Key information
Decision type: Director
Reference code: DD2099
Date signed:
Decision by: Mark Roberts, Director of Assembly Secretariat
Executive summary
Since 2010 the GLA Committee Services team has used an agenda management system and app for the production and publication of meeting-related papers for the GLA Group. This includes various Mayoral boards, the London Assembly, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), Transport for London (TfL), and most recently for the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC).
This decision requests approval to re-procure, develop and maintain this system up to the value of £140,000 over a 4 year period for the GLA Committee Services and GLA Group organisations.
Decision
That the Executive Director of Secretariat approves the following:
1. Expenditure up to a maximum of £140,000 over a 4 year period (£35k pa) to continue using an agenda management system;
2. The receipt of up to £70,000 from LFEPA, TFL, OPDC and LLDC towards funding the agenda management system, as part of the standard charges under the respective shared services agreements; and
3. Appointment and entry into contract with a suitable supplier to deliver the agenda management system.
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
1.1 Approval for an agenda management system and app has been given previously – via DD281 and DD1066.
1.2 The system is a database and web publishing tool which is used by the GLA's Committee Team to:
• Manage the preparation and publication of statutory and relevant non-statutory agendas, reports and minutes in consistent formats for meetings supported by the Team
• Manage and publish details of committees, committee memberships and substitute memberships
• Automatically generate meetings and agenda web pages, thereby enabling successful preparation and publication of all relevant meeting-related papers for the Mayor, London Assembly Members, Board and Authority Members, the public, media, officers and other interested parties
• Instantly produce labelled, collated and numbered electronic papers
• Produce a calendar of meetings for the public, media and interested external and internal users Generate e-mail alerts which inform all interested parties as to the dates/times of relevant meetings and the business to be transacted at those meetings.
1.3 Since 2010, this system has been used by the Committee Services Team to support meetings held by the London Assembly and, further to the establishment of shared services arrangements with other parts of the GLA family, has been used by the team to support meetings for the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority since May 2012; meetings of a number of Mayoral Bodies from July 2011 onwards; and meetings of the London Legacy Development Corporation and Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation since October 2012. The contract was expanded to include Transport for London’s Committee team in summer 2013.
1.4 The services and related licenses will be procured by the TfL Commercial team, on behalf the GLA and wider group organisations using TfL’s reseller framework which was procured competitively in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations.
A continuation of usage of an agenda management system and associated app, providing an effective service for board / committee meetings and papers to the Mayor’s Office, London Assembly members, board members across the GLA group, officers, public and the press is the expected outcome of this process.
There are no implications or impact arising from this on groups with protected characteristics.
a. Key risks and issues
A delay in commencing re-procurement risks the current contract expiring prior to award for the new contract period. The GLA Group needs an agenda management system and it is a vital component to the work of the bodies listed above. Without an agenda publishing system, causing major delays in publication and significant service delivery issues where statutory deadlines apply. The Mayor and Elected Members/Board Members would be unable to access papers via the app – causing an increase in printing costs.
b. Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
The GLA Committee Services team carries out key functions relating to the discharge of statutory duties by the London Assembly, the Mayor, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and, Transport for London (TfL) and Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). The continuation of use of this product will automate most of these functions and thus contribute directly to those elements of the GLA Corporate Plan that relates to Committee Services.
c. Impact assessments and consultations.
The requirement and use of an agenda management system has been discussed with senior stakeholders including LFEPA, LLDC, OPDC and TfL. These discussions have been led by Ed Williams, Head of Committee and Member Services.
5.1 Approval is being sought for expenditure up to £140,000 (over 4 years) for an agenda management system for the Committee Services Team. The estimated net cost to the GLA is anticipated to be circa £70,000 (per year) as contributions will be sought from shared service users ( LFEPA, LLDC, OPDC and TfL) as part of the standard charges under the respective shared services agreements, which were agreed to be on a cost-recovery basis. These amounts will only be charged on an annual basis; in the event that these funds have not been entirely secured this expenditure will be contained within the Committee Services budget.
5.2 This expenditure is expected to occur over 4 financial years, between the period 2017/18 – 2020/21, and cover both annual charges and anticipated renewal increases.
5.3 Funding for the contract period will be drawn from the Committee Services team’s budget, with a detailed schedule of payments to be prepared in liaison with GLA Finance at the time of contract award.
6.1 The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Mayor concern his exercise of the GLA’s general powers falling within the statutory powers of the GLA to do anything which is facilitative of or conducive or incidental to the discharge of the GLA’s principal purposes and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:
(a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
(b) 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
(c) consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2 In taking the decisions requested of him, the Mayor 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 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 and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010).
6.3 Officers must:
(a) ensure that the services required are procured by the TfL Commercial team in accordance with the processes for and requirements of its reseller framework;
(b) liaise with the TfL Commercial team in this regard and ensure that appropriate call-off contract documentation is put in place with and executed by proposed the relevant service provider before the commencement of the required services.
DD281
DD1066
Signed decision document
DD2099 Agenda management system (signed)
Supporting documents
DD281 Committee Management Software System
DD1066 Modern Gov agenda system (signed) PDF.pdf