Model Services Contract MSC
The Sourcing Playbook, Government Guidance on service delivery, including outsourcing, insourcing, mixed economy sourcing and contracting, was produced by the Cabinet Office and published in May 2021. The Sourcing playbook emphasises that the delivery of public services is a collaborative endeavour involving colleagues from commercial, finance, project delivery, policy and other professions. It proposes to capture best practices from across the Government within 11 key policies that all central departments are expected to follow.
According to the Sourcing playbook, “the Model Services Contract (MSC) is a starting point for a wide range of government services. It comprises a set of model terms and conditions for major services contracts. The MSC is intended for use by commercial specialists and lawyers and aims to aid assurance and reduce administration, legal costs and negotiation time. The whole of the MSC should be reviewed to ensure it meets the needs of the project. Some of the schedules require detailed input to make sure they reflect the specific services being procured.”
For more information see: The Sourcing Playbook.
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