Annemarie O’Donnell, Chief Executive (Glasgow City Council); Cleland Sneddon, Chief Executive (Argyll & Bute Council); and Stuart Ritchie, Director of Corporate and Housing Services (Falkirk Council).

Angela Scott, Chief Executive (Aberdeen City Council).

In the absence of the Chair, Annemarie O’Donnell, the Chair’s nominee, chaired the meeting.

J Welsh, Director, H Carr Head of Strategic Procurement, S Brannagan, Head of Customer and Business Services and L Richard, Strategic Procurement Manager (all Scotland Excel); and K Graham, Head of Corporate Governance (Clerk) and E Currie, Senior Committee Services Officer (both Renfrewshire Council).

Sandra Black, Chief Executive (Renfrewshire Council) and Joyce White, Chief Executive (West Dunbartonshire Council). 

There were no conflicts of interest intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Chief Executive Officers Management Group (CEOMG) held on 27 August 2018.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

The Director advised that in August 2018 a presentation was made to the SOLACE branch group seeking a new CEOMG member due to the retiral of Mary Pitcaithly.  The SOLACE Executive decided to review the overall membership and nominations had been received from Angela Scott, Aberdeen City Council; Margo Williamson, Angus Council; Cleland Sneddon, Argyll and Bute Council; Steve Grimmond, Fife Council; Annemarie O’Donnell, Glasgow City Council; and Sandra Black, Renfrewshire Council.

Sandra Black would continue to chair meetings of the CEOMG in line with CEOMG procedures.

The CEOMG thanked both Mary Pitcaithly and Joyce White for their contribution to the work of Scotland Excel and the CEOMG.

DECIDED: That the nominations received for membership of the CEOMG be noted and that these nominations be considered at the meeting of the Joint Committee to be held on 7 December 2018.

S Brannagan, Head of Customer and Business Services gave a presentation to the group in relation to Scotland Excel’s funding gap including information on pay awards, incremental drift, operating costs, apprentice levy and pension strain; the funding opportunities available to Scotland Excel including consultancy services, associate member expansion, learning and development, new build housing and rebates; additional funding elements; Scotland Excel’s hybrid approach to funding; and member requisition.

It was proposed that the Director contact the Improvement Service and Digital Office with a view to providing SOLACE with information on the value of Scotland Excel to local authorities.  This was agreed.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the presentation be noted; and

(b) That the Director contact the Improvement Service and Digital Office with a view to providing SOLACE with information on the value of Scotland Excel to local authorities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

L Richard, Senior Procurement Manager gave a presentation to the group on Brexit.

The presentation included information on what had been agreed; what could happen next; trade after Brexit; the Migration Advisory Committee Report; issues for consideration; contracts and legislation; the work being undertaken around contracts in preparation for Brexit; and the Scotland Excel white paper which had been published online which gave a general overview, supplemented with category specific reports reactive to ongoing negotiations and developments.

Following discussion about risk assessments for Brexit, it was proposed that the Director engage with the Scottish Resilience Partnership and Mark Williams ACC to share the work being carried out by Scotland Excel around Brexit and provide an update to the next meeting of SOLACE.  This was agreed.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the presentation be noted; and

(b) That the Director contact the Scottish Resilience Partnership and Mark Williams ACC to share the work being carried out by Scotland Excel around Brexit and provide an update to the next meeting of SOLACE.

S Brannagan, Head of Customer and Business Services and L Richard, Senior Procurement Manager gave a presentation to the group on the work undertaken by Scotland Excel with Fife Council, Aberdeen City Council and East Renfrewshire Council; SEEMiS; the Digital Office; the Scottish Government projects, Affordable Homes and Care and Support; and future projects with City Property, Cycling Scotland and Tayside.

It was proposed that the Director give a presentation to a future meeting of SOLACE providing clarity around what the Improvement Service, the Digital Office and Scotland Excel could provide in terms of savings around IT systems.  This was agreed.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the presentation be noted; and

(b) That the Director give a presentation to a future meeting of SOLACE providing clarity around what the Improvement Service, the Digital Office and Scotland Excel could provide in terms of savings around IT systems.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Scotland Excel providing an update on key developments within Scotland Excel since the last meeting of this group held on 27 August 2018.

The report detailed information in relation to work with the Local Government Digital Office on the Social Care System, supplier engagement, information gathering, the procurement methods event and collaboration with the Scottish Government; the Scottish Government projects on affordable housing, new build housing, care and support services, care home services for older people, and early learning and childcare; the Scotland Excel Academy; an update on the contract plan and contracts approved since September 2018; and an update on new associate members.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Clerk relative to meetings of the group in 2019.

DECIDED: That meetings of the group be held at 10.00 am on 27 February, 15 May, 28 August and 13 November 2019 in Scotland Excel Meeting Room 1, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley.