144 Procurement Strategy 2020-2023 PDF 118 KB
To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report.
Additional documents:
Decision:
RESOLVED – That publication and implementation of the Procurement Strategy 2020-2023 be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION:
To update the Council’s approach and vision for procurement.
Minutes:
Jane Fineman, Head of Finance, Procurement and Parking introduced the report that outlined the Council’s approach and vision to procurement and to seek approval for the publication and implementation of the new Procurement Strategy for the period 2020-2023.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- The current strategy was published in 2014 and now needed to be updated.
- The new draft strategy had been available for some time, but many of the procurement regulations were driven by EU Regulations and had therefore been on hold subject to the impact of Brexit. This had taken much longer than anticipated.
- It had now been established that any short to medium term changes were likely to be minimal and as such the Council was now in a position to move forward.
- The key areas of focus were, compliance and process, stakeholder engagement, skills development and training and incorporating the Social Value Act.
- It would ensure that the process was efficient and automated where possible. Supplier engagement would seek to ensure quality bids from suppliers and collaboration with other authorities to share the procurement burden. In addition to look at revenue creation by offering expertise to other organisations.
- The strategy would be set for 3 years, after which the Council would carry out a review. If there was a significant development in the interim, a review to include any new information would be carried out.
- Publication was proposed for March 2020.
- The inclusion of Climate Emergency into the Strategy was welcomed.
RESOLVED – That publication and implementation of the Procurement Strategy 2020-2023 be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION:
To update the Council’s approach and vision for procurement.
97 Procurement Strategy 2020-2023 PDF 118 KB
To consider and provide a recommendation to Cabinet on the proposals set out in the attached Report.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Jane Fineman, Head of Finance, Procurement and Parking introduced the report that outlined the Council’s approach and vision to procurement and to seek approval for the publication and implementation of a new Procurement Strategy for the period 2020-2023.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- The current strategy was published in 2014 and now needed to be updated.
- The draft strategy had been available for some time, but many of the procurement regulations were driven by EU Regulations, as such had been put on hold subject to the impact of Brexit.
- It had now been established that any short to medium term changes were likely to be minimal. The Council were now in a position to move forward.
- The strategy would be set for 3 years, after which the Council would carry out a review.
- Publication was proposed for March 2020.
- The information received from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and current legal advice was that the procurement process would remain the same. Details of any new process and a timeframe for implementation were as yet unknown.
- The remit of the procurement team was to ensure the contract was compliant and a procurement process was in place. Contract management was undertaken by another part of the Council. The Operational Manager was responsible for managing the contract.
- The contract process was fully compliant with monitoring processes in place. A Mid Kent Audit Services Report looked at the contract management side and found that there was areas that could be improved. TWBC were now looking at possible solutions, one of which might be to give that responsibility to the procurement team.
- A Member suggested that they felt there was a lack of provision for dealing with under performing contractors. In addition, a lack of measures in place that would allow a contract to be terminated early and to provide replacement services should this happen.
- A report was due shortly that would detail the first year of the new Waste contract. The Council could be vulnerable should a contractor underperform and this perhaps needed to be looked at further.
- ‘Step-in’ rights existed where another contractor could be brought in where the existing contractor was underperforming. If not already included, the Council should consider including this when contracts were let.
RESOLVED – That the recommendations to Cabinet set out in the Report be supported.