ADD2413 Open Project System enhancements – Recycled Capital Grant Fund

MD2293 approved the corporate roll out of Open Project System (OPS) within the GLA. It also approved a budget to fund a development supplier for both 2018-19 and 2019-20.

OPS enhancements beneficial to GLA directorates must be funded from directorate resources. This decision approves transferring £28,854 from the H&L management and consultancy budget to the OPS team budget to cover enhancements that have been made to benefit H&L, including the operation of the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 (approved by MD2125).

There are two enhancements that are the subject of this decision. The first relates to introducing a new processing route within OPS to ensure that all projects are categorised accurately.

The second enhancement relates to Recycled Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) and Disposals Proceeds Fund (DPF) returns. A number of system improvements were made to the return process including enabling returns to be certified and adding validations to the returns. These enhancements are the first part of improvements to the RCGF/DPF returns process. Further enhancements to the process are currently under way. Funding for these further enhancements will be the subject of a future decision form.

The objective of this decision is to help administer the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 successfully by enhancing OPS.

Under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the GLA must have ‘due regard’ of the need to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; and
• advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.

The public sector equality duty requires the identification and evaluation of the likely potential impacts, both positive and negative, of the decision on those with protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, gender, religion or belief, sexual orientation) and to set out how the duty is being addressed.

The enhancements set out in this decision will improve the operation of the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21. There are no likely potential positive or negative impacts to note from this decision other than those already identified in relation to the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 and detailed in MD2125.

a) Key risks and issues

Without an effective grant and project management system, there is a risk that the Mayor’s investment programmes are not delivered successfully. The enhancements to OPS detailed in this report will improve how the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 operates.

b) Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

The enhancements to OPS detailed in this report will support the GLA and its partners to delivery the aims and objectives of the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21, as approved by MD2125.

c) Consultations and impact assessments

The recommendations in this report followed input and discussions between the OPS Delivery Team, GLA Finance and Governance and the Housing & Land Directorate. There are no significant data protection issues to note resulting from this decision.

This decision seeks approval for expenditure of £28,854 from the H&L management and consultancy budget to the Open Project System (OPS) team budget to cover the costs of two enhancements made to OPS that benefit Housing & Land as detailed in section 1.

The system enhancements set out above have already been delivered.