To receive and if so determined, to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 July, 2015.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the STAR Joint Committee meeting held on Wednesday 22 July 2015, be approved as a correct record.

Members to give notice of any interest and the nature of that interest relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the adopted Code(s) of Conduct.

No declarations of interests were made by Members.

To receive the following reports of the Director of STAR Shared Procurement.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Procurement (STAR Shared Procurement) detailing the STAR Revenue Budget Monitor for Period 5, 2015/16.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Procurement (STAR Shared Procurement) detailing the current human resources statistics. It was confirmed that one member of staff had recently changed to a flexible working pattern, and following changes in staffing it is anticipated that this will impact positively on future statistics.

            RESLOVED: That the report be noted.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Procurement (STAR Shared Procurement) highlighting the current risks faced by STAR and the actions being taken to mitigate them. The report detailed new risks added to the register, as well as risks which had been removed or downgraded.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

To receive a report of the Director of STAR Shared Procurement.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Procurement (STAR Shared Procurement) detailing STAR’s performance against the four key indicators of the balanced scorecard. Members were reminded that these were annual performance targets and that 2015/2016 was the first attempt to articulate STAR’s key performance indicators. To establish achievable targets going forward, the data from the financial year 2015/2016 would be used to baseline the data sets.

The Director of Procurement (STAR Shared Procurement) answered questions relating to STAR’s processes when dealing with speciality and urgent contracts. It was noted that STAR would always challenge the suggestion that only one supplier in the market that could fulfil a certain contract, and where possible a market testing exercise would be recommended. For urgent contracts within regulation values, a quotation process could be completed within a two week timeframe pending the complexity of the purchase and the market. It was confirmed that processes were in place for exemption requests.

Discussions took place about the ‘Social Value’ indicator of the balanced scorecard and why the scores for this indicator were currently below target. The Director of Procurement (STAR Shared Procurement) stated that the incorporation of Social Value parameters required behaviour change from the procurement team and commissioners.  It was recognised that behaviour change does take time.  Further, after some scrutiny of the data, she believed that the current scores were generated because of under reporting.  The systems used to capture and report such activity are now under review to make them more robust. Discussions were ongoing on how to set more appropriate parameters, and these new measures would be brought to the next meeting.

The Committee also discussed savings estimates and how these were formulated. The Director of Procurement (STAR Shared Procurement) advised that a robust process was in place, which included input from the finance team from each Council as well as the appropriate budget holders and service managers.

It was confirmed that a copy of the customer satisfaction questionnaire would be circulated to Committee Members.

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

To receive a verbal update of the Head of Legal, Trafford.

The Committee received a verbal response of the Head of Legal (Trafford), detailing why virtual meetings of the STAR Joint Committee could cause some difficulties.  Virtual meetings in this context would allow members to attend by way of video link etc.

The Head of Legal (Trafford) confirmed that no statutory provision could be found allowing the conducting of virtual public meetings of a Committee nor was there anything specific which would prohibit it. However, virtual meetings would raise some issues, including;

(i)            Whether everyone would be considered as ‘present’ (i.e. would the meeting be quorate) if Members were actually at different locations during the meeting?

(ii)          As these were public meetings, what would attendance implications be for members of the public who also wished to attend virtually?

(iii)         What would be the implications if the technology were to fail?

(iv)         How good was the technology?

All of the above could invite challenges to any decisions made by the Committee. The meeting was advised that any decision to have virtual meetings could potentially lead to a challenge and that that any advantages had to be balanced with the risk.  The limited research conducted could not find any examples of virtual public Council meetings.

RESOLVED: That the Committee agree that the meetings would remain in their current format.

To receive a verbal update of the Director of STAR Shared Procurement.

The Committee received a verbal update of the Director of Procurement (STAR Shared Procurement) confirming that STAR had been entered into the annual iNetwork awards.

STAR had been entered into three award categories; Connected Procurement, Innovative Service Redesign & Reform, and Effective Information Sharing & Security. Confirmation of shortlisted entries would be received in the coming weeks.

            RESOLVED: That the verbal update be noted.

To confirm the arrangements for the next meeting, proposed to be held at 5:30pm on Tuesday 19 January, 2016 at Trafford Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford, M32 0TH.

The Chairman confirmed the arrangements for the next STAR Committee meeting. The meeting would be held at 5:30pm on Tuesday 19 January, 2016 at Trafford Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford, M32 0TH.

RESOLVED: That the arrangements for the next STAR Committee meeting be agreed.

Motion   (Which may be amended as Members think fit):

            That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the remaining items on the agenda, because of the likelihood of disclosure of “exempt information” which falls within one or more descriptive category or categories of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, as amended by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, and specified on the agenda item or report relating to each such item respectively.

RESOLVED: That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the remaining item of business because of the likelihood of disclosure of “exempt information” which falls within Paragraph 4 of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.

To receive a report of the Director of STAR Shared Procurement.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Procurement (STAR Shared Procurement) detailing STAR’s ambition to establish a framework for succession planning.

RESOLVED:

(1)  That the Joint Committee agree to commence the process of establishing a framework for succession planning within STAR.

(2)  That the report be noted.