Issue - decisions

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Finance and Commercial Services in respect of possible additional Council services which would be included within the scope of Phase 1 services of the Strategic Partner programme. 

At our meeting on 7 July 2009 (Minute 21) it was agreed that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) service would be the focus of the Phase 1 programme and that the inclusion of other services would be subject to further reports.  Two potential partners, Agilisys and Capita, have been shortlisted to submit detailed bids and this report proposed the inclusion of Procurement, Accounts Payable, Revenues and Benefits and the B&D Direct services alongside ICT within Phase 1. 

The Strategic Finance Controller confirmed that the decision being sought at this stage was merely to include these services within the bid portfolio.  Other issues raised during the discussions included:-

• The links to the Customer Access Strategy;
• The financial arrangements, with particular reference to the additional £1m in 2010/11 to fund staffing in the Revenues and Benefits division;
• The need for the final proposals on the services to be included within the Phase 1 programme to set out the benefits to these being provided by the partnership as opposed to the Council, and the risks associated with each;
• The implications of the proposed break / termination clauses within the proposed seven-year agreement;

Agreed, in order to assist the Council in accelerating benefits realisation and achieving more savings earlier to address budget pressures, to the scope for Phase 1 of the Strategic Partner programme being expanded to include the Council’s Procurement, Accounts Payable, Revenues and Benefits and B&D Direct services as detailed in the report.