Agenda item

Report of Elections and Members’ Services Team Leader

 

Including questions to the Leader of the Council on the following elements of his Portfolio:

 

• The Council’s procurement strategy
• Co-location arrangements with partners

 

 

The Chair welcomed Mark Kimberley, Corporate Director, who, in the absence of Councillor J Clarke, responded to questions from Members on the following elements of the Leader’s Portfolio:

 

·         The Council’s procurement strategy

 

·         Co - location arrangements with partners

 

Questions from Members and responses received:

 

1. How successfully are we contracting with local suppliers?

 

Members were informed that whilst the Council is not empowered through its Standing Orders to target local suppliers, it does have a duty to achieve best value. The benefit to local suppliers is assured through on-going performance monitoring, which gives specific weighting to the payment of local suppliers within 10 days of receipt of invoice.

 

Details of performance monitoring data circulated to Members demonstrated that around 42% of the Council’s suppliers are local and a 10 day payment rate of 96.21% is achieved. A survey recently undertaken using the creditors system indicated a 99.1% satisfaction rate.

 

The Corporate Director explained that larger contracts are likely to be with national/multi-national organisations.

 

2.    Are we still sharing a procurement officer post with Rushcliffe, and does the role bring savings to the Council?

 

The Corporate Director confirmed that the shared service arrangement is still in place and that the role is predominantly concerned with ensuring our compliance with Standing Orders and EU regulations and completion of returns to National Government. Additionally the officer has an advisory role on cost saving framework agreements, such as the national mobile phone agreement.

 

The Corporate director further explained that any targeting of local suppliers would depend on the thresholds reached by the contract as set out in the Council’s Standing Orders – for contracts under 10k, it had been custom and practice to obtain 3 local quotes, whereas for contracts over 50k the Council is required to advertise nationally. For contracts of over 130k full compliance with EU regulations would be required.   

 

3.    Would we target a local supplier in cases where an area of work is likely to attract a local supplier?

 

Members were informed that EU regulations differentiate between works contracts of 3/4m in value and service contracts of 130k in value. The Council’s Contract Standing Orders do not specify, which in practice means that building contract works are taken through quite a complex route. Members were informed that whilst there are no current plans to re-examine this situation, there is potential scope to do so in future.    

 

4. How are co - location arrangements progressing?
5. What are the future plans for co-location?
6. What benefits are being demonstrated, and what future benefits do we hope to achieve?

 

The Corporate Director gave an overview of current and imminent co-location plans, which included arrangements with:

 

·         Nottinghamshire County Council

·         Gedling Homes

·         Citizens Advice Bureau

·         Department of Work and Pensions

·         The ‘Ridewise’ Charity

·         Central College

·         Individual staff from other organisations

 

Members were informed that we have recently entered into more integrated plans with the Nottingham North East Clinical Commissioning Group and are moving towards combined frontline service arrangements with the Department for Work and Pensions.

 

The Corporate Director circulated a floor plan of the foyer area and explained the rationale behind alterations to Customer Services, which represented a radical development to the way in which the Council would provide frontline services in future. The plan included 15 new work stations for DWP staff to enable them to provide a slightly more expanded service to that currently provided in Arnold.

 

Plans had been approved by the Portfolio Holder and it was expected that a lease would be signed by early November 2013, with full occupation in place by June 2014 and services commencing in Sept 2014. Shared services would include reception/greetings facilities and ‘queue busting’ activity. Members were informed that it would be a fully managed and expanded service which may double the number of people using the Customer Services facility.      

 

The Corporate Director then outlined proposals for shared services with the Police Service and Nottinghamshire Police Commissioner.

 

Members were informed that the original plans to upgrade an area at the Depot to enable co location of Police and GBC public protection had changed, as the County Council public protection functions are now also coming on board. Proposals involve co location between all three authorities at the Home Brewery site. Interrelated to this proposal is the likely relocation of the office of the Nottinghamshire Police Commissioner to the upper floor of Arnot Hill House. A pre - Christmas signing of leases is anticipated.

 

The Corporate Director addressed a number of questions from Members about the financial arrangements, consistency of service and added value for customers. It was explained that the co-location proposals represent a wider strategy to establish GBC as a ‘Virtual Unitary Authority’ of integrated services, and that the approach is being viewed as a frontrunner which is likely to be replicated by neighbouring authorities.

 

The Chair thanked Corporate Director Mark Kimberley for the presentation.

 

Quarterly Performance Monitoring: Quarter 1 2013/14

 

Stephen Bray, Corporate Director, provided an overview of Quarter 1 performance.

In Depth Scrutiny

 

The Chair asked Members to note the following arrangements for scoping meetings of the two in – depth Scrutiny reviews appointed at the last committee.

 

1.    Homelessness and hardship in the Borough

 

Working Group members: Councillors Lawrence, Weisz, Blair, Paling, Hope, P. Allan, Bexon, Hewson, Hughes.

 

Tuesday 22^nd October, 5 – 6pm in the Committee Room

 

2.    Reducing unemployment in the Borough

 

Working Group Members:Councillors Wheeler, R. Ellis, R. Allan, Bailey, Gregory P. Andrews, Hewson, Hughes.

 

Tuesday 29^th October, 5 – 6pm in the Reception Room

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    To note the information provided by Corporate directors about both specific areas of the Leader’s Portfolio and wider Council Quarter 1 performance

 

2.    To not the meetings set for in depth reviews ‘Homelessness and Hardship in the Borough’ and ‘Reducing Unemployment in the Borough.’