| 释义 |
market testing
Testing a particular service to see which supplier—in-house or external—offers the best combination of value for money and quality of service for the user. Launched in 1991, it affects all public services, including the healthcare, magistrates’, and prison services. Under the Local Government Act 1999, certain authorities are designated as best value authorities, including the police and fire authorities. Under the Act, these authorities must have regard to economy, efficiency, and effectiveness when exercising their functions. One increasingly common approach is known as soft market testing. It involves informal and generally confidential conversations with potential service providers, whose responses are weighed before the official procurement process is begun. |