Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Contact: Jodie Kloss/Alan Garside  Email: legalanddemocratic@watford.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Work programme pdf icon PDF 38 KB

The Panel is asked to review the draft work programme for 2016/17.

Minutes:

 

The Chair introduced the draft work programme for 2016/17.  He explained the rationale for the content and the methodology in its preparation.  He advised members that issues relating to the community centres were monitored by the OSC.  In response to a question about rough sleepers, the Chair advised members that this matter was also monitored by the OSC.  Members debated the proposed programme agreeing that it was appropriate.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

the Panel agreed the work programme.

 

 

 

 

                                                                       

                                                                                   

 

                                                                                    Chair

                                                                                    Outsourced Services Scrutiny Panel

                The meeting started at 7.00 p.m.

                and finished at  8.45 p.m.

 

2.

Apologies for Absence/ Committee membership

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillor K Hastrick. 

 

3.

Disclosures of interest

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of interest.

 

4.

Minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 February 2016 to be submitted and signed.

 

Copies of the minutes of this meeting are usually available seven working days following the meeting.

 

(All minutes are available on the Council’s website.)

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 February 2016 were submitted and signed.

 

5.

Introduction to Procurement at Watford Borough Council pdf icon PDF 78 KB

Report of the Procurement Manager

 

A copy of a report on procurement efficiencies and the draft contract procedure rules are attached as background papers.

 

The Procurement Manager will attend the meeting to give a presentation and take questions.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Corporate Procurement Manager introduced the report and provided an overview of his role at Watford Borough Council and of his background. 

 

He gave a presentation to members on ‘Procurement and Contacts’ covering the following areas:

 

·        An overview of approach to procurement.

·        Governance ‘Contract Procedure Rules’.

·        Procurement process one – the specification stage.

·        Procurement process two – the tender procedure.

·        Relevant statistics.

·        Procurement performance indicators.

·        Savings made in 2015/16.

·        Social value in relation to procurement.

 

The Panel held discussions on the various subject areas during the presentation and the Corporate Procurement Manager responded to member’s questions.

 

In relation to the specification of contracts, the Chair discussed the Watford Borough Council information technology (IT) changes and the related Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE).  He inquired how well officers developed specifications.  The Corporate Procurement Manager explained that this could be variable; and his role was to support, advise, guide and challenge - and he was keen that specifications were flexible enough to accommodate service changes. 

 

He discussed the renewal of the new leisure contract and how a lead in time to 2018 would assist in the contract development process.  The Partnerships and Performance Section Head confirmed that TUPE applied to a number of Capita staff who had now been transferred to the Council.  

 

In response to a question about quality assuring specifications, the Corporate Procurement Manager explained that he looked through all of the information but would not necessarily have the background knowledge to comment on all technical aspects (depending on the service area) but he would challenge where necessary.  However, there was significant expertise in the authority by those drawing up the specifications; and consultants would be employed, where appropriate, bringing specialist knowledge.  He outlined which contracts would go to Cabinet for approval.

 

Members discussed the importance of specifications in the contract development process and how the TUPE procedure had been managed; with the Corporate Procurement Manager explaining about the successful transfer of staff to Veolia a number of years ago.  The Panel asked who was involved in preparing specifications (such as trade unions), what were the safeguards, how did monitoring take place and how value for money was achieved. 

 

The Corporate Procurement Manager clarified that TUPE matters involved Human Resources and the Legal Services team and that appropriate processes were followed.  He explained that a specification became the ‘yardstick’ against which a contractor would be measured.  He gave examples of future specification changes with service providers to demonstrate the importance of the specifications.  He outlined how equipment and hardware were protected under the Veolia and IT contracts to show how the interests of the Council were safeguarded.

 

Councillor Watkin provided an example of the successful ‘First Care’ contract relating to the recording of sickness by an outside provider.  This was now being utilised by other organisations that were making use of the framework agreement.  The Corporate Procurement Manager explained that positive feedback had been received from staff on the system – which was nurse led and with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Performance Report (Quarter 4 2015/16) pdf icon PDF 405 KB

Report of the Partnerships and Performance Section Head

 

The Panel is asked to note and comment on the performance of the identified outsourced service indicators at the end of quarter 4 (2015/16).

Minutes:

The Partnerships and Performance Section Head introduced the report.  She explained that a quarterly set of indicators were prepared to help measure implementation of the corporate plan.  She outlined how data was assembled for the Panel and how issues, such as housing, were monitored by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC).  She advised that members could ask for further information on the various areas monitored to be included in the report; for example, new indicators.  She highlighted that in the future there would be a greater emphasis on performance and bench marking – with the Council approaching organisations that benchmarked similar authorities. 

 

She explained that the style of the report had been improved with the greater use of graphics (members were very complimentary about this approach).  She outlined the reason that some indicators were achieved when at a low level; such as in the case of street cleansing (this was a complicated indicator with much analytical work in its preparation).  She explained why indicators were not presently available for the IT contract and reassured the Panel that the situation would be improved when Amicus took over the contract.

 

The Partnerships and Performance Section Head responded to members questions.

 

In response to a question about the setting of targets, she explained that these were set following the analysis of end of year data and would be challenging.  She encouraged the Panel to bring to her attention targets that they did not consider to be sufficiently challenging.

 

With regard to fly tipping; the Partnerships and Performance Section Head explained that as this was dealt with ‘in house’ it was monitored by the OSC.  Members requested that the Partnership and Performance Section Head approach OSC to see whether fly tipping could now be reported to the Panel owing to the ongoing interest in the subject by members.

 

Members discussed item ES4 in the report in relation to levels of litter (where a lower figure was the best performance) and asked the Partnership and Performance Section Head to find out why a target of four percent had been set for 2016/17 despite a level of 3.9 percent achieved last year.

 

In response to a further question, the Partnerships and Performance Section Head confirmed that indicators were included in contracts; citing an example of the leisure centre contact where steps were being taken to make these more sophisticated.  She explained that the Council did not initially seek default payments when aspects were not met; rather they would work in partnership with the contractors to resolve the issues.

 

The Panel discussed the out of hour’s service and asked the Partnerships and Performance Section Head to find out how this was monitored.

 

Members congratulated the Partnerships and Performance section Head on the generally good explanations in the report when targets were not met.

They discussed item ES5 in the report in relation to levels of detritus and requested the Partnership and Performance Section Head to find out why the performance was just below target.

 

Members discussed item  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

 

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