Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Service Manager Commercial and Procurement.

The committee received and considered a report and presentation of the Service Manager Commercial and Procurement, which expanded on a report received by the committee in November 2023 regarding the Commercialisation Transformation Programme – “Being more commercially minded”.  The report provided further detail and assurance on how the programme had set out a corporate approach to contract management to ensure that the Council maximised commercial opportunities and secured optimum value for money in the delivery of goods, services and works.

M Roberts declared an interest as a supplier to Dorset Council Adult Services in his own right and also as Chairman of the Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, who used procurement services in Dorset Council.  Following advice from the Monitoring Officer, M Roberts confirmed that as he would not be going into the detail of specific contracts, he would remain in the meeting and take part in the discussion.

P Brown indicated that his employer had a contract with Dorset Council but confirmed that given the advice provided by the Monitoring Officer at the meeting, he did not consider his interest to be pecuniary.

Councillors considered the issues arising from the report and during discussion, points were raised in the following areas:

·       How the Council supported and encouraged local businesses, including small and medium enterprises, to submit tenders for business with the Council and how contracts could be arranged to encourage tenders from smaller companies

·       The management of leverage contracts

·       Work undertaken at the pre-contract stage, setting of selection criteria including social criteria, benchmarking and due diligence in order to get the best outcome

·       The training available and upskilling of officers in procurement and contract management

·       Discussions around outsourcing services and bringing services back in house would be considered as part of the contract management process

·       The implications of the Procurement Bill which was currently being debated in the House of Commons including any potential impact on capacity within the Council

·       Collaborative working being undertaken with other organisations.

The Chairman provided a summary of the points raised and further action required:

·       The Council was considered a role model in terms of contract management and paid suppliers promptly

·       There was a flexible approach within the Council in terms of how contracts were dealt with

·       Shared learning was being undertaken across Council areas

·       There was a willingness to work with other councils to get best value for Dorset and to seek quality services

·       The implications of the new Procurement Bill were noted and the potential impact on capacity in the area

·       The measurement of success was ensuring a positive culture of being commercial and good contract management within the Council

·       A further update could be provided to the committee at an appropriate time.