Agenda item

RESOLVED:  That, in respect of the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group on the Council’s Management of Larger Projects:

(1)       Recommendations 1, 2, 6, 7 and 10, and Recommendation 4, as amended by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, be supported;

(2)       Recommendation 3, as amended by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, be further amended to read:

            “The Council’s financial information should be comprehensive and presented in an appropriate form that may be easily understood”;

(3)       Recommendation 5 be amended with the removal of the second sentence, to now read:

            “Projects are constrained by the resources that the Council has available.  The Council should ensure that large projects are properly resourced.  If adequate resources are not available, the project should not begin until they are.”

(4)       Recommendation 8 be re-drafted to reflect the Council’s Constitutional position on Project Boards as follows:

            “The Chief Executive appoints the Lead officer for the Project Board, who will chair and choose the membership in consultation with the Leader of the Council.  Membership will take into account the number of Members/Officers, the risk and/or profile of the project and the skills and experience that will benefit the project (this list is non exhaustive).  It may include external support.  Membership usually includes appropriate Cabinet members”; and

(5)       Recommendation 9, as amended by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, be further amended to read:

            “The Council should ensure there is meaningful consultation with the public prior to it finalising its plans; and make sure it continues to inform the public throughout the life of the project.”

REASON FOR DECISION: To respond to the Recommendations of the Task and Finish Group and Overview & scrutiny Committee regarding the report on the Management of the Council’s Larger Projects.

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee presented a referral from that Committee, made at its meeting held on 18 July 2017, in respect of the Report of the Task and Finish Group on the Council’s Management of Larger Projects (Minute 24 refers).  She commented that a number of the Task and Finish Group’s original recommendations had been amended by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the meting on 18 July 2017.  Therefore, for ease of reference, she read out the 10 recommendations to Cabinet as follows:

Recommendation 1 – The Council needs to be more decisive about what it wants from larger projects and once it decides, it needs to get on with them.

Recommendation 2 – The Council should not introduce unnecessary complexity into its invitations to tender because it is unclear about its preferred outcome.It should decide what it wants and then invite bidders to tender for it.

Recommendation 3 (as amended by the O & S Committee) – The Council’s financial information should be comprehensive and presented in the form of a business plan so the extent of profits and losses can be easily understood.

Recommendation 4 (as amended by the O & S Committee) – When exception reports are produced by project boards, they should be circulated to all members of Council through the Members’ Information Service or by e-mail and, unless they are confidential, made available to the public via the Council’s website.

Recommendation 5 – Projects are constrained by the resources that the Council has available. Planning a substantial project on the basis that part of it will be done in a member of staff’s spare time allows no contingency. The Council should ensure that large projects are properly resourced. If adequate resources are not available, the project should not begin until they are.

Recommendation 6 – The Council needs to have clear, documented objectives before it embarks on projects.

Recommendation 7 – Large scale projects should have a champion to drive them forwards.

Recommendation 8 – The Council should be more flexible about membership of project boards.

Recommendation 9 (as amended by the O & S Committee) – The Council should ensure there is meaningful consultation with the public prior to it finalising its plans; and make sure it continues to engage with the public throughout the life of the project.

Recommendation 10 – The Council should be mindful of the disadvantages of the Competitive Dialogue process and think very carefully before using it again in future projects.

The Cabinet considered the recommendations one by one.  Recommendations 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10 were supported.  Recommendations 3, 5, 8 and 9 were amended for various reasons.  It was therefore

RESOLVED:  That, in respect of the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group on the Council’s Management of Larger Projects:

(1)       Recommendations 1, 2, 6, 7 and 10, and Recommendation 4, as amended by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, be supported;

(2)       Recommendation 3, as amended by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, be further amended to read:

            “The Council’s financial information should be comprehensive and presented in an appropriate form that may be easily understood”;

(3)       Recommendation 5 be amended with the removal of the second sentence, to now read:

            “Projects are constrained by the resources that the Council has available.  The Council should ensure that large projects are properly resourced.  If adequate resources are not available, the project should not begin until they are.”

(4)       Recommendation 8 be re-drafted to reflect the Council’s Constitutional position on Project Boards as follows:

            “The Chief Executive appoints the Lead officer for the Project Board, who will chair and choose the membership in consultation with the Leader of the Council.  Membership will take into account the number of Members/Officers, the risk and/or profile of the project and the skills and experience that will benefit the project (this list is non exhaustive).  It may include external support.  Membership usually includes appropriate Cabinet members”; and

(5)       Recommendation 9, as amended by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, be further amended to read:

            “The Council should ensure there is meaningful consultation with the public prior to it finalising its plans; and make sure it continues to inform the public throughout the life of the project.”

REASON FOR DECISION: To respond to the Recommendations of the Task and Finish Group and Overview & scrutiny Committee regarding the report on the Management of the Council’s Larger Projects.