DD2700 Developing an improved performance reporting system as part of the GLA Governance project – contract extension

1.1.    The Assistant Director – Financial Services approved the procurement of services to improve the way the GLA reports performance both internally and externally (under cover of ADD2698). The services were required to deliver long-held aspirations of the Mayor’s office and to underpin the GLA’s refresh of delivery and governance arrangements, which is designed to focus GLA activity on the delivery of a set of identified London Level Outcomes. To deliver this aspiration, a need was identified to update the GLA’s existing performance reporting system, to enable better analysis and data visualisation. 
1.2.    Following the approval provided under cover of ADD2698, a temporary technical Power BI expert was sourced via the GLA’s personnel services contract with Reed Talent Solutions in February 2024, to develop a modern dashboard and wide range of reports, using the Power BI system to enable the required data.
1.3.    This decision seeks approval to spend an additional £60,000 to extend Reed Talent Solutions’ provision of the temporary technical Power BI expert. This will enable the GLA to continue the development of a new suite of performance reports to meet user needs and build the back-end data infrastructure required.  
1.4.    The original contract was procured in accordance with the GLA Contracts and Funding Code, which directs all temporary workers to be sourced via HR, using the GLA Group framework contract. Accordingly, the temporary technical Power BI expert was sourced in accordance with the terms of the GLA’s contract with Reed Talent Solutions, and will also be extended in accordance to the contract, which is still in place (as of June 2024).
 

2.1.    To make improvements to the GLA’s performance reporting to better manage performance in line with the refresh of delivery and governance arrangements. 
2.2.    To develop a reporting infrastructure to capture data for each reporting period and make this available more flexibly for performance dashboards. This will allow users to explore the data they need for evidence-based decision-making to improve GLA performance.
2.3.    To provide a dashboard and a flexible range of internal and external reports for different audiences, including a quarterly report for publication and other reports at different frequencies.
2.4.    To enhance public transparency, through better presentation of the delivery of Mayoral priorities.
2.5.    To improve reporting systems and enable better analysis and data visualisation.
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Mayor and GLA are subject to the public sector equality duty and must have due regard to the need to: 
·    eliminate unlawful 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 relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. 
3.2.    The "protected characteristics" are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and marriage/ civil partnership status. The duty involves having appropriate regard for 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 or are connected to a protected; take steps to meet the different needs of such people; 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 protected characteristic more favourably than those without one.
3.3.    There are no specific equalities impacts of the recruitment of a contractor to develop new performance reporting outputs. Recruitment of the contractor has been done in accordance with GLA equalities guidelines. The new performance framework recognises the importance of “continuing to recognise work on equality, diversity and inclusion as a critical cross-cutting foundation for all of the GLA’s work.” The development of improved performance reports will support this aspect of the framework.
 

4.1.    Improved performance reporting is relevant to all Mayoral Strategies and Priorities. Key risks and issues include the need to define new performance reporting requirements in line with the governance work which is running concurrently and build the new reports in time for Quarter 2 2024-25.
4.2.    There are no consultations or impact assessments required. There are no data protection/GDPR issues (performance reporting does not involve any personal data) or health and safeguarding requirements.
4.3.    No conflicts of interest have been identified for any officers involved in the development of this proposal or drafting or clearance of this decision form.
 

5.1.    As per ADD2698, an external Power BI contractor was sourced through the GLA’s contract with Reed Talent Solutions. The original contract runs until June 2024. 
5.2.    This decision requests an additional budget of up to £60,000, to extend the service to October 2024 This will increase the budget required for 2024-25 to £90,000. 
5.3.    Therefore, the total expenditure through the GLA’s contract with Reed Talent Solutions will be up to £105,000 (of which £17,345 was spent in 2023-24)
5.4.    The funding for this resource will come from existing planned resources for 2024-25 within the Chief Finance Officer directorate. 
 

6.1    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Chief Finance Officer (the Director) concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, and fall within the GLA’s statutory power to do such things considered to further or that are facilitative of, or conducive or incidental to, the discharge of its principal purposes. Officers have indicated that, in formulating the proposal in respect of which a decision is sought, they have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:
•    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
•    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
•    consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2    In taking the decisions requested of him, 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, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) 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 make the decision sought officers must ensure that the GLA’s contract for the provision of personnel services and in particular its extension of its commission for a Power BI contractor is documented, administered and managed in accordance with its contract with Reed Talent Solutions.        
 

7.1.    The contractor has been in place since February 2024 and will initially be required until the end of August 2024, with the possibility of further extension. The primary activities for the contractor are to set up the new reports, including the database to collect data, the dashboards, and the structure of PDF reports, in line with reporting requirements as these emerge from the wider governance project.