To consider the proposed updates to the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and recommend their adoption by Council.

The Committee considered a report on a refresh of the Council’s existing Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) to ensure the Council modernised the way it procured goods, services, and works, and that correct due diligence was in place to ensure that value for money was achieved. A copy of the proposed CPRs was attached to the report at Appendix 1.  The CPRs were mandatory for all service areas and procurement staff and formed a fundamental part of the Council’s Constitution.  The main adjustments were highlighted in paragraphs 3.3 to 3.8 of the report and aimed to: simplify and improve consistency of terminology; set out the legislative and Public Policy obligations; prepare for the implementation of the Procurement Bill; define officers’ practical obligations in establishing a contract, the procedural steps for undertaking a procurement and the required content of contracts; and clearly define the exceptions to the requirements for competition.  A web-based supplementary Procurement Manual for staff containing procedural and practical details to support the processes would be produced to support use of the CPRs once agreed, and would be further embedded by an Awareness Programme.  The Manual would sit outside of the Constitution and would therefore be easier to amend in response to changes in procurement practice.

Resolved –

(1)           That the updates to the Contract Procedure Rules, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be endorsed;

(2)           That Council be recommended:

(a)   To adopt the Contract Procedure Rules, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(b)  To support the further development and implementation of a Procurement Manual for staff, containing the procedural and practical details and guidance to support the processes outlined within the updated Contract Procedure Rules;

(c)   To authorise the Assistant Director of Procurement and Contracts, in consultation with the Chief Executive and Executive Director of Resources, to make appropriate amendments to ensure that the proposed Contract Procedure Rules aligned with terminology included within the new Procurement Bill when it was introduced in autumn 2024.