as procurement consortia.
The guide sets out to give the basic rules which must be followed under the Regulations, explaining when they have to be followed and how this works in practice. It is not intended to be an alternative to seeking detailed legal advice but should result in the clearer and more efficient instruction of the housing associations’ legal and procurement advisers.
All of that aside, this is a very readable updated guide which is not too legalistic in style and should appeal to any European Union procurer, especially those within work carried out by housing associations. There are some 122 pages comprising some 15 chapters and a further 52 pages of Appendices. The chapters cover topics such as ‘what sorts of contracts are involved?’, ‘what kind of contract is it?’, thresholds and aggregation’, ‘common features of all procedures’, ‘framework agreements’, ‘electronic procurement and communications’ and ‘potential challenges and their impact’. The detailed and very helpful Appendices include ‘regimes applying to housing association activities’, ‘pre-qualification information’, ‘availability of the negotiated procedure’ and ‘minimum time limits’. There are also some model documents covering the contract notice and contract award notice.
As with such publications often as soon as it is published there occurs further case law and maybe directives so public procurers must keep themselves up to date with such matters. This is an excellent guide to the European Union procurement rules and relevant case law to early 2007, much of being relevant for some years to come. It contains many helpful and readable explanations together with practical guidance to ensure the applicable rules are followed.
For further information please refer to NHF online bookshop www.housing.org.uk/publications and email address bookshop@housing.org.uk
