A proposal for a Collaborative working partnership

Subject: Shifting from Transactional Contracting to Strategic Value Delivery

My name is Lizz Robinson, and I founded Optimance Solutions after spending the better part of two decades immersed in the UK's most complex infrastructure procurements and programmes. I'm writing to you not as a typical consultant, but as a potential partner.

I've seen the industry from all sides – as a management consultant at EY on the £15bn National Highways procurement, as a director at Mace growing a framework from nothing to £30m, and leading strategic relationships for Skanska. I've been in the engine room, designing the performance models and commercial strategies, and I've been on the ground, managing the contracts and the supply chain relationships long after the ink has dried.

Throughout that journey, one thing has become glaringly clear to me: the old, transactional ways of working are broken. We spend incredible effort crafting intricate contracts, only to see value leak away through adversarial behaviours, poor mobilisation, and a fundamental disconnect between the procurement's intent and the reality of delivery. The introduction of the Procurement Act 2023 isn't just a regulatory change; it’s a formal acknowledgement of this, a nudge towards a more collaborative, value-focused future.

But real change isn't delivered through legislation alone. It comes from a shift in mindset and culture.

This is where I believe we can work together. My entire approach is built on the idea that high performance is a direct result of strong relationships and psychological safety. It’s about creating an environment where the client, the delivery partners, and the supply chain are aligned under a single vision. It's something I championed when managing the National Highways CPMS framework, and it's what I helped embed during the transformation of their procurement models.

So, what does a collaboration look like?

This isn't about me coming in with a fixed 'solution'. It's about me bringing my experience to your specific challenges and us working through them together. My expertise really lies in a few key areas:

Designing Procurements for the Real World: I have a knack for developing performance and incentivisation models – particularly with NEC contracts – that actually drive the right behaviours, rather than just ticking boxes. It’s about making the contract a tool for collaboration, not a weapon.
Bridging the Gap to Delivery: I can help ensure the brilliant strategy conceived during procurement doesn't get lost in translation. This means robust mobilisation planning, creating clear guidance for your teams, and ensuring the supply chain truly understands what's expected of them from day one.
Transforming Supplier Relationships: I've worked to co-create Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) programmes that move the conversation from purely commercial to genuinely strategic. It’s about understanding each other’s business models to find mutual value, which is something I feel quite strongly about.
Navigating the People Part of Change: I’m passionate about the human side of business change. Whether it's running workshops, developing training, or just providing mentorship, I can help get your teams and stakeholders engaged and on board with new ways of working.
Maintaining independence from transaction commercial arrangements: As an independent service provider, I bring neutrality, fresh perspective, and professional structure to collaborative sessions—minimising politics, keeping discussions focused, and accelerating clear, actionable outcomes that build credibility and engagement.

I don’t run a large, impersonal consultancy. Optimance is just me. When we work together, you get my undivided attention and the full weight of my experience on projects for National Highways, HS2, and in the defence sector.

Perhaps you're grappling with how to embed the principles of the new Act, or maybe you have a live contract that isn't performing as you'd hoped. Whatever the challenge, I suspect it won't be solved by just another process document.

I would welcome the opportunity to have a straightforward, honest conversation about the challenges you're facing and to explore whether my experience could be of genuine value to you.

Expert Partner for a public procurement & compliant contract performance

Subject: Mazimising value and ensuring compliance under the Procurement Act 2023

Introduction: Navigating a New Era of Public Procurement

The Procurement Act 2023 represents the most significant change to public sector procurement in a generation. It creates a new landscape focused on delivering public good, maximising value for money, and fostering stronger supplier relationships. While this presents immense opportunity, it also introduces new complexities in both pre-award procurement and post-award contract performance management.

Optimance Solutions Ltd, led by Lizz Robinson, is uniquely positioned to guide public sector clients through this transition.

With a proven track record in designing and managing multi-billion-pound infrastructure contracts for clients like National Highways and HS2, Lizz offers a rare blend of strategic procurement design, robust commercial acumen, and hands-on contract performance expertise.

The mission is to help you not only comply with the new regulations but to leverage them to drive strategic outcomes, build collaborative supply chain partnerships, and deliver exceptional public value.

Why Lizz Robinson? A Specialist in High-Value Procurement

Lizz’s career is defined by her ability to bridge the gap between procurement strategy and successful delivery, making her the ideal advisor for the challenges of the PA2023.

Deep Public Sector Experience: Direct, hands-on experience leading and advising on some of the UK's most significant and complex public procurements (National Highways' Regional Delivery Partnership, Smart Motorways Alliance, HS2 MWCC).
Expertise in Performance & Incentivisation: A natural flair for designing bespoke performance models (NEC, ECC, PSC) that move beyond transactional metrics to incentivise collaboration, innovation, and strategic alignment with your core objectives.
Mastery of Supplier Relationship Management (SRM): Proven ability to co-create SRM strategies that transform client-supplier dynamics from transactional to truly integrated, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and mutual value.
Business Change Leadership: Passionate about embedding change effectively. Lizz excels in developing clear guidance, engaging stakeholders at all levels, and delivering training that ensures new procurement and contract management processes are understood and adopted successfully.
Outstanding Commercial Growth: As Framework Director for the National Highways CPMS contract, Lizz grew revenue from £0 to £30 million, demonstrating a sharp ability to identify opportunities, win work through secondary competition, and lead high-performing teams.

Our Services: Tailored Support for the PA2023 Lifecycle

Optimance offers end-to-end support to help you excel under the new Act. How We Help You Succeed under the PA2023:

1. Procurement Strategy & Design: We help you design procurement strategies that align with the Act’s principles, ensuring your approach is robust, transparent, and structured to attract the right partners and drive value for money from day one.

2. Performance Model Development: We create bespoke performance frameworks and KPI structures that incentivise the collaborative behaviours and outcomes central to the new Act, ensuring suppliers are motivated to deliver against your strategic goals.

3. Contract Mobilisation & Transition: We ensure a seamless transition from procurement to live delivery. This includes authoring clear Framework Information, developing contract administration guides, and managing business change to embed new ways of working.

4. Post-Award Contract Performance: We provide expert advisory on managing live contracts, optimising supply chain performance, and implementing effective governance to ensure the value identified during procurement is realised throughout the contract lifecycle.

5. Strategic Supplier Relationships: We help you develop and implement SRM programmes that build trust, facilitate open communication, and drive long-term strategic alignment with your key suppliers, fostering an environment of innovation and partnership.

6. Training & Capability Building: We develop and deliver targeted training materials for your teams, enhancing their understanding and practical application of new contracts and performance management approaches, ensuring long-term success.

Proven Track Record: Highlights

National Highways (£15bn Procurement): Led the performance workstream for the Regional Development Partnership, designing the performance and incentivisation model to drive collaborative working and continuous improvement across the supply chain.
HS2 (MWCC Procurement): Acted as a key member of the project delivery team, translating complex operational requirements into clear contractual terminology to form part of the scope and framework information and building stakeholder collaboration to improve delivery.
Mace Consult (CPMS Framework Director): Led a team of 80 people and grew the National Highways framework to £30 million, demonstrating exceptional leadership and an ability to deliver service excellence based on a deep understanding of client needs.
**Confidential Defiance Client (£*m Procurement): Design and implementation of a bespoke performance model to incentivise suppliers in alignment with the client's new operating model, removing traditional transactional behaviours in favour of a collaborative environment and being compliant with The Procurement Act 2023.