Issue - meetings

CEO 01635

The report on the Corporate Contract Register and Contracts Database update had been written by Dave Starling (Head of Commissioning and Procurement). The report presented November’s 2017 Corporate Contracts Register for consideration.

The report recommended that the Contracts Sub Committee note the Contracts Register information, including the part 2 commentaries. The Sub-Committee was also asked to note the progress made in developing the Contracts Database.

The Director of Commissioning informed the Sub-Committee that the Contracts Database had gone live in April 2017. An alerting mechanism had been incorporated as an additional feature. This would alert Contract Managers to the requirement to begin a renewal process for a contract. It was also the case that when a waiver form was required, these could now be accessed via the database.

Members heard that hard copies of contracts were kept under seal in the legal department and details of all contracts could now be accessed online. The Chairman was pleased to hear this. He stressed the importance of the benefits to the Council of using this as a working tool, and the fact that it would allow for detailed scrutiny of contracts. He expressed the view that it would allow Portfolio Holders to hold officers to account.

The Chairman speculated that it may be possible in future to sell the database model to other councils, and that the work undertaken was an excellent piece of work that was non-existent in many other councils.  He said it was an extensively admirable piece of work completed in a short space of time.

A Member suggested that the concept of the database making money for the Council be looked at by the E&R Working Group on Income Generation, another Member responded that this was unlikely to happen. 

It was agreed that £50k be set aside from Central Contingency to complete the next stage of the development of the Contracts Database which was more complex as it dealt with the Authorisation Process to address issues previously raised by Internal Audit.

It had been highlighted by the Director of Commissioning that some staff members had worked very long hours and not taken annual leave so that the work on the Contracts Database could be completed on time. A Member suggested that a thank you letter be drafted. The Chief Executive stated that it was possible to reward those staff members with vouchers. 

RESOLVED that

(1) The Sub-Committee notes the Contracts Register and that the publication of the Register forms part of the Council’s commitment to data transparency

(2) The Sub-Committee notes the additional commentary on the Contracts Register in Part 2 of the agenda 

(3) The Sub Committee notes the progress made with the development of the Contracts Database

(4) £50k be set aside from Central Contingency funds for the future development of the Contracts Database