Innovation buying frameworks

Frameworks provide rules, principles, models and guidelines that help structure and support project planning, decision-making and task execution. The right frameworks can protect outcomes and support buying teams to achieve their objectives.

Framework definition

A framework is a supporting structure that provides a foundation for building something else, such as a software solution or a business process. It offers reusable components, design patterns and a structure that helps teams to streamline their work. Think of it as a template or a set of rules and guidelines that helps ensure consistency and efficiency.

Why innovation buying projects need supporting frameworks

When buying teams face uncertainty – knowing the problem but not yet the solution – they can lean on existing frameworks for risk, probity and stakeholder management but need extra support to use them effectively. This page introduces the existing tools that can be adapted to navigate complexity without compromising governance. And where no framework currently exists – such as agile procurement for the public sector – we introduce one.

Buying teams can refer to this guidance to develop robust project management practices and ways of working that will help stay compliant while moving all stakeholders smoothly through a complex procurement. The frameworks' guidance helps buying teams take a systematic approach to:

Stakeholder management: Identify, engage and manage the experts you need to support your project success.
Agile public procurement: Apply agile methodologies to support iterative testing and learning to achieve great innovation buying outcomes.
Risk management: Apply your agency’s risk framework to an innovation buying project.
Probity: Protect practices that foster innovation while navigating treatments for probity risk.

When to apply frameworks

Frameworks support the end-to-end innovation buying journey and should be considered and applied as early as possible. Buying teams that build all four supporting frameworks into their project management and work practices from the outset will experience a smoother buying journey and are more likely to achieve their objectives.

Diagram showing the difference phases of the innovation buying journey

Figure 1: Stakeholder management, Agile public procurement, Risk management and Probity are the key frameworks that support the end-to-end Innovation buying journey.

Stakeholder management

Stakeholders support every step of the innovation buying journey. Buying teams should apply the Stakeholder management framework as early as possible. This will ensure the right stakeholders have input to the research and decisions that happen in very early steps and will minimise delays at later steps.

Agile procurement

Agile procurement is the recommended approach for managing innovation procurement, or a multi-stage approach, where there is uncertainty about the end solution. It is particularly well adapted for ICT and digital procurement where there is a high likelihood that agile methodologies will be used to deliver the solution. Buying teams should apply the agile public procurement framework as early as possible. There are specific actions to either prepare for, or implement, an Agile procurement framework at each phase of procurement.

Risk management

Risk management should start early in the Discover phase of a multi-stage procurement process. Understanding risks helps teams to undertake each step in the Discover phase. Each step in turn refines the buying team's understanding of risks and controls. It is important that controls are set early in a multi-stage procurement and regularly maintained through every step of the process.

Probity

If buying teams are likely to engage directly with suppliers, probity planning should start at the Market research step. If not, probity planning will start with the Iteration plan step and may need to be budgeted for within a business case.