Presentation by the Assistant Director Law and Governance
Minutes:
The Head of Procurement and Principal Lawyer (Commercial)gave a presentation on the process and procedures in place within the Authority in relation to procurement.
The presentation covered the
legal and contractual obligations, the internal and EU thresholds,
the role of the Procurement Board, compliance and monitoring of the
agreed processes, existing frameworks, documentation, spend
information and social value in Procurement.
Discussion ensued on the role
of the Procurement Board as the main Officer decision-making forum
for procurement decisions; the involvement of Members in monitoring
compliance with the processes and procedures, through the Annual
Procurement Plan which was reported to Cabinet and which gave
visibility to Members of all existing and new contracts which were
over £100,000; the requirement, under the Local Government
Transparency Code 2014, to publish all procurements with a value
that exceeded £5000 on a Contract Register; the need for all
Officers to comply with the Council’s Contract Procedure
Rules; and the approach in balancing cost and quality when
considering tender specifications.
Particular reference was also made to the social value of contracts
and it was reported that all local businesses and small and medium
enterprises were encouraged to participate in tendering processes
and that Officers should use tender procedures which encouraged
maximum participation, including preliminary market consultation
and the splitting up of contracts into lots that might encourage
wider participation.
RESOLVED – That the presentation be noted.