Issue - meetings

Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well-Being) on the findings of their Working Group on the Council’s use of consultants.

Requested the Managing Director (Resources), after consultation with the Executive Leader, Deputy Leader and the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well-Being), to oversee the implementation of the Panel’s recommendations where practicable, and to report back thereon to a future meeting.

Consideration was given to a report by the Working Group appointed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well-Being) to undertake a review and make recommendations on the Council’s use of consultants including the criteria used in their appointment.  A copy of the report is appended in the Minute Book.

In considering the content of the report and recommendations proposing improvements to the Council’s current arrangements, the Cabinet defined the term consultant as being “someone who brings expertise into the organisation where it is lacking”.

Having recognised that in some service areas the use of consultants was a necessity such as planning decision appeals, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  that the Managing Director (Resources), after consultation with the Executive Leader, Deputy Leader and the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well-Being), be requested to oversee the implementation of the Panel’s recommendations where practicable, and to report back thereon to a future meeting.

To consider the report of the Working Group.

(Councillor T V Rogers, Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services was in attendance for this item).

Further to Minute No 10/55 and with the assistance of a report by the Use of Consultants Working Group (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel were acquainted with the outcome of the deliberations of the Working Group, which had been established to review and make recommendations on the Council's use of consultants.

Having noted the key issues that the Group had addressed, Councillor T V Rogers, Executive Councillor for Resources and Customer Services, indicated that the recommendations were feasible and unlikely to meet with any objections from the Cabinet. Councillor Rogers also advised Members that, in light of the review, he would conduct a further investigation into the Council’s procurement arrangements. Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

that the Working Group's report and recommendations be endorsed for submission to the Cabinet.