Public tenders cited as being ineffective

The process of design procurement for public projects is open to ‘all sorts of fiddling’ and is an ineffective tool for selecting the best design, according to Alan Bird, a partner in Surrey exhibition design consultancy Axiom Design Partnership.

Bird has cancelled his membership of the Chartered Society of Designers over what he claims is the organisation’s failure to support his campaign to the Audit Office to change the way design is procured. He claims that public tenders are often not conducted fairly and are open to manipulation.

‘The Audit Office accepted the validity of what I said and advised that with the backing of my professional society, it could recommend changes. But the CSD executive refused,’ says Bird.

CSD chief executive Frank Peters was unavailable for comment.