Issue - meetings

Report DRR12/ 096120

Members discussed a report concerning the best way for the Council to procure professional consultancy services since the cessation of its consultancy agreement with Frankham Consultancy Group at the end of 2010.  Currently without a framework consultant each contract had been tendered separately in line with Contract Procedure rules.  However, over the next 4 years the Council was planning to deliver up to £19m of capital projects through Basic Needs Capital Grant as part of its programme to deliver sufficient school place across the Borough as well as up to £5m for other departments.  The Council’s spend on consultancy services to deliver the capital building projects over this period was estimated in the region of £3-4m.  Consideration had therefore been given to various options to procure consultancy services, the pros and cons of which were detailed in the report.  Based on the outcome of this work the Executive’s approval was being sought to the procurement of professional consultancy services through existing London frameworks with the London Boroughs of Haringey and Lewisham. 

In response to member questions the officers advised that although the Council would be entering into agreements with the Boroughs for use of their framework services it was not obliged to use them for every scheme.  In addition the Council would not be committing any funding for this other than a joining fee of £1000 annually over the 4 year period for the Lewisham agreement.  A full of appraisal of Haringey’s framework would be carried once the Access Agreement was signed.

RESOLVED that

1)  the proposed strategy for the procurement of multi disciplinary consultancy services for the delivery of the Council’s Education Capital Programme and other capital building works be agreed; and

2)  the Director of Resources be authorised to negotiate and enter into the Access Agreements under the Construction Related Consultants Services (CRCS 212) Framework Agreement led by Haringey Council and the London Borough of Lewisham Framework Agreement for Construction-Related Consultancy services in accordance with clauses 3.6.1 and 13.1 of the Council’s Contact Procedure Rules.