Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be found here.

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

The Convener proposed that the Committee consider items 12.1 (Aberdeen Christmas Village – Exempt Appendix) and 12.2 (Workplans and Business Cases – Exempt Appendices) with the press and public excluded.

The Committee resolved:-

in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of items 12.1 and 12.2 on the agenda so as to avoid disclosure of exempt information of the class described in paragraph 6 (item 12.1) and 8 (item 12.2) of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

There were no declarations of interest nor transparency statements made.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 25 February 2022 for approval.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it the committee business planner as prepared by the Chief Officer – Governance.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the planner.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Customer Services which presented the status of key performance measures relating to the Commercial and Procurement cluster.

The report recommended:-

that Committee note the report and provide comments and observations on the performance information contained in the report appendix.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the report.

The Committee had before it a report by the Head of Commercial and Procurement which set out the Annual Procurement Report on the Council’s procurement activity, a report required of every Scottish Local Authority.  The report advised that the supporting appendix followed the format as issued by the Scottish Government for this purpose.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee approve the content and publication of the Annual Procurement Report 2021-2022 (Appendix A).

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to request that officers remove acronyms from future reports;

(ii)       in relation to page 45 of the report and the update on market engagement activity to assist in the development of a Position Statement for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Accommodation in Aberdeen City, to note that the Head of Commercial and Procurement Services would ask the Social Care team for some further detail on this and would circulate the information to all Members outwith the Committee;

(iii)      to request that the Head of Commercial and Procurement Services ascertain whether it was possible to amend the ‘We are a living wage employer’ logo to reflect the real living wage for future reports; and

(iv)      to approve the content and publication of the Annual Procurement Report 2021-2022.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which presented the Cluster Risk Register and Assurance Map in accordance with the Strategic Commissioning Committee Terms of Reference to provide assurance

that risks were being managed effectively within each Cluster.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee note the Cluster Risk Registers and Assurance Maps set out Appendices A and B.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the report.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which presented the evaluation of the 2021 Christmas Village, as required by the Council’s contract with John Codona’s Pleasure Fairs Ltd., to enable the Committee to monitor the service delivery.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee instruct the Chief Officer – City Growth to report back to the Strategic Commissioning Committee in 2023 with John Codona’s, Pleasure Fairs Ltd.’s annual feedback report, as per their contract obligations.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Commissioning which presented procurement workplans where expenditure was included for the Commissioning, Customer, Operations and Resources Functions and sought approval of the total estimated expenditure for the proposed contracts as contained in the Procurement Business Cases appended to the report, as contained at item 12.2 of the agenda.

The list of procurement business cases was as follows:-

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      review the workplans as detailed in the Appendices for the Commissioning, Customer, Operations and Resources Functions;

(b)      approve the estimated annual expenditure for framework agreements within financial year 20-21 as detailed within the appendices;

(c)      approve the procurement business cases, including the total estimated expenditure for the proposed contracts;

(d)      approve the direct awards of contract where there are special circumstances outlined in the respective procurement business cases which justify not issuing a tender or calling off from a framework agreement;

(e)      delegate authority to the Chief Officer – Digital & Technology, following consultation with the Head of Commercial and Procurement, to procure the necessary digital and technology contract as listed within the Customer Work Plan as shown in Appendix 1 & 2 subject to approval of a Procurement Business Case by the Demand Management Control Board; and

(f)       note the content of Appendix 3 – Summary of 3.10 Memo’s (Suspension of Procurement Regulations due to Urgency) and Appendix 4 Summary of 4.1.3 Forms (Technical Exemption).

The Committee resolved:-

(i)              to request that future reports include an explanation of reasons for any delay in contract end/start dates; and

(ii)             to approve the recommendations.

In accordance with the decision taken under article 1 above, the following item was considered with the press and public excluded.

The Committee had before it an exempt appendix in relation to item 10.1 -  Aberdeen Christmas Village Feedback report (article 8 refers).

The Committee resolved:-

to note the exempt appendix.

The Committee had before it exempt appendices relating to the Workplans and Business Cases Revenue report on the agenda (article 9 of this minute refers).

The Committee resolved:-

to note the exempt appendices.

-      COUNCILLOR IAN YUILL, Convener