Agenda item

The Board received a report of the Strategic Director Environment which detailed the recommendations of the Policy Board’s Scrutiny Panel regarding the Council’s Procurement Policy and its role in developing local employment opportunities.

 

It was advised that having considered the views and comments that emerged from a series of interviews and study groups, convened with a broad cross section of Council Officers, who were responsible for procurement, interviews with local businesses, desk research and analysis of other local authority web based procurement data, and the findings of a procurement study undertaken with local businesses, the Panel recommended the following:

 

a)     A Meet the Buyer Event be convened to provide businesses with an opportunity to meet key buyers from the public services based in Halton (proposed lead – local strategic partnerships/environment)

b)     A workshop/s be convened for small businesses to advise them on the Council’s Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) requirements, and tendering arrangements (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy/Environment)

c)      A review of the Council’s term contract conditions be undertaken with a view to identifying ways in which they can be amended to benefit local businesses in order that they seek a commitment from council contractors, prior to being appointed, to consider using local suppliers as part of their supply chain to deliver the service they are being contracted to provide. (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy)

d)     Explore the potential for establishing an email tender alert system, to advise business when Council tenders above £1m are being let and also sending the alert to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Employment, Learning and Skills PPB (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy)

e)     Produce a printed/electronic leaflet on “How to do Business with the Council” the printed leaflet to be distributed to Halton businesses. In addition an abridged version of this be laminated and sent to business in order to be displayed at all times (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy/Environment)

f)        Training at a professional level be undertaken for officers engaged in letting and managing contracts valued over £1m (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy)

g)     A pre-tendering review system be established to ensure that policies and procedures, relating to procurement are being followed (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy)

h)      Where there is a Halton based dealership, the dealership be used for the servicing and repair of Council lease cars and leasing contracts be amended accordingly (proposed lead – Environment)

i)        Measures be taken to ensure that local businesses benefit from the Mersey Gateway Project and other major capital works to be undertaken in the Borough during the coming years (proposed lead – Environment)

j)        A study be undertaken to determine the skills and training needs and measures taken to address them, in respect of the Mersey Gateway and associated capital works programme, to ensure that Halton’s residents are able to take full advantage of the employment opportunity that the programme of works will offer (proposed lead – Environment)

k)      Progress on issues relating to employment in respect of the Mersey Gateway and other related capital projects be reported to the Employment Learning and Skills Policy and Performance Board on a half-yearly basis (proposed lead – Environment)

l)        Explore ways in which the Council’s procurement policies can be used as a vehicle for generating apprenticeship opportunities with council contractors (proposed lead – Environment)

 

 

Detailed in the report were the cost estimates for each recommendation. It was advised that the majority of these could be carried out within the existing budget, therefore implemented quite quickly.

 

The Board stressed the importance of ensuring to seek assurances that companies use local employers and not sub-contract the work out. The Board also discussed the Council’s apprenticeship programme and suggested that the Council take leadership of the apprenticeship system and review the process of current training schemes.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1) the Executive Board be asked to consider and comment on the Scrutiny Panel’s recommendations at the earliest opportunity as follows:

 

a)                 A Meet the Buyer Event be convened to provide businesses with an opportunity to meet key buyers from the public services based in Halton (proposed lead – local strategic partnerships/environment)

b)                 A workshop/s be convened for small businesses to advise them on the Council’s Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) requirements, and tendering arrangements (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy/Environment)

c)                 A review of the Council’s term contract conditions be undertaken with a view to identifying ways in which they can be amended to benefit local businesses in order that they seek a commitment from council contractors, prior to being appointed, to consider using local suppliers as part of their supply chain to deliver the service they are being contracted to provide. (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy)

d)                 Explore the potential for establishing an email tender alert system, to advise business when Council tenders above £1m are being let and also sending the alert to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Employment, Learning and Skills PPB (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy)

e)                 Produce a printed/electronic leaflet on “How to do Business with the Council” the printed leaflet to be distributed to Halton businesses. In addition an abridged version of this be laminated and sent to business in order to be displayed at all times (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy/Environment)

f)                   Training at a professional level be undertaken for officers engaged in letting and managing contracts valued over £1m (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy)

g)                 A pre-tendering review system be established to ensure that policies and procedures, relating to procurement are being followed (proposed lead – Corporate and Policy)

h)                 Where there is a Halton based dealership, the dealership be used for the servicing and repair of Council lease cars and leasing contracts be amended accordingly (proposed lead – Environment)

i)                   Measures be taken to ensure that local businesses benefit from the Mersey Gateway Project and other major capital works to be undertaken in the Borough during the coming years (proposed lead – Environment)

j)                    A study be undertaken to determine the skills and training needs and measures taken to address them, in respect of the Mersey Gateway and associated capital works programme, to ensure that Halton’s residents are able to take full advantage of the employment opportunity that the programme of works will offer (proposed lead – Environment)

k)                 Progress on issues relating to employment in respect of the Mersey Gateway and other related capital projects be reported to the Employment Learning and Skills Policy and Performance Board on a half-yearly basis (proposed lead – Environment)

l)                    Explore ways in which the Councils procurement policies can be used as a vehicle for generating apprenticeship opportunities with council contractors (proposed lead – Environment)

 

 

(2) the Employment, Learning and Skills Policy and Performance Board considered the issue further including any comments which the Executive Board may have made at the next available meeting of the Board; and

 

(3) the Council take leadership on apprenticeship schemes and review the process of current training.