Procurement Services

IT Purchasing Group Remit

The role of the Group is to promote best practice and best value for money in the procurement and maintenance of Information Technology (IT) related products across the University.

The main functions of the group include:

  1. To build on the expertise in product selection, assessment and support provided by the Computing Service, by augmenting it with the experience of departments and Colleges throughout the University, thus establishing a forum where the issues surrounding IT purchasing can be discussed and recommendations made.

  2. To act as a central repository for IT purchasing information and experience, to be shared amongst the Group members and disseminated throughout the wider University IT support community.

  3. To establish, manage and promoteframework contracts/preferred supplier lists, drawing upon the experience of the whole University to create a directory of suppliers that reflect and can satisfy its unique range of requirements.

  4. To provide a forum for departments and Colleges to raise issues surrounding the purchasing of IT, and communicate these, where appropriate, to the relevant suppliers, carrying the authority of a representative University-wide body.

  5. To act as a link between the IT support community in the University and the various national and regional IT consortia active within the sphere of higher education, ensuring that the University makes best use of its influence in any contracts and agreements negotiated by them.

  6. To assist Procurement Services in ensuring that IT-related purchasing in the University complies with national and European legislation, thereby reducing the risk of legal challenge and associated expense.

  7. To identify areas of IT expenditure where central contracts and agreements will be most beneficial to the University, and to assist in the negotiation and operation of such arrangements.

The membership of the IT Purchasing Group has been set by the IT Syndicate to create a representative view of the way in which IT equipment, software and services are purchased within all the institutions of the University. The Membership structure of the ITPG is as follows, with sub-groups being established to manage individual studies, chosen by or drawn from the Group as required:

  • Chairman: Appointed by the IT Syndicate
  • Secretariat: Procurement Service
  • Membership:
    1. 2 IT support staff from each school (Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Technology)
    2. 2 IT support staff from the Colleges
    3. 2 members of MISD staff
    4. 4 Computing Service staff
    5. 1 member of University Library staff

Each member of the ITPG is selected by the body that he or she represents and is responsible for disseminating information from the ITPG back into that institution.