Procurement - executive and senior specialist search and associated recruitment services framework: guidance

 Overview

The fourth generation Executive and Senior Specialist Search and Associated Recruitment Services framework agreement consists of six lots:

• Recruitment related services
• Executive Search - North
• Executive Search - South
• Senior Specialist Search - North
• Senior Specialist Search - South
• Chairs of Court and members of governing committees and boards

Call-off contracts may be awarded under this framework agreement in one of three ways:

• by the direct award ranked process
• by desktop evaluation tool
• by mini-competition 

What is in scope

The following types of recruitment services can be procured via this framework agreement:

• Executive search and recruitment for senior leadership and executive-level appointments
• Senior specialist search and recruitment across a wide range of professional disciplines
• Recruitment of Chairs, Board Members, Non-Executive Directors and Governing Committee Members
• Organisational strategy and governance support, including succession planning, skills audits and board reviews

• Recruitment support services, including market mapping, salary benchmarking, candidate assessment, panel training and recruitment technology solutions

What is out of scope

• temporary staff recruitment
• consultancy

Who can use this

• APUC (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges) Full and Associate Members
• NWUPC (North Western Universities Purchasing Consortium) Full and Associate Members
• LUPC (London Universities Purchasing Consortium) Full and Associate Members (Lots 3, 5 and 6 only)
• SUPC (Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium) Full and Associate Members (Lot 6 only)
• NHS National Procurement and its members
• Healthcare Improvement Scotland
• NHS Education for Scotland
• NHS Golden Jubilee
• NHS24
• Scotland Excel and its members
• Scottish Ambulance Service
• Scottish Government
• The State Hospitals Board for Scotland

Note: It is the responsibility of any buying organisation wishing to use the framework agreement to satisfy itself that it is eligible to do so.

Entitlement can be established from the terms of the OJEU advert and guidance on this can be found in annex A of our guidance on framework agreements.

Benefits

Benefits from public bodies using this framework agreement include:

• Pre-competed and fully compliant route to market, providing an efficient procurement solution and helping to centralise spend.
• Access to specialist executive search, senior specialist recruitment, and board-level appointment services.
• Flexible call-off arrangements, allowing institutions to tailor requirements to meet their specific recruitment needs.
• Pre-agreed pricing, terms and conditions, reducing procurement risk and administrative effort.
• Opportunity to achieve further value through mini-competition, with pricing capable of being reduced below framework ceiling rates.
• Strategic workforce support, including succession planning, skills audits, governance reviews and salary benchmarking.
• Access to market intelligence, candidate assessment, market mapping and recruitment technology solutions.
• Consistent contract management, reporting and management information to support informed decision-making.
• Responsible procurement principles embedded throughout the framework where relevant and appropriate.
• Shared supplier management and risk mitigation through a collaboratively managed framework agreement.

Suppliers

Full details of list of suppliers available can be obtained on the Knowledge Hub. 

Further information

See: all Scottish Government frameworks and contracts.

Buyers Guide information including pricing and terms and conditions for the framework agreement can be found on the Knowledge Hub.

If you are not registered to access the Knowledge Hub and are eligible to use the framework please complete the registration form and send the contacts listed below.