Single Source Regulations Office
Detail of outcome
The SSRO has published its response to its consultation on the enabling changes it proposes to make to the Defence Contract Analysis and Reporting System (DefCARS). The enabling changes were data upload capability; access to historic reports and corrections to reported data; data validation and compliance; and user feedback.
We consulted in advance of the Ministry of Defence concluding and implementing its proposals to amend reporting requirements in the Single Source Contract Regulations, as these enabling changes will also support future updates to DefCARS.
Stakeholders were generally supportive of the SSROs proposals and made helpful suggestions of things to consider before any system changes are made.
The SSRO will proceed with a trial of data upload functionality for an element of a report to test out this approach with a small group of contractors before wider implementation. As part of this trial we will test how data validation and compliance functionality work with uploaded data. Our proposals relating to corrections to historic report data will not be implemented at this stage and will be subject to further consultation, however we do still plan to implement some controls around corrections in the future. Stakeholders were supportive about providing user feedback within DefCARS: this proposal will be taken forward. We will keep our Operational Working Group stakeholders informed regarding the timing of and any changes to our plans.
Original consultation
Consultation description
The SSRO has been operating its Defence Contract Analysis and Reporting System (DefCARS) since the single source regulatory framework was introduced in 2014. DefCARS is used by contractors with qualifying defence contracts to submit statutory reports. The SSRO continues to invest its resources into the evolution and improvement of DefCARS and is now planning changes to enable updates to DefCARS that will make it simpler and more efficient for users to submit their reports.
The SSRO is publishing a consultation paper explaining the planned enabling changes and asks some specific questions on these for users of the system. The SSRO will consider responses to the consultation to inform its system development.
Responding to the consultation
This is a public consultation, which is open to anyone with an interest in the SSROs two statutory aims of ensuring that good value for money is obtained in government expenditure on qualifying contracts and that the prices paid under these contracts are fair and reasonable.
The consultation runs until 5.00 pm Tuesday 21 March 2023. A consultation workshop is also being held on Monday 20 February 2023 for members of the SSROs Operational Working Group and Reporting and IT sub-group. Written responses should be sent:
- by email to consultations@ssro.gov.uk (preferred); or
- by post to: Compliance and Review methodology consultation responses, SSRO, Finlaison House, 15-17 Furnival Street, London, EC4A 1AB.
- by telephone including arranging an appointment to speak to the SSRO about the consultation: 0203 314 4089.
