.1 Apologies for absence: Councillors Mrs B Bourne,
H L Cadman, B J Fagan and G W Fairhurst
.2 Welcome and Introductions: The Chair of the Select Committee welcomed attendees
to the Select Committee and explained the reasons behind its purpose.
.3 Draft
terms of reference: The Select Committee considered a report on the draft
terms of reference for the Select Committee.
Resolved: The Select Committee approves the draft terms of reference as set out below:
Terms of reference – review of tendering
Committee Members: Mrs M J Whiteside (chair), Mrs B Bourne, B J Fagan , H L Cadman , G Wilkes , G
W Fairhurst, Reverend Deacon R Moore.
Support Officers: Beverley Smith and Katie Long
Tendering is the request to contractors or suppliers to submit bids for the supply
of goods, services or works.
Purpose of the Review
The purpose of the review is to scrutinise the effectiveness of the Council’s tendering processes
and procedures in respect of relevance, probity and efficiency.
Objectives
1. Explore and understand current tendering practices and procedures and compare them with other public
bodies and private organisations with a view to identifying the following:
- Are current practices and procedures relevant or are changes required to embrace current best practice?
- Do current practices and procedures cover the essential principles of probity, in respect of :
-
- Fairness and impartiality;
- Use of a competitive process;
- Consistency and transparency;
- Security and confidentiality;
- Identification and resolution of conflicts of interest, and
- Compliance with legislative obligations and Government policy (as they apply to tendering).
2. Ensure that effective resources and skills are in place to conduct tender exercises efficiently
and effectively and verify that the time spent on tendering is relevant in respect of resources used.
3. Check that current tender exercises result in securing goods, services and works that best meet
the needs of users and the local community as set out in the Community Plan and Corporate Plan.
Outcome
A clear understanding that current tendering processes and procedures are relevant; honest; fair;
fully resourced and result in securing deals that best meet the Council’s requirements. Where
this is not the case, the Select Committee will make recommendations for any necessary changes to the
process.
.4 Future meetings: The Select Committee agrees:
- To hold future meetings at 4pm prior to the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
- To arrange extra meetings as and when they are needed.
.5 Scrutiny: The Chair asked the Select Committee whom it would like to question
regarding current tendering practices in the Council and its partners.
Resolved: The Select Committee agrees:
- To ask the Corporate Procurement Manager to attend the meeting on the 6 October 2008, to better
understand the structure and role of corporate procurement;
- To examine some tender documents;
- To ask for a representative from procurement from another Council and the National Health Service;
- To examine the procedures for small tenders carried out by individual departments;
- To examine a local private company to study their procurement procedures;
- To examine the role of the Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation regarding the tendering that they
carry out on behalf of the Council;
- To ask the Policy Officer to make suggestions based on her connections with partner businesses
and authorities.
.6 Date and time of next meeting: The next meeting of Select Committee No.3 will
be held on the 6 October 2008 at 4pm.
