24 August 2006 | Rebecca Ellinor

Martin Sykes is leaving the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) to become chief executive of Value Wales.

Sykes, who is executive director of smarter procurement at the OGC and head of the Government Procurement Service, will take up the post in October.

The National Assembly for Wales established Value Wales to help deliver its "Making the Connections" agenda, which aims to improve public services, find opportunities for smarter procurement and improve management of capital investment.

Sykes' new role spans responsibility for policy and operational performance and influencing practice and outcomes in three key areas - procurement, construction and estates management, and strategic partnerships - across the Welsh public sector.

The sector spends more than £4 billion a year and has a capital programme of £1.7 billion.

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