A plan to standardise the procurement of end user IT devices in the Civil Services has taken a step with a contract between the Cabinet Office and PA Consulting.
The company is to carry out research and produce a range of delivery options, including service design and implementation plans, under a short term arrangement awarded through Bloom Procurement Services and valued at £205,000.
The move could lead to a more standardised approach to the procurement of laptops, tablets and mobile phones across Whitehall departments and agencies.
A work order attached to the contract award notice says the work should be completed by the end of March, with the results passed to the Central Digital and Data Office, which is leading the project.
Among the deliverables is a suggested standard for the technical design and builds of laptops and mobile phones, based on user research and technical input, analysis into end user computer processes, a set of costed delivery options including benefits and risks, and an implementation roadmap.
PA Consulting is also expected to analyse the existing government procurement of end user devices, with opportunities and threats, and how they are being used by civil servants.
