Issue - meetings

This report advises on progress to date with highway services procurement and seeks approval for a proposed reporting and management structure for this procurement and, if required, to provide delegated authority to submit an expression of interest for a highway management Private Finance Initiative bid, in consultation with the Executive Member.

Members considered a report which advised on progress to date with highway services procurement and sought approval for a proposed reporting and management structure for this procurement.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the proposed reporting and management structures be approved.

REASON:      To ensure that the project is properly managed, whilst enabling speedy progress to be made.

                        (ii)        That the appointments to the Steering Group be approved.

REASON:      To meet the need for Member input to the project.

                        (iii)       That a report be taken to the Urgency Committee seeking approval to submit an Expression Of Interest, should this be considered appropriate.

REASON:      In view of the fact that there is insufficient time to bring a report to the Executive on this.

Members considered a report which advised on progress to date with highway services procurement and sought approval for a proposed reporting and management structure for this procurement.

The report set out progress made on the short and medium term actions reported to the Executive on 2 May 2006, together with key points on the long term options B and C, which were being progressed concurrently.  With regard to Option B (PFI), Deloitte’s had been identified as the preferred financial advisor.  Their report on the feasibility of the PFI route would enable a decision to be taken on whether to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Department for Transport.  Work undertaken to scope the PFI project would also be used to help determine the best scope for Option C (re-tendering an extended scope package).  Both Deloitte and Halcrow would assist in the determination of the most appropriate alternative type of contract should Option B not be pursued.

The proposed management structure, explained in paragraphs 26 to 29 of the report, was intended to overcome some of the difficulties encountered in the earlier procurement work by providing a more rigourous framework.  It included a Steering Group comprising the Council Leader and the Executive and Shadow Executive Members for City Strategy, a Project Board to provide directional lead and monitor progress and a Project Team to deliver and manage the project.  Proposals for reporting and decision making via the Departmental Management Team, Corporate Management Team and Executive were shown diagrammatically in paragraph 26.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the proposed reporting and management structures be approved.

REASON:      To ensure that the project is properly managed, whilst enabling speedy progress to be made.

                        (ii)        That the appointments to the Steering Group be approved.

REASON:      To meet the need for Member input to the project.

                        (iii)       That a report be taken to the Urgency Committee seeking approval to submit an Expression Of Interest, should this be considered appropriate.

REASON:      In view of the fact that there is insufficient time to bring a report to the Executive on this.