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ARTICLE · 20 JUNE 2016

Introducing Open Book Contract Management In The UK—Greater Transparency Or Unnecessary Paperwork?

Morrison Foerster
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The proposed UK government approach to OBCM involves the structured scrutiny of a supplier's costs and margins through the reporting of, or access to, accounting data.

United KingdomGovernment, Public Sector
Alistair Maughan
Alistair Maughan
Mercedes Samavi
Mercedes Samavi
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In a move that is likely to send government suppliers into a mild paperwork frenzy, the UK government has announced a significant push for the implementation of across-the-board, harmonised Open Book Contract Management for its public contracts.

On 24 May 2016, the UK Crown Commercial Service issued a policy note setting out the UK government's move towards Open Book Contract Management (OBCM) as a way to scrutinize suppliers' costs and margins.

We recently commented on how the UK government has made transparency a central plank in its policy proposals, and the policy note is certainly in line with the UK government's broader commercial and political goals for greater transparency. However, in practice, OBCM risks placing a greater compliance burden on businesses involved in UK government contracts.

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