Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendation.

Councillor Mullin introduced the report on Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs).  CPRs set out how officers must advertise and award contracts to ensure that they were let in a lawful, fair and open manner.  A review of the CPRs was required following changes in European Procurement Law, the introduction of the Well Being of Future Generations Act, the move to electronic procurement and the introduction of the new Welsh Language Standards.

            The Chief Officer (Governance) explained that the Council shared its procurement service with Denbighshire County Council and the revised CPRs had been adopted by that Authority.  The same or similar rules would create consistency for suppliers and the service itself.

            The proposed CPRs were written in a logical order that flowed step by step from the considerations necessary before placing a contract, through sourcing of suppliers to award of contract and contract management. 

            The tender values and the level at which the relevant decision must be taken was as detailed below.  The levels increased the degree of oversight for Members:

Contract Value                                Authorisation Required From

Up to £250,000                                 Manager of the service

£250,000 to £1,000,000                  Chief Officer

£1,000,001 to £2,000,000               Delegated decision

£2,000,001 and over                       Cabinet

            Community benefits were additional services or investment made by contractors in addition to the goods and services they were contracted to provide.  Examples of community benefits already delivered in Flintshire included:

• An apprenticeship scheme as part of SHARP;
• The community benefit investment fund as part of the residual waste treatment project; and
• Support for community groups through Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS).

The CPRs would be presented to Audit Committee on 26^th September 2016, Constitution Committee on 5^th October 2016 and County Council on 19^th October 2016.

In response to a question from Councillor Mullin, the Chief Officer (Governance) explained that the electronic system provided a full audit trail of the process from inception to contract award and was open for Members to view.

RESOLVED:

That County Council be recommended to:

• Adopt the proposed Contract Procedure Rules

Harmonise delegated authority levels for spending decisions within the Constitution with effect from 1^st November 2016