Agenda item

·         Rheolau Gweithdrefn Contractau - Cyflwyniad gan Swyddogion

·         Rheolau Gweithdrefn Ariannol - Cyflwyniad gan Swyddogion

The Service Director Finance & Improvement Services introduced the

presentation by advising Members that the overview would assist Committee

with its understanding of the key requirements when they are reported to

Committee in the future by Internal Audit. The Head of Procurement Delivery

explained that the overview of the contract procedure rules, and Council’s

procurement process would be delivered by the Data & Systems Manager.

The key messages were presented under the following headings: -

 What is Procurement?

 What are Contract Procedure Rules?

-Aims

-Legal Requirements

-Functionality

-Key messages

-Threshold Values

 Contract Management System

 Info Requirements

 Governance Arrangements

The detailed presentation to Members provided an overview of the Council’s

contract procedure rules (CPRs), their requirements and functionality, key

processes and procedures as well as ensuring that proper and fair procedures

are followed to help deliver the Council’s services. The Data & Systems

Manager explained the legal requirements which underpin the contract

procedure rules with which the Council is required to comply. He also pointed

out the importance of the CPR’s with regards to ensuring the efficient use of

public funds and that best value is achieved.

The Data & Systems Manager stressed the importance of keeping the CPR’s current and visible on the Council’s intranet system to ensure the most up to

date best practice is shared. The latest change to the CPR’s was undertaken in

2017 when the centralisation procurement initiative was established. This

update meant that any procurement activity which exceeds the value of £15k

has to involve the procurement service (a development which was endorsed by the Council’s Senior leadership Team (SLT)).

The contract management system, which is the primary place for undertaking

Tenders, records all contracts over £15K and enables these arrangements to be

captured on the central system in a transparent manner. It also allows for better forward planning and visibility. A number of key messages were relayed by the Data & Systems Manager such as the importance of council officers involved in any procurement process familiarising themselves with the Council’s CPR’s.

Members were appraised of the Council’s threshold values which require different rules of procedure to be applied at different levels of contract value/threshold. An explanation was provided regarding the Council’s governance arrangements and the tools available to ensure efficient management of the Council’s key areas of spend.

Following the presentation, members of the Audit Committee were provided with

the opportunity to ask questions of the Officers present.

In response to a query as to whether the council follows EU Procurement

Directives, the Head of Procurement Delivery explained that in terms of the

procurement rules and regulations, it is very much business as usual. The Public

Contract Regulations are in place and continue to be followed. The UK

Government is consulting on a new draft version of procedure rules and Welsh Government Ministers are considering whether to adopt them or develop their own version. The Head of Procurement Delivery advised that the Council will monitor the developments.

The Lay Member, Mr Jones asked if there would be more opportunity for local

procurement now the UK has left the EU and in view of a change to the

procedure rules and whether there has been any shift in the tensions between

competitiveness and the desire to procure locally. The Head of Procurement

Delivery stated that £50m has been spent with local companies within RCT and

there has been £117m total spend with companies based in Wales since April

2020 which has demonstrated a high level of local and national engagement

undertaken by the Council. He added that local suppliers and businesses have

improved and diversified and although the appetite exists it is important not to

favour one company over the other, local suppliers could be better suited to

deliver local employment whilst reducing the Council’s carbon footprint.

In response to whether the council works against a tender list and how it engages with new suppliers, the Head of Procurement Delivery confirmed that the

Council’s central contracts management system, Bravo, as referred to in the earlier

presentation, is key to recording the contracts and approved list of suppliers and

the category of work they undertake, all subject to the necessary checks. He advised

that the more companies that are registered on the database the better the competition and process becomes for bidding for tenders and contracts.

In conclusion, the Chair thanked the Officers for the detailed and informative

presentation which provided an overview of the procurement process in RCT,

demonstrating fair and proper procedures and information on local engagement.

It was RESOLVED to note the content of the presentation and update to

Committee.