Decision

Summary of business appointment applications - Malcolm Harrison

Published 20 February 2018

Malcolm Harrison will leave his position as CEO and Accounting Officer of Crown Commercial Service (CCS) on 31 July 2018.

1. Group CEO, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply

The Committee was asked to consider an application from Malcolm Harrison for advice on taking up an appointment as Group CEO of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), the professional body for the procurement profession. This is a full-time role.

Mr Harrison explained that the appointment would include engaging with commercial functions in Government on professional standards for the procurement profession and supporting commercial functions in Government to support the development of capabilities of commercial employees.

The Committee considered the risk of this appointment being perceived as a reward for decisions made while in office is low, given that Mr Harrison has not been involved in any decisions that may have affected his employer and only met CIPS once in office – to discuss a matter that was not taken further. It is also relevant that he applied for the role through an open recruitment process.

The Department informed the Committee that CIPS is the only relevant chartered body in the UK and confirmed that Mr Harrison had no access to policy or other departmental information that could assist CIPS. The Committee concluded that the risk of the appointment conferring an unfair advantage on CIPS is therefore low. Whilst the Committee recognised that Mr Harrison will be building on the network of contacts he has in Government, given the nature of the organisation and providing he does not engage in lobbying on behalf of CIPS, it considered it would not be inappropriate for him to have contact with Government in relation to the core educational purposes of the organisation.

The Committee also noted that Mr Harrison’s career was in procurement roles in the private sector before he joined the Civil Service.

It is unusual for the Committee to consider applications significantly in advance of the proposed start date of an appointment. However, in view of the need for the Department to commence an early search for Mr Harrison’s replacement, the Committee is prepared to provide advice now. Its recommendation was made on the understanding that he will have no involvement in awarding any contracts to CIPS (eg, for training) for the remainder of his time at CCS.

The Prime Minister accepted the Committee’s advice that this appointment be subject to the following conditions:

• he should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the organisation to which this advice refers) privileged information available to him from his time in Crown service; and
• for two years from his last day in service, he should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK Government on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply or its members. This is not intended to prevent him having contact with Government on matters which are within the core educational purposes of the organisation (including support for increasing the capabilities of commercial employees in Government) provided that he should not make use directly or indirectly of his contacts in government to influence policy or secure business or funding on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply or its members.

The letter containing the Committee’s advice was sent in February 2018 and the appointment was announced the same month.