Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 2 and 3, Trafford Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford, M32 0TH.. View directions

Contact: Fabiola Fuschi, Governance Officer 

Note: Covid secure rules (please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do) including social distancing requirements, apply at Trafford Town Hall. Public attendance at meetings is limited. If you are a member of the public and wish to attend this meeting, please contact democratic.services@trafford.gov.uk or Fabiola Fuschi, Governance Officer on 07813 397611 

Items
No. Item

1.

ATTENDANCES

To note attendances, including Officers and any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence received

2.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE 2021/22 INCLUDING CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN

To note the membership of the STAR Joint Committee and nominate the Chairman and Vice-Chairman

Minutes:

The Governance Officer opened the meeting and asked Members to nominate a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman for the Municipal Year 2021/22.

 

Members reached their decision unanimously.

 

RESOLVED:-

1.    That the Membership of the Joint Committee be noted;

2.     That Councillor McGee be nominated Chairman of the Joint Committee for Municipal Year 2021/22;

3.    That Councillor Ross be nominated Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee for Municipal Year 2021/22.

 

The Chairman welcomed those present.

3.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

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.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest received.

4.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 197 KB

To receive and if so determined, to approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 24th Mar 2021

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 24th Mar 2021 be approved as a correct record.

5.

QUARTER 4 5-STAR PERFORMANCE 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 228 KB

For noting

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Joint Committee gave consideration to a report of the STAR Director which sought to inform of the 2020/21 Quarter 4 key performance measures of STAR Procurement.

 

The author of the report was in attendance to present the information and answer the questions of the Joint Committee.

 

Members were reminded that, although there was a small amount that awaited to be ratified, Total Savings had exceeded target. The Return on Investment, which looked at value of investment against deliverable savings, had seen a dip compared to the previous year, nevertheless, it had exceeded target. Income remained significantly above target. Members were reminded that STAR Procurement had started promoting its Collaboration Accreditation Review (CAR) services, offering its assessment and review programme for collaborations and shared services to positively support the income target.  

 

With regard to Social Value Target against Contract Value, in 2020/21, STAR Procurement delivered 28% added value per £1 spend and it had reached 53.9% of Local Spend.

 

Members commented that this had been a very challenging year and congratulated STAR Procurement for their excellent effort, considering the difficult circumstances. Members asked how it would be possible to procure more efficiently, to increase savings and how the recovery of the economy would impact on the activity of STAR Procurement.

 

The STAR Director reminded Members that STAR Procurement was already seeing a significant rise in activities and demand for its commissioned services, from external organisations which was positive for 2021/22 income targets. In addition to this, Item 6 of today’s agenda, the report on Continuous Improvement, outlined the initiatives that STAR Procurement intended to take forward in the next 12 months.

 

RESOLVED that the content of the report be noted.

6.

STAR PROCUREMENT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT UPDATE pdf icon PDF 327 KB

For consideration

Minutes:

The Joint Committee considered a report of the Director of STAR on the continuous improvements made against STAR Business Plan 2021/24.

 

The report author informed Members of the recent changes to the objectives of the business plan and proceeded to list them. All activities undertaken were themed against four main headings: Leadership and Governance, Communications and Engagement, Technology and Data and Talent Management. The STAR Director noted that the Business Plan worked effectively because the STAR management team referred to it regularly and embedded it in all that they did.

 

As part of the business planning, a Continuous Improvement Group had been established whose work would feed into the STAR Board. The Group would aim to enhance communication between STAR’s partners and officers, to share learning and deliver further improvements.

 

The Director of STAR continued to inform Members of the significant progress on Social Value which had reached 28% of added value on contractual spend. The next challenge was to ensure that every decision reflected the social value agenda and Members were invited to contribute with their ideas and views on how this goal could be reached.

 

With regards to Staff Wellbeing, Members learned that STAR team would return to Sale Waterside office next week, in an agile/hybrid working style.

 

The Joint Committee noted that, in relation to the Income Plan 2021/22, a number of commissions had been secured and were being delivered. A new post had been created to lead a pilot on improving commercial contract management, to ensure that contracts had delivered effective outcomes and further negotiations of opportunities for the four Councils to use the same supplier were explored. A paper on Commercial Contract Management would be brought to the Joint Committee to outline the benefits of this activity and provide an overview of impact and outcomes.

 

Officers noted that contract management varied across departments in quality and rigour and they looked forward to a set of rules to adopt to show some consistency and to learn from good practice. This was considered common across the whole of the public sector and was an area for significant improvement nationally.

 

New Procurement Regulations would be introduced possibly in September 2021, the STAR web-site had been refreshed and the E-Learning module package had been updated and re-launched via each of the Council’s HR Teams to make it mandatory for all budget holders and those who raised invoices.

 

The STAR management team continued to speak at national events to raise STAR’s profile and share success.

 

Members asked whether there were opportunities linked to the implementation of the Integrated Care Systems. Members also noted that it would be useful to have a plan on how the four Councils could move forward the Social Value agenda in the next 12 months. Members also agreed that it would be important to consider how the concept of Social Value was communicated within their own organisations.

 

Members and Officers requested to receive further training on Social Value in particular for Member groups in the four  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

URGENT BUSINESS (IF ANY)

Any other item or items which by reason of special circumstances (to be specified), the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered at this meeting as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business received.

8.

DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING

To note dates and times of meetings in 2021/22:

10:00 a.m. Wednesday 15th Sep 2021, Rochdale Council

10:00 a.m. Wednesday 15th Dec 2021, Stockport Council

10:00 a.m. Wednesday 16th Mar 2022, Tameside Council  

Minutes:

The Joint Committee noted date and time of next meeting: Rochdale Council, Number One Riverside 15th Sep 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

9.

EXCLUSION RESOLUTION

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.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the remaining items on the agenda, because of disclosure of “exempt information” which falls within category 3 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.

10.

STAR PROCUREMENT BUDGET POSITION YEAR END QUARTER 4 2020/21

For decision

Minutes:

The Joint Committee gave consideration to a report of the STAR Director which sought to update on the STAR Procurement budget position at quarter four year end 2020/21 and income target for 2021/22.

 

RESOLVED:-

1.     That STAR Procurement budget position at year end quarter four 2020/21 be noted;

2.    That the income target for 2021/22 be approved.