The government plans to use electronic auction software to allow private sector companies to bid more easily for public contracts.

Whitehall purchasing arm the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is handling the project, which will involve several systems from different suppliers.

Government departments and private sector suppliers will be able to use the auctions for tenders with set criteria.

'There has been some concern about the government's use of online auctions,' said an OGC spokesman. 'But we won't, for example, use them to advertise a contract for the building of a hospital because there are too many criteria. But if we wanted 20 lorry-loads of bricks, that would be fine, because bricks are bricks.'

The OGC says the use of electronic auctions will speed up the procurement process for set-criteria contracts. The technology will also reduce bidding costs for suppliers, as well as attracting smaller companies to pitch for work.

'There are circumstances where the auction can tie up these deals and get them moving,' said the spokesman.

The auction facilities are expected to be in place by early November.

(Blob) Civil servants with experience in programme and project management are to be offered additional career support to ensure that major IT and construction projects are well managed and avoid failure.

The Programme and Project Management Specialism is a joint initiative between the OGC and the Cabinet Office Corporate Development Group.

The project links in with the OGC's Centres of Excellence initiative, which focuses on the good delivery of programmes and projects (Computing, 13 March).

'A longer term aim is to provide a central source of expertise and advice on programme and project management for all members of the civil service who are involved in programme and project delivery,' said OCG chief executive Peter Gershon.