Agenda item

Representatives from Procurement Lincolnshire attended the Committee’s last meeting on 9 April 2013. Following some discussion with the representatives, the Committee decided it wanted the opportunity to further discuss Procurement Lincolnshire’s governance arrangements.

The Strategic Director Corporate Focus summarised Procurement Lincolnshire’s governance arrangements, explaining that officers from Procurement Lincolnshire had regular liaison meetings with each member authority. These meetings fed into the Strategic Procurement Board, which was responsible for the day-to-day managerial and tactical running of the partnership. This board comprised director-level officers.

The Procurement Advisory Board sat above the Strategic Procurement Board; it determined strategic medium to long-term aims. It currently comprised two elected Members (one representative from a district council (representing the interests of all district councils) and one from Lincolnshire County Council). There were also two district council officers, one county council officer and the Head of Service from Procurement Lincolnshire. It was chaired by the Chief Executive of West Lindsey District Council. The Board received regular performance reports and Procurement Lincolnshire’s annual report. The Strategic Procurement Board was responsible for implementing the decisions of the Procurement Advisory Board, which was in turn responsible to Lincolnshire Leaders and Chief Executives.

In discussing the structure as presented, Committee members expressed some concern. They felt that scrutiny of Procurement Lincolnshire within its governance arrangements should be Member-led. Councillors also felt the name of the Strategic Procurement Board implied its purpose differed from its actual function. They suggested, given its name, they would expect this body to sit above the Procurement Advisory Board, scrutinising performance reports and setting the partnership’s strategic direction.

The Committee considered the representation on the Procurement Advisory Board. There was consensus amongst members that there should be more Councillors on the Procurement Advisory Board to ensure robust and independent scrutiny from non-experts. It was noted that at Procurement Lincolnshire’s inception, it had been recommended that a board consisting solely of Members would fulfil the role of the current Procurement Advisory Board; this recommendation was not accepted in favour of the Procurement Advisory Board.

There was discussion around the actual number of district council representatives who were entitled to sit on the Procurement Advisory Board; this needed clarifying. Selection arrangements for the district council representatives were also briefly discussed.

The Committee felt there was a lack of Member involvement, which could impact on the effectiveness of scrutinising performance. It was proposed the Committee make a recommendation about the composition of the Strategic Procurement Board; the current arrangements of two Members and four officers should be reversed to two officers and four Members. It was further suggested that the Member seats should rotate around all the districts and each term should last for two years.

Action points:

1.    Clarify the number of district council seats on the Procurement Advisory Board

2.    Confirm selection arrangements for the district council representative(s) on the Procurement Advisory Board.

Recommendation:

1.    That Procurement Lincolnshire should review its governance arrangements and consider changing the membership of the Procurement Advisory Board to four elected Members and two officers. Representatives from district councils should be appointed on a rotational basis for a two-year term.

2.    That Procurement Lincolnshire feed back to the Council on this recommendation when it feeds back on the recommendations made in the Committee’s Scrutiny Review.