6 October 2011 | Paul Snell
Category: Best contribution to the reputation of the procurement profession
Winner: Cancer Research UK
The International Cancer Genome Project will have a major impact on cancer research and this has now been given more resources by a successful tender process
The motto of the procurement team at Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is “buying smarter to fund more research”. This concept was certainly in evidence during this award-winning project, which has saved the charity significant sums, helped the fight against cancer and boosted the reputation of the procurement profession.
Cancer Research is involved in a global project with the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) to identify the genetic faults that cause 50 different types of cancer. By comparing healthy DNA with damaged DNA and identifying the differences, scientists can develop targeted treatments. To achieve this, 1,500 DNA samples must be analysed over three years. DNA is mapped through a process called whole genome sequencing (WGS), a complex and expensive process. Usually grants are awarded to provide these services.
However, the involvement of professional procurement under the leadership of science category manager Cathryn Vann has meant a project where the expected spend was initially $20 million (£12.3 million) has been delivered for less than $5 million (£3 million).
“The very positive outcomes we have achieved as a result of the work of Cathryn and the team mean that we can now carry out far more research into understanding the cancer genome than we had hoped at the beginning of the programme – for us, saving money means saving lives,” said Harpal Kumar, CRUK chief executive.
The market for WGS is, unsurprisingly, niche with limited competition. The first challenge was to convince stakeholders – including professors and clinicians – that procurement could add value to the process. The team also had to carefully explain and demonstrate the benefits of tendering and agreed terms to providers.
Assessing a fair price for this type of service was tricky. Initial bids from suppliers ranged from £45,000 to £10,000 due to the complexity and diverse range of services offered. To overcome this, the team was able to negotiate an unheard of ‘try before you buy’ approach to establish the right level of service the charity needed to buy to achieve its objectives in the research. Vann also had to negotiate hard with the supplier to agree service level agreements, which included measurable performance levels that will be monitored and reviewed.
☛ Watch the post-award interview at http://tinyurl.com/genomeproject
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