Decision details

Approval of the Council’s Procurement Strategy.

The Chief Officer for the Public Private Partnerships and Procurement Units submitted a report which sought the Board’s approval of a refreshed Procurement Policy for the Council. The refreshed approach aimed to secure a range of benefits for the Council including: improved outcomes, improved value for money, improved governance and assurance, improved engagement and transparency and improved support for the Council’s wider ambitions.

Responding to an enquiry on how the Council encouraged a greater number of small and medium sized enterprises (SME’s) to become involved in the Council’s procurement exercises, the Board highlighted the importance of SME’s to the local economy and noted the actions being taken by the Council to engage with SME’s, together with the areas for potential improvement. In addition, emphasis was placed upon the need for consistency around the level of payments being provided to both the Council’s contractors and sub-contractors.

In conclusion, officers undertook to provide Board Members with quarterly updates on the number of SME’s that the Council had contracts with. 

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the Strategy, as outlined within the submitted report be approved as the Council’s refreshed Procurement Policy, centred upon a category management and whole lifecycle approach.

(b)  That Board members be provided with quarterly updates on the number of SME’s that the Council had contracts with

There has been extensive consultation throughout the transforming procurement programme, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders internal and external to the Council.