Monthly Archives: August 2012

Beware the dreaded TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) Regulations. They have acquired notoriety for being complex, emotive, being difficult to understand and a thorn in the side of negotiators who are transferring services from the company to another and/or outsourcing services. TUPE advice and guidance from lawyers and HR specialists will not come […]

‘Without an adequate workforce to manage and oversee the contracted projects, there is an increased risk of poor project outcomes and vulnerability to fraud, waste and abuse.’ This extract, from an audit report, could lead to an examination question. ‘Define an adequate workforce within the context of procurement and contracted projects.’ The word adequate could […]

Why is contracts placed on a time and materials (T&M)  basis? There is no profit incentive for a contractor to effectively manage  either the time expended or the amount of materials used.  Overwhelming risk is with the buying  organisation. The risk can be somewhat mitigated if stringent measures are  taken throughout the procurement process to […]

I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are – a classic quip from Groucho Marx but do you ever notice companies trying to bid for your work claiming principles or behaviours that they do not demonstrate. Many PQQs (Pre-Qualification Questionnaires) seek binary answers to questions. E.g. Has your organisation, its Directors or Principals […]

Intellectual property risks might not be on the top of your agenda but the following case details may provide some interesting reading. HIS HONOUR JUDGE BIRSS QC presided over the case of Samsung Electronics (UK) Ltd and Apple Inc relating to community registered design infringement by Samsung for their Galaxy product in the UK. The […]

One of my first assignments for Brian Farrington Ltd was to review an IT project that had got out of control. It was late, incomplete and seriously over budget. During the research phase we asked what was known about the prime contractor and the subcontractor and what due diligence had been undertaken. The silence was […]

  Here comes the sun In 1989, 6 million people in Quebec were without power for 9 hours. In 1960 widespread radio disruptions occurred. In 1859 The Aurora Borealis was seen as far south as the Caribbean and telegraph operators received shocks through induced currents. These events were attributed to solar storms. The storm is […]