Issue - meetings

(To receive a report from the Executive Director – Commercial, which seeks approval for the Procurement Strategy 2019-2022, as detailed at Appendix A to the report, to replace the Council's current Procurement Strategy which expires in April 2019)

(1)  That the draft Procurement Strategy 2019 – 2022, as attached at Appendix A to the report, be approved in principle, subject to the amendments and clarifications suggested at the meeting being made.

(2)  That the amended Procurement Strategy 2019 – 2022 be submitted to the Leader of the Council for final approval.

A report from the Executive Director – Commercial was considered, which sought approval for the Procurement Strategy 2019-2022, as detailed at Appendix A to the report, to replace the Council's current Procurement Strategy, which expired in April 2019.

The Chief Commercial Officer advised that the strategy set out a robust and comprehensive approach to procurement related activity; was consistent with the Council's commissioning and commercialisation approach; and had been developed in the context of the Council's requirements, local markets, and local needs whilst having regard to the National Procurement Strategy for Local Government in England 2018. 

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board advised that the Board had considered the Executive report on Procurement Strategy at its meeting on 25 April 2019 and had supported a recommendation for the Executive to approve the strategy.  The comments of the Board were detailed on pages 14-15 of the report.

During consideration of the report, the following points were noted:

·         The Executive welcomed the proposed changes which would make procurement processes more accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

·         It was confirmed that the Procurement Strategy would be available to view on the Council's website.

·         It was requested that the following changes be made to the draft strategy: that any reference to 'citizen/s' be amended to 'residents'; the last bullet point on page 17 and first bullet point on page 22 be reworded for clarity; the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership should be included on page 21 under partnerships.  It was requested that the Communications Team be asked to review the wording and formatting of the strategy so that it was easier to read and understand.

RESOLVED

(1)  That the draft Procurement Strategy 2019 – 2022, as attached at Appendix A to the report, be approved in principle, subject to the amendments and clarifications suggested at the meeting being made.

(2)  That the amended Procurement Strategy 2019 – 2022 be submitted to the Leader of the Council for final approval.