GoJ's expenditure on JT Group Limited and its subsidiaries (2) (FOI)

​Request 693168315

I would like to request information under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 regarding the Government of Jersey’s expenditure on JT Group Limited (also trading as JT) and its subsidiaries. Specifically, I am requesting the following details for each of the last five financial years (2019 – 2023):

1. Total Expenditure

a) The total amount of money paid by the Government of Jersey to JT Group Limited and any of its subsidiaries for telecommunications and related services. 

b) A breakdown of the total expenditure that was awarded through a competitive tender process vs. that which was directly awarded (i.e., without an open tender).

2. Justification for Non-Tendered Services

a) What policies or procedures does the Government of Jersey follow to ensure fair competition in awarding contracts for telecoms and associated services?

b) How does the Government assure value for money when telecoms services are awarded without a competitive tender?

Thank you for your time and assistance.

Response

1.

b) 

The split between award scenarios (direct/competitive) is not held by Commercial Services. As the information requested in relation to “the total expenditure that was awarded through a competitive tender process vs. that which was directly awarded” is not held in a central register, to provide an answer to the request would require extraction and manipulation of data to produce new information.  A Scheduled Public Authority (SPA) is not required to manipulate and create new data sets in response to a Freedom of Information request, Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. 

2.

a)

The Government of Jersey Treasury and Exchequer Department has developed several policies and procedures for requestors within government to follow to ensure fair competition in awarding contracts for goods and services. These policies and processes are developed in accordance with the Jersey Public Finances Manual. 

Procurement Best Practices: The Government of Jersey has a comprehensive Procurement Best Practice & Procedures User Guide and Toolkit. This document outlines the procurement process, including sourcing routes, evaluation, and contract management.   

Transparency and Competition: The government promotes transparency and competition in the award of contracts. This is supported by Public Finances Manual for the supply of goods, services, and products to public sector organisations.   

Defined Sourcing Routes: Depending on the value of the contract, different sourcing routes are followed. For example:   

For contracts up to £1,000, a simple purchase order is sufficient. 

For contracts between £1,001 and £25,000, 1-3 quotes are required. 

For contracts between £25,001 and £100,000, a minimum of 3 quotes and a formal review are needed. 

For contracts over £100,001, a full tender process is required. 

Evaluation and Due Diligence: The procurement process includes thorough evaluation and due diligence to ensure that the best value for money is achieved and that suppliers meet the required standards.   

Exemptions and Breaches: There are specific guidelines on when exemptions can be applied and how breaches of procurement procedures are recorded and managed.  

b)

The Government of Jersey has several measures in place to ensure value for money (VFM) even when services are awarded without a competitive tender:   

Exemptions and Justifications: When a competitive tender is not feasible, an exemption must be sought and justified. This involves providing a clear rationale for why a competitive process cannot be followed, ensuring that the decision is transparent and accountable.   

Due Diligence: Even without a competitive tender, the government departments are expected to conduct thorough due diligence on suppliers. This includes evaluating the supplier's financial stability and ability to deliver the required services.   

Benchmarking: The government may use benchmarking against similar services or market rates to ensure that the prices quoted are reasonable and represent good value for money.   

Contract Management: Effective contract management practices are recommended to monitor the performance of the supplier and ensure that services delivered meet the agreed standards and provide value for money. 

These measures are in place to support the integrity of the procurement process and to ensure that public funds are used efficiently and effectively. 

Article applied 

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.