Issue - meetings

To consider a report by Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets (copy enclosed) seeking Cabinet approval to commence a procurement and enter into a contract to appoint an agency to supply temporary staff for use by the Council.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approves –

(a)       commencement of the procurement using the ESPO MSTAR2 Framework Number 653F;

(b)       for Denbighshire County Council to work collaboratively with Flintshire County Council in leading and managing the procurement process;

(c)        that the appropriate scrutiny committee receive a report from the relevant officers in January 2018 in respect of the procurement exercise and the alternative options that could be available to the Council based on best value, and

(d)       that Cabinet receive a report to award to the most economically advantageous tenderer in February 2018.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill presented the report seeking Cabinet approval to commence a collaborative procurement with Flintshire County Council and enter into a contract to appoint an agency to supply temporary staff for use by the Council.

The Council’s existing agreement to supply agency staff expired in February 2018.  Given the ongoing requirement for agency staff and taking into account legislative requirements it was proposed to undertake a competitive tendering process using the Mstar2 (Managed Services for Temporary Agency Staff) framework.  The contract would be for three years with the option to extend it for a further year.

During the ensuing debate Cabinet sought clarity regarding the value for money aspect of the proposed contract, details of the contract specification, and whether alternative methods of provision had been considered.  Members noted that savings of over £200k per year had been made utilising the existing framework and whilst it was accepted that the proposed new contract would also likely benefit the council financially, there was concern over the lack of detail provided in the report in order to give that value for money assurance, particularly given that the anticipated spend under the new contract would be in excess of £4m over four years, and Cabinet considered that the matter would benefit from further scrutiny.  The timescales for the procurement process and expiration of the current agreement were discussed and given those tight timescales it was agreed to commence the procurement process but to ask the appropriate scrutiny committee to consider the collaborative procurement and alternative options based on best value as soon as possible with a view to Cabinet receiving a report back to consider whether to proceed with the process or withdraw in favour of a more advantageous option.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approves –

(a)       commencement of the procurement using the ESPO MSTAR2 Framework Number 653F;

(b)       for Denbighshire County Council to work collaboratively with Flintshire County Council in leading and managing the procurement process;

(c)        that the appropriate scrutiny committee receive a report from the relevant officers in January 2018 in respect of the procurement exercise and the alternative options that could be available to the Council based on best value, and

(d)       that Cabinet receive a report to award to the most economically advantageous tenderer in February 2018.