The Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources (MSTAR) framework was commissioned by the Local Government Professional Services Group with support from the Efficiency Reform Group and the Department for Education, and was coordinated by the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation.
It allows local authorities to save money when agreeing new temporary worker contracts by opting into a national arrangement, which allows back office efficiencies and the harnessing of recruitment best practice.
It is the first national temporary worker recruitment framework of its kind, sparing local authorities the time and cost of individually negotiating and agreeing contracts with recruitment companies. Following a bidding process, Manpower, the global leader in contingent and permanent recruitment workforce solutions, ranked the best and was one of only two companies appointed to all six 'lots' in the new (MSTAR) Framework. Manpower placed first or second in each of its bids to become an approved provider in all six of the 'lots' in the framework, which cover the spectrum of needs for local authorities and education customers. Local authorities spends hundreds of millions of pounds on agency staff, often in highly demanding, regulated environments, such as social care, where skills are scarce, despite the prevailing economic conditions.
Finding and retaining skills when they're needed in a challenging environment is critical to giving the public sector the flexibility it needs to meet its fiscal challenges. This Framework offers local authorities an opportunity to raise standards and reduce costs during the coming financially challenging period.
Mark Cahill, Managing Director at Manpower UK, which was one of the highest ranking companies in the bidding process, said:"At such a challenging time for local government, the entire sector will be under more pressure than ever before to deliver savings while maintaining quality of service. "As local government changes over the next few years, so must providers of contingent workforce solutions and the new MSTAR framework will ensure we can continue to offer the highest standards around the country in the new fiscal environment.
"Manpower's experience and expertise in all areas of local government means we stand ready to place skilled candidates across every service area.
"The new system for working with providers of contingent workforce solutions offers local authorities an opportunity to look afresh at new solutions to employment issues."
