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The Government recognises the important role that public sector standards play in supporting the public policy interest. Using public sector standards benefits government organizations in many ways, from streamlining their own processes to helping build alternative approaches to regulation. Other areas covered by standards include developing a code of business ethics and managing risk to meet governance needs.

Public sector standards shape our society

Read how standards enhance infrastructure, provide innovation and support public policy

What role do public sector standards play in government?
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What role do public sector standards play in government?

Using standards benefits government organizations in many ways, from streamlining their own processes to helping build alternative approaches to regulation.  Government is keen to reduce red tape for both the private and public sectors. A key way to do this is to have regulators and their inspectors concentrate their efforts on those organizations who present the highest risk – rather than putting the burden on everyone, as has often been the case in the past.  This is where standards come in. Not to replace regulations, but to complement them.  Standards are shaped by best practices, so if an organization is using them, it’s probably being well managed. This makes it easier for regulators to decide where to focus their attention. Standards are the foundation on which a risk-based approach to regulation can be built.  We work closely with the UK government in many areas. Its representatives participate in our technical committees along with those from business, academia, and consumer groups. Together, we make sure that products, processes, new technologies, and services incorporate the knowledge and needs of all interested parties.  Using our standards also helps the government’s own processes become more efficient, for example eliminating waste and achieving maximum value for money in its procurement processes.  To read more about fair procurement in the public sector, click here.  Finally, standards help government departments encourage the growth of ground breaking new products and industries – by providing dependable knowledge and standardization so that new technologies can work seamlessly with existing technologies.  How Standards Help Government Encourage Innovation  Standards create a common framework for innovation that encourages the sharing of knowledge, for example by defining common vocabularies, by establishing essential characteristics of a product or service, or by providing a means to disseminate results of research and development.  They minimize duplication during research and development, thereby increasing efficiency They maximize the ability of a product to be used in conjunction with others They reduce unnecessary variance They can provide a framework for moving from the development bench into production, through defining essential parameters, safety considerations, testing, prototyping and scale-up Key Standards Supporting Public Sector Organizations  The broad range of activities and financial investment spent to make the public service sector both unique and subject to ever closer scrutiny and control. The requirement for delivering customer value at a reasonable cost is of critical importance. There are several key standards that can help public sector organizations improve their processes in every aspect: BS EN ISO 9001 At national and municipal levels, transparency in government is increasingly politically expedient. BS EN ISO 9001 is the most recognized quality management system in the world — implementing it is one of the first steps in achieving greater accountability in the public sector.  BS EN ISO 9001 is based on a set of scalable best practices that help you run leaner, more efficient operations. Adopting BS EN ISO 9001 will help keep your operating costs low without sacrificing quality. No matter what field or level of government you work in, any public sector management system will become more effective and more consistent when brought in line with BS EN ISO 9001.  For government contractors, adopting BS EN ISO 9001 best practices is particularly important. Many government organizations require that bidders on lucrative contracts have effective quality management systems in place.  BS EN ISO 14001  Sustainability is hugely important to governments globally. Taxpayers are demanding that public sector organizations take more effective action on climate change and other issues related to resource use. This involves not just intermittent big actions, but also changing the way organizations work on a fundamental level. Unfortunately, a lack of accountability has made adopting more responsible policies a challenge in the public sector.  BS EN ISO 14001 is an environmental management system for the public sector that can be scaled upward for implementation in organizations of any size. By focusing on day-to-day activities, BS EN ISO 14001 affects changes at the level of people and processes.  BS EN ISO 50001  BS EN ISO 50001 builds on the framework established by BS EN ISO 14001, with a specific focus on energy management. In the public sector, where organizations and departments are often spread out across multiple offices and locations, BS EN ISO 50001 helps brings disparate energy policies in line with one another, reducing usage levels overall.  BS EN ISO 27001  It’s no secret that government hardware and IT infrastructures frequently lag behind those of private businesses. When dealing with outdated equipment and budgetary challenges, managing risk requires proactive policies. For this reason, BS EN ISO/IEC 27001 is one of the most important management systems for the public sector. IT gives you tools to protect yourself against cybercrime, vandalism, and other online threats. It is completely technology and vendor-neutral, which means it can be implemented anywhere, regardless of what systems and infrastructure you currently have in place.  For government contractors — particularly in the defence, aerospace, and intelligence communities — BS EN ISO/IEC 27001 is an especially important tool for protecting your intellectual property. In these highly sensitive fields, a major data breach can cause extensive reputational damage and jeopardize your security clearance. BS EN ISO/IEC 27001 helps you stay compliant with your regulatory obligations, whilst strengthening stakeholder relationships and providing you with recognizable credentials that can help win new business. BS EN ISO 45001 BS EN ISO 45001 is an important public sector management system that addresses occupational health and safety policies. BS EN ISO 45001 is critical for construction and roadwork contractors as it reduces the risk of an on-the-job accident helps maintain productivity and establishes an organization-wide culture of safety.  Experience the benefits of adopting best practices to your public sector organization by adding these standards to your collection today. Discover BSI Knowledge At their core, our standards inform an efficient way to embed best practices in the public sector - from innovation and city resilience to sustainable procurement and anti-corruption. Our tailored BSI Knowledge subscription service provides flexibility, access, visibility, and control over the standards and insights your team needs to achieve this objective. Request to learn more.Read more
Knowledge is power: Managing organizational knowledge in challenging times with BS 34401
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Knowledge is power: Managing organizational knowledge in challenging times with BS 34401

We are increasingly living in a knowledge economy where information is what drives business decisions. Organizations today are competing less based on tangible assets and more based on intangible assets. Now more than ever, effective knowledge management can set a business apart from the rest. Knowledge management remains one of the top three issues affecting company success and has become even more essential with the post-pandemic growth of remote and hybrid working. By recognizing and treating knowledge as an organizational asset, businesses can increase collaboration, be more agile in fast-paced environments and make informed decisions to boost their capabilities and innovation. BS 34401 Knowledge management – Guidance on the application of BS ISO 30401 has recently been published to provide guidance on the implementation of BS ISO 30401 Knowledge management systems. Requirements. It serves as a useful tool for anyone looking to apply BS ISO 30401 or for anyone who would like to deepen their understanding of knowledge management more generally. What is a BS ISO 30401 knowledge management system? Knowledge management is about producing valuable results from well-applied knowledge. Having a knowledge management system in place involves storing and retrieving knowledge to improve understanding, collaboration, and process alignment. They can exist within organizations or teams, but they can also be used to centre your knowledge base for your users or customers. There are many well-known barriers to successful knowledge management that still need to be overcome. Confusion with other disciplines such as information management, and many common misconceptions about how to manage knowledge management, for example, the view that simply buying a technology system will be enough for knowledge management to add value. BS ISO 30401 sets the international requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, reviewing, and improving an effective management system for knowledge management in organizations. Its purpose is to support organizations to develop a management system that effectively promotes and enables value-creation through knowledge. BS ISO 30401 serves as: Guidance for organizations that aim to be competent in optimizing the value of organizational knowledge A basis for auditing, certifying, evaluating, and recognizing such competent organizations by internal and externally recognized auditing bodies Adopting knowledge management best practices is also a key enabler to help organizations meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By sharing good practice and knowledge with partners and experts, you can identify relevant solutions and scale these up effectively, helping the global effort towards sustainable development. To learn about our key innovation management standards, read our article ‘How can organizations create a culture of innovation?’ Strengthening the standardization of knowledge Organizations need to take steps to safeguard organizational knowledge in the ranks, especially with the new hybrid workforce. To help organizations fulfill the full potential of the best practices outlined in BS ISO 30401, we have published a guidance document, BS 34401. BS 34401 gives detail on what a management system standard (MSS) is, analyzing key features and benefits. It expands on the fundamentals of knowledge management, by giving commentary on the terminology used in BS ISO 30401 and clarifying the requirements given. Furthermore, it provides examples and guidance on how various types of organizations might approach the different requirements of BS ISO 30401. Get the most out of your knowledge management system by adding BS 34401 to your collection today.
Raising the standard for fairness in public sector procurement
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Raising the standard for fairness in public sector procurement

The UK public sector spends over £250 billion, about one-third of public expenditure, on the procurement of goods and services from the private sector. Past procurement practices favored the bigger, more established organizations, and lesser-known alternative and smaller firms have often felt unable to compete. In an attempt to level the playing field in the heavily scrutinized field of public sector procurement, the transformation of aspects of the procurement process is afoot.  We are now in a more open and transparent world of work where actions speak volumes. There is an expectation that the most suitable organizations, which provide products and services in the best way without compromising ethics, quality, or value for money, should be awarded contracts, regardless of size, maturity, or being new to the public sector.  Openness, fairness, and integrity are now at the heart of many organizations involved with the public sector and standards are a tool to enable firms to set and meet best practices. BSI, the business improvement company, worked with stakeholders to develop standard BS 95009:2019 Public sector procurement - Generic requirements for organizations providing products and services.  What is Standard BS 95009?  Standard BS 95009:2019 provides a framework to help those in the procurement process to demonstrate and assess the suitability of organizations tendering for or procuring public sector contracts. The aim is to simplify the tender process, so it is more accessible, and to reduce duplication of effort.  This is the first generic, non-sector-specific standard for procurement in the UK public sector. It specifies how an organization can demonstrate that it is:  Suitable as an external provider of products and services to the public sector  Able to reliably deliver products and services meeting the requirements of the contracting authority  The requirements are generic and apply to any organization, regardless of type, size, or the nature of its activities.  The criteria set out can be used by organizations which are:  Contracting out a provision of products and services to external providers  Acting as external providers Why was Standard BS 95009 Developed? Historically, UK public sector procurement struggles with a poor reputation: there’s a perception that the processes involved could be fairer, more transparent, and more accessible to smaller or newer organizations. BS 95009:2019 was written to tackle those issues. It provides criteria and guidance that enable potential suppliers to demonstrate their generic trustworthiness, transparency, and ethical practice. At the same time, procuring bodies can use the standard to assess bidders more readily and accurately. Overall, the standard should simplify the process, reduce bureaucracy, ensure due diligence and provide assurance that fairness prevails in the awarding of contracts.  To read more about the role of standards in Government, click here. How Will Organizations Benefit from Standard BS 95009?  Small or newer businesses sometimes report that there are barriers between them and the public procurement supply chain, because of the actual or perceived complexity of the tender process, and blanket requirements. This new standard provides for three levels of conformity to its requirements, with Level One enabling smaller or less mature organizations to demonstrate their suitability as potential suppliers more easily.  The standard’s single, generic assurance framework will reduce bureaucracy and eliminate duplication of effort for organizations that bid on multiple tenders. Likewise, from a procuring body’s point of view, the standard supplies the generic part of all tender processes, so procurement officers can use it to more quickly, accurately, and fairly assess each bidder’s suitability for consideration for a particular contract. Specific contracts can also be more focused and simpler. Finally, it’s important that public sector contracts are awarded to the most suitable organizations and that they provide products or services in the best way, without compromising ethics, quality, or value for money. This standard helps that happen, so the general public ought to benefit too.  BS 95009 and over 100,000 more internationally recognized standards are available for simple and flexible access with a BSI Knowledge subscription. In the trust-critical public sector, our subscription service puts the control in your hands, with traceability to monitor and demonstrate your business's compliance to standards, and self-serve functionality that enables you to manage your subscriptions, standards, users, and content quickly and simply. Request to learn more. Other Key Procurement Standards BS EN 17371-1:2021 Provision of services. Service procurement. Guidance for the assessment of the capacity of service providers and evaluation of service proposals. This standard provides guidance for the assessment of the capacity of service providers and the evaluation of service proposals in order to improve and facilitate the process of procuring services.  BS 8572:2018 Procurement of facility-related services. Code of practice. This standard was developed to establish a common, standardized approach to the way facilities services are managed and specified. A facility-related service is a supporting structure to the core business of an organization, such as cleaning, security, waste disposal, pest control, building maintenance, catering, and IT. It covers how to procure facility-related services (things like cleaning and waste management) in the most efficient way. It applies to new and existing facilities and especially to commercial and industrial property.  BS EN ISO 20400:2017 Sustainable procurement – Guidance. Designed to assist organizations to meet their sustainability responsibilities, BS EN ISO 20400 outlines what sustainable procurement is, and how an organization can implement sustainable procurement practically. The overarching concern of the new international standard is to make the supply chain integration to an organization’s sustainability goals. BS EN ISO 20400 outlines in detail the sustainability impacts and considerations that should be incorporated across the different aspects of procurement activity, and is applicable to any organization, either public or private, irrespective of its size or location. To ensure openness, fairness, and integrity is at the heart of your public sector organization, add these procurement standards to your collection today.
Integrity in the public sector: The importance of an anti-bribery management system
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Integrity in the public sector: The importance of an anti-bribery management system

Bribery, and the harm it causes, is not a new issue. However, it is one that is constantly changing, and the advent of the digital age has driven this evolution at an even greater pace. Because of this, bribery is higher up the business risk agenda than ever before.  In the UK, the 2010 Bribery Act requires that organizations have adequate procedures in place to prevent bribery and corruption. The key is to ensure your organization’s culture promotes doing business with integrity - encouraging the right behaviour, discouraging the wrong behaviour, and rewarding those who speak up about breaches of your code of ethics. Only by aligning it with a strong culture will your company’s anti-corruption efforts be truly "adequate”.  Changing legal situations, a greater organizational focus on corporate social responsibility and good governance plus increased awareness of the financial and reputational damage inflicted on organizations have led to growing interest in anti-bribery management systems.  What impact does bribery have on an organization?  It can be difficult to quantify the damage bribery has on a company, particularly when it may seem to accelerate the growth of a business, albeit by shady practices. However, several problems can be attributed to business bribery.  First, it is obviously illegal—most countries have laws that prohibit the act of bribery, including the bribery of Government officials —so organizations engaging in bribery expose their directors, executives, and employees to grave legal risks, including possible prison sentences, as well as large fines to the company.  Second, the rules and regulations that are circumvented by bribery often have a legitimate public purpose, so the corporation may be negatively impacting local social interests and/or harming local competitors.  Thirdly, an organization that is formally accused or convicted of bribery may suffer a serious public relations backlash and irreparable reputational damage.  About BS ISO 37001 anti-bribery management standard BS ISO 37001 is the international standard designed to help organizations implement an Anti-bribery Management System (ABMS). It specifies a series of measures your organization can implement to help prevent, detect and address bribery. Designed to be integrated into your organization's existing management processes and controls, BS ISO 37001 also follows the common ISO structure for management system standards, for easy integration with BS EN ISO 9001 for example.  The requirements specified by BS ISO 37001 address two key areas: Bribery by the organization, its personnel, or business associates for its own gain Bribery of the organization, its personnel, or business associates in relation to its activities Is BS ISO 37001 right for your organization? This anti-bribery standard is flexible and can be adapted to manage many types of anti-bribery best practices and suits a wide range of organizations including: Large organizations and enterprises Small and medium-sized enterprises Public and not-for-profit organizations Non-government organizations (NGOs) and charities The benefits of adopting BS ISO 37001 anti-bribery management system BS ISO 37001 enables you to protect and preserve the integrity of your organization by: Opening your organization to external scrutiny of the effectiveness of your anti-bribery policies and processes Demonstrating compliance to relevant legislation such as the Bribery Act 2010 Collaborating with stakeholders to monitor and manage risk throughout your organization and supply chain Ensuring that suppliers, sub-contractors, and agents are committed to anti-bribery best practices Ensure your organization is complying with anti-bribery regulations and acting with integrity by adding anti-bribery standard BS ISO 37001 to your collection today. Discover BSI Knowledge The BS ISO 37000 series and over 100,000 more internationally recognized standards are available for simple and flexible access with a BSI Knowledge subscription. In the trust-critical public sector, our subscription service puts the control in your hands, with traceability to monitor and demonstrate your business's compliance to standards, and self-serve functionality that enables you to manage your subscriptions, standards, users, and content quickly and simply. Request to learn more.

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