DD2616 Media Monitoring – Procurement, award and entry into contract for services

1.1 The GLA Group press cutting service was established in 2003 in order to deliver a more focused, responsive and efficient media monitoring service. Originally, an in-house team were responsible for monitoring national and local regional newspapers, specialist publications and topical journals and magazines concerning the work and activities of the Mayor, Greater London Authority, Transport for London and London Development Agency.

1.2 In October 2017 a new contract was awarded to Precise (trading as Kantar) for two years plus two options to extend for one year each to service the GLA (Mayor and London Assembly), TfL, MOPAC, MPS, LLDC and Crossrail. The value of the contract was £640k.

1.3 In October 2021, as the contract was nearing its end, it was extended by 12 months. This was to allow the time required for a comprehensive review of the service provision and to reassess requirements from stakeholders across the GLA (Mayor and London Assembly), MPS and participating GLA Group members. This was approved as budget was available within the existing agreement.

1.4 In January 2022, we agreed to a further procurement to cover an additional six-month period (from October 2022 to end march 2023). It includes and option to extend this by up to an additional 18 months, should further work be required. This decision was made given the need to secure resources and the time required for the full review across the GLA Group followed by a multi-year contract tender. TfL Procurement advised a tender process would be needed for this interim new service. It was agreed to procure through a mini-competition under the Crown Commercial Services RM3708 Media Monitoring framework. That process is now complete. This decision request covers this period of up to two years.

2.1. To continue to provide a timely, relevant and up-to-date media monitoring service to the GLA (including the Mayor and London Assembly), TfL, MPS and LLDC.

3.1. Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority the Mayor is subject to a public sector equality duty and must have ‘due regard’ to the need to:

• eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation

• advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not

• foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

The duty involves having appropriate regard to these matters as they apply in the circumstances, including having regard to the need to: remove or minimise any disadvantage suffered by those who share a protected characteristic or are connected to a protected characteristic; take steps to meet the different needs of such people; and encourage them to participate in public life or in any other activity where their participation is disproportionately low. This can involve treating people with a 3 protected characteristic more favourably than those without a protected characteristic. Relevant protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

3.2. We have reviewed the impacts on those with a protected characteristic. The provision of materials in an appropriately accessible format will form part of the service requirements.

4.1. The Mayor is committed to engaging with Londoners and the media is a vital route to communicate the plans and policies of the Mayor. To ensure that the GLA’s communication strategy is effective, it is important to monitor media monitoring coverage of the GLA Group.

4.2. Without this service would risk the Mayor/participating GLA Group members being unable to respond to negative or incorrect media coverage in a timely manner.

4.3. There are no conflicts to note from any of those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1. The media monitoring service will be procured for a duration of six months from October 2022 (backdated) with an option to extend for up to a further 18 months if necessary. The cost is expected to be up to £150k for regular and ad-hoc work for the total two year period, while a wider piece of work assessing cross-GLA family media monitoring services is completed.

5.2. At present, the contract is managed by the GLA on behalf of the wider GLA Group members and the GLA recharge the portion of the cost incurred by the bodies. The annual contract costs are based upon use. Each Group member will meet the cost of their usage directly for the duration of the contract. This is not a fixed cost, but historically has been approximately 75%.

5.3. The Media Monitoring net budget is £69k, comprising £305k expenditure and £236k recharges for 22/23 and the same values are budgeted for 23/24. Although the cost of the contract that is up to £150k for the two year period, the GLA cost will not exceed £69k per year.

5.4. The GLA and GLA Group members monitor expenditure and will be ready to work with the contractor to implement control measures to manage the cost. This may be done through a combination of cutting the number of media outlets monitored or reducing the number of key words to monitor. This would reduce the number of media articles sourced and therefore overall costs.

6.1. Sections 1, 2 and 4 of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Director concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or that are facilitative of, or conducive or incidental to, the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development, or the improvement of the environment in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought, officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

6.1.1 pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;

6.1.2 consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and 

6.1.3 consult with appropriate bodies. 6.2. In taking the decisions requested, the Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty – namely, the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender reassignment, age, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Director should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

6.3. Should the Director be minded to make the decision sought, officers must ensure that, having indicated above that a competitive procedure has been run, the GLA and service providers/suppliers enter into and execute contracts for the provision of the same before the commencement of such services and supplies.

6.4. Officers must ensure that appropriate, binding arrangements are put in place with TfL, LLDC, and the Metropolitan Police Service for their provision of funding before placing reliance upon the same.