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Perth & Kinross Council Tender Contracts
"Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure." Joseph Sugarman
Charges of “utter hypocrisy” over the tender process for materials to promote Perth and Kinross in the run up to the G8 Summit at Gleneagles have been vigorously denied by the Perth and Kinross Council.
Perth and Kinross Council announced plans to release a CD-Rom to promote the area ahead of next summer’s G8 summit.
“Perth and Kinross council has spent thousands of pounds of tax-payers’ money on developing a new Perthshire brand model which seeks to promote Perthshire as one of Scotland’s most beautiful, vibrant and successful areas and Perth itself as one of Europe’s most successful smaller cities,”
“Perth and Kinross council will be spending many more thousands on the Perthshire Publications which are a lifestyle magazine and interactive CD-Rom to be sent to G8 delegates and the world media. How hypocritical of Perth and Kinross council then that the development of the Perthshire Brand was given to an agency in Edinburgh, the Perthshire Publications go to agencies in Paisley, Glasgow and Oban and the new council websites go to web designers in Glasgow and Dundee,” she continued. “None of the work has gone to local design agencies.”
Perth and Kinross council claims to be promoting Perthshire, it is in effect failing to practice what it preaches.
“In the case of the Perthshire Publications it was a done deal before tenders went out.”
“Presumably that was the reason why half the companies that received the invitation to tender did not bother to reply with a bid. We amre of the opinion that a few local companies were invited to tender so that Perth and Kinross council could cover their back and say that local companies had been approached but that nobody was good enough.”
“What a wasted opportunity for Perth and Kinross council to demonstrate local talent and what a lot of wasted time, effort and money by some local companies in producing high quality creative work for bids that hadn’t a hope of winning.”
“The Perthshire Brand has produced a logo with a set of colours which any school kid with average desktop publishing skill could produce. Who knows what the Perthshire Publications will be like but their choice of suppliers could well be a case of the ‘Kings new clothes’.”
“The talent to do all of this work is available here in the area by creative talented people who actually know what it is like to live and work in Perthshire."
When contacted by the Courier, a Perth and Kinross Council spokesman denied any intentional snubs to local companies. “Perth and Kinross Council strongly rebuts any suggestion that decisions to allocate design and marketing projects are made on the basis of anything other than a clear and transparent procurement process,” he said.
“Perth and Kinross council is well aware that creative and talented people live and work in Perth and Kinross and always seeks to ensure that local companies are afforded an opportunity to submit proposals for key projects. However, Perth and Kinross Council is legally required to ensure that it secures value for money and this means that for some projects the skills, talent and expertise of those who happen to be outwith Perthshire are utilised,” the spokesman continued.
“Twelve Scottish companies including five from Perthshire were invited to submit proposals to produce the Perthshire Publications and CD-Rom. All of those received underwent a robust appraisal. Perth and Kinross Council’s assessment of the submitted proposals aimed to ensure that the successful company was able to deliver a high quality product within an extremely tight timescale.”
The spokesman added “Perth and Kinross Council has met with a number of local companies to provide detailed feedback on their proposals and to identify opportunities for work in the future,” he said.
“Perth and Kinross Council is confident that the appropriate procedures were followed and that the council met its duties regarding the successful promotion of the Perthshire area."
The Courier Wednesday February 23 2005
Dave Lord.
