Platform URL: https://www.publicsector.co.uk/
1
The COCOO-OSCAR Doctrine: A Strategic Model for Public Sector Network Intelligence
This doctrine establishes the protocol for interrogating the OSCAR (Online System for Central Accounting and Reporting) research database, accessible via the Public Sector Network portal. This is not a simple government directory; it is a deep intelligence asset for mapping the entire UK public sector ecosystem. We will weaponize this platform to identify the key decision-makers, map the intricate networks of power and responsibility, uncover systemic inefficiencies to fuel our USP
campaigns, and find the precise individuals to target with our Challenge Discretion
and WPI
(Public Interest) initiatives. This platform is the human intelligence layer that connects all our other data-driven strategies.
1. Core Principles of Interrogation
Our use of the OSCAR database is governed by the most incisive principles of the COCOO framework. We are not just finding departments; we are identifying the people who run them.
- Mapping the Human Network: The core principle is that government is run by people. This platform’s greatest strength is its database of over 210,000 public sector contacts across 80,000 organisations. We will use this to move beyond organisational charts and map the human network of power, identifying the specific individuals responsible for policy, procurement, and regulation.
- The
Challenge Discretion
Targeting System: ToChallenge Discretion
, we must know who to challenge. 1 This platform is our targeting system. It allows us to identify the specific Director-General, Head of Procurement, or Policy Lead within a department, providing a named individual to hold accountable for anEnforcement Gap
or a flawed decision. 1 - The High-Precision
USP
Engine: An Unsolicited Proposal (USP
) is most effective when it solves a specific person’s problem. 1 We will use OSCAR to identify the exact individual whose remit covers the problem ourUSP
solves. A proposal addressed directly to the “Head of Digital Transformation” about a new efficiency tool is infinitely more powerful than one sent to a generic departmental inbox. Competitor Analysis
Through Relationships: We will use the platform’s supplier intelligence to understand which companies (e.g.,Capita
,Serco
,Deloitte
) have the deepest relationships with which government departments. By mapping these long-standing supplier-buyer connections, we can better predict who will win contracts and identify opportunities to disrupt those relationships.
2. Weaponizing the Platform’s Arsenal: Capabilities and Search Rules
The power of this platform lies in its deep, structured data on public sector organisations and personnel. Its search capabilities are designed for granular analysis.
- Official Search Rules & Functionality: Based on the platform’s description as an “Organisational Intelligence and Benchmarketing Database,” the rules for interrogation are based on its powerful filtering and data-linking capabilities.
Feature / Filter | Function & Strategic Importance |
Organisation Search | Allows searching for any of the 80,000+ public service organisations. This is the entry point for mapping any part of the UK public sector. |
Contact Search | Allows searching the database of 210,000+ public sector contacts. This is our primary tool for identifying key decision-makers. |
Functional Categorisation | The database categorises contacts by over 700 functional areas and 8 management levels. This allows us to surgically target individuals with specific responsibilities (e.g., “Head of Procurement,” “Director of IT”). |
Organisational Type Filter | Allows us to isolate specific types of public bodies, such as Central Government , Local Government , NHS Trusts , Schools , or QUANGOS . |
Political Analysis | The platform includes data on political control and the number of seats for local authorities, providing a layer of political intelligence for our campaigns. |
Supplier Intelligence | The platform provides intelligence on contracts and suppliers, allowing us to see “who’s working for who, doing what and for how long.” |
3. Strategic Interrogation: The Questions We Ask
We interrogate OSCAR to find the people behind the policies and the relationships behind the contracts.
-
For
Challenge Discretion
& TheEnforcement Gap
:- “Who is the current Director of Enforcement at the
Financial Conduct Authority
? What is their direct contact information? Who do they report to within the organisation?” - “The
Environment Agency
has failed to act on water pollution. Provide a list of all senior management post-holders at the Agency with ‘water’ or ‘environment’ in their job function, and identify the responsible Director at the parent department,Defra
.”
- “Who is the current Director of Enforcement at the
-
For
USP
Origination:- “We have a
USP
on improving social care efficiency. Generate a list of all Directors of Adult Social Services in every Upper Tier Local Authority in England.” - “Which NHS Trusts have the oldest IT infrastructure, according to their contract award history? Who is the Chief Information Officer or Director of Digital Transformation at each of these Trusts?”
- “We have a
-
For
Competitor Analysis
:- “Which major consultancy firm (
PwC
,EY
,KPMG
,Deloitte
) has the most extensive contractual relationships withHM Treasury
? Who are their key contacts within the department?” - “Our competitor, “, holds a major contract with the
Ministry of Justice
. Which senior officials at the MoJ are responsible for managing this contract?”
- “Which major consultancy firm (
4. The COCOO-OSCAR Strategic Playbook: A Model for Action
The following playbooks provide standardized workflows for using OSCAR to generate actionable human and organisational intelligence.
Playbook A: The “Decision-Maker Map” Protocol
- Objective: For any given policy or procurement area, create a definitive map of the key individuals who hold the power to make decisions.
- Execution:
- Identify the Target Organisation: Start with the public body of interest (e.g.,
Department for Transport
). Use theOrganisation Search
to find its profile. - Map the Hierarchy: Analyze the organisational structure provided. Identify the key directorates or teams related to our area of interest (e.g., “Rail Infrastructure Group”).
- Isolate Key Personnel: Use the
Contact Search
and filter by the target organisation andFunctional categories
(e.g., “Rail,” “Procurement,” “Policy”). - Build the Dossier: Create a dossier listing the top 3-5 key individuals, including their job titles, management level, and contact information.
- Intelligence Pivot: Take the names of these key individuals and run them through the
RNS OC OS
pipeline: search them on OpenCorporates for any outside directorships and on OpenSanctions for political exposure or other risks. 1
- Identify the Target Organisation: Start with the public body of interest (e.g.,
- Strategic Outcome: This playbook produces an “Influence Dossier” that moves beyond generic departmental contacts. It gives COCOO a precise list of named individuals to target for lobbying,
USP
s, or legal challenges, dramatically increasing the effectiveness of our engagement.
Playbook B: The “Targeted USP
” Engine
- Objective: To ensure a COCOO Unsolicited Proposal lands on the desk of the one person in government who can champion it.
- Execution:
- Define the
USP
Solution: Start with a clear solution. Example: A new data analytics platform to reduce fraud in benefits payments. - Identify the Target Department: The clear target is the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
. - Find the Problem Owner: Use the OSCAR
Contact Search
. Filter byBuyer
: “Department for Work and Pensions” andFunctional categories
: “Fraud,” “Analytics,” “Digital,” “Counter-Fraud.” - Select the Recipient: The search might reveal a “Director of Counter-Fraud, Compliance and Debt” or a “Head of Data Analytics.” This is our target recipient.
- Deploy the
USP
: The proposal is now addressed directly to this individual. The opening line becomes: “As the person responsible for counter-fraud strategy at the DWP, you will be keenly aware of the challenges in [X]. Our analysis shows [Y]. COCOO has developed a solution that directly addresses this.”
- Define the
- Strategic Outcome: This playbook transforms a speculative
USP
into a direct, personal business proposal. It bypasses bureaucratic layers and speaks directly to the individual whose performance is measured by their ability to solve the very problem we are offering to fix.
Playbook C: The “Competitor Relationship” Audit
- Objective: To map the strength and nature of a competitor’s relationships within the public sector, identifying both threats and opportunities.
- Execution:
- Target the Competitor: Choose a major government supplier (e.g.,
Atos
). - Search by Supplier: Use the Bidstats functionality within OSCAR to search for all contracts awarded to
Atos
. - Identify Key Buyers: Analyze the results to find which government departments are their biggest and most frequent clients (e.g.,
DWP
,HMRC
,MoJ
). - Map the Contacts: For each key client department, use the
Contact Search
to identify the senior officials in the relevant functional areas (e.g., “IT Procurement,” “Major Projects”). These are the individuals who hold the relationship with our competitor.
- Target the Competitor: Choose a major government supplier (e.g.,
- Strategic Outcome: This playbook creates a “Relationship Intelligence Map.” It tells us where our competitors are most entrenched and who their key government sponsors are. This allows us to either avoid direct competition in their strongholds or, more aggressively, to target those relationships by offering a superior solution or highlighting the incumbent’s failures (using data from Violation Tracker) directly to the responsible official. 2