Councillor Mandy Watt (City of Edinburgh Council), Councillor Ellen Forson (Clackmannanshire Council), Councillor Ellen Forson (Clackmannanshire Council), Councillor Kenny Macleod (Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar), Councillor Heather Anderson (Dundee City Council), Councillor Stephen Canning (East Ayrshire Council), Councillor Tony Buchanan (East Renfrewshire Council), Councillor Ross Vettraino (Fife Council), Councillor Ruairi Kelly and Councillor Rashid Hussain (Glasgow City Council), Councillor Neil McLennan (Moray Council), Councillor Mark Rowley (Scottish Borders Council), Councillor Dennis Leask (Shetland Islands Council) and Councillor Rachel Nunn (Stirling Council).

 

There were no declarations of interest or transparency statements intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.

 

There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 21 June 2024.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.

There were submitted the Minutes of the meetings of the Executive Sub-committee held on 21 June, 23 August, 20 September, 18 October and 15 November 2024.

DECIDED: That the Minutes be approved.

The Chief Executive of Scotland Excel gave a presentation to members providing updates under the categories of delivering value; funding; and future direction and priorities.

In relation to delivering value, the Chief Executive provided an overview of the value Scotland Excel delivered for members; the return on investment; framework utilisation which included information on the link between framework utilisation and member savings and the focus on growth of utilisation in terms of member return on investment and savings for members; framework savings; Year 1 and Year 2 projects delivered by the National Savings Team; and projects undertaken. 

In relation to funding, the Chief Executive provided detail in relation to the Income Strategy approved in December 2018 together with the five income streams; rebates; the annual requisition; the success of the income strategy; spend reviews; efficiencies and additional income sources; and the budget which would see a 0% increase in the requisition for 2025/26 and an indicative 0% in 2026/27 and 2.5% in 2027/28, with NHC costs incorporated into the requisition for next year, and the income streams supporting the 0% requisition increase and other additional costs.

In relation to the future direction and priorities, the Chief Executive referred to the reorganisation of strategic procurement and strategic commissioning; the ICT Modernisation Programme; the reporting structure of the organisation; how the organisation was demonstrating the journey of procurement reform post McClelland to beyond 2024; the Strategic Workshops facilitated by Scotland Excel in 2024; and the priorities of Scotland Excel which were savings and efficiencies, supporting sectoral procurement reform and improvements, pressures of social care  and continuing to develop environmental sustainability.

DECIDED: That the presentation be noted.

There was submitted a joint report by the Treasurer and the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel presenting the revenue estimates of Scotland Excel, including the requisition of the constituent authorities, for the financial year 2025/26 along with indicative planning figures for 2026/27 and 2027/28.

The report intimated that the annual revenue estimates process outlined the summary revenue budget position for the organisation and that the budget estimates provided in Appendix 1 to the report outlined the projected position for 2025/26 and an indicative position for 2026/27 and 2027/28. Appendix 2 to the report detailed the proposed requisitions for 2025/26 with the assumptions used in developing these projections being outlined in sections 4 and 5 or the report.

The report noted that Scotland Excel had provided an update on the proposed 0% increase to requisition for 2025/26 to stakeholders.   

The report provided information on the assumptions that the budget had been based on; other income; the Strathclyde Pension Fund and Reserves; the financial overview for Scotland Excel and member authority requisitions for 2025/26.

DECIDED: 

(a) That the revenue estimates of Scotland Excel for the financial year 2025/26, as detailed in Table 1 of Appendix 1 to the report, be approved; 

(b) That the requisitions from constituent authorities, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report, be approved; and 

(c) That the indicative estimates for 2026/27and 2027/28 be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel which provided the Joint Committee with a proposed annual operating plan for 2025/26, a copy of which was appended to the report.

The report intimated that in December 2022, the Joint Committee approved a five-year strategy covering the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028. This strategy was supported by annual operating plans which provided more detailed information on the actions and activities that Scotland Excel would undertake each year to deliver the strategy. 

DECIDED: That the proposed operating plan for 2025/26 be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel providing an update on the Strategic Risk Register maintained to monitor threats and risks that could impact the delivery of Scotland Excel’s strategic objectives and to identify controls that were in place to mitigate these risks. A copy of the Strategic Risk Register as of November 2024 was appended to the report. 

The report intimated that the Strategic Risk Register had been developed using methodology set out in the Strategic Risk Strategy approved by the Joint Committee in December 2022. Currently there were 12 strategic risks identified ranging in assessed risk score from 6 to 16 and a summary of key elements in relation to each identified risk was detailed in the Register. 

DECIDED: That the Strategic Risk Register be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel highlighting the community benefits delivered in the period 1 April to 30 September 2024 aligned with Scotland Excel’s framework portfolio, together with an update on Fair Work practices which provided an analysis of suppliers’ and providers’ Living Wage status.

The report intimated that Scotland Excel continually strived to be innovative in its approach to community benefits and recognised that community benefits had a considerable social, environmental and economic impact within local communities. The approach to community benefit commitments had been developed to further advance the undertakings made by suppliers and to facilitate a robust process for the collection of responses. A revised collection process was developed and rolled out to simplify the process and ensure wider transparency of available benefits to all members.

The report advised that information from suppliers and providers had been collated to illustrate the variety and extent of community benefits delivered through Scotland Excel frameworks and this method of collection, together with ongoing contract management, aimed to support the delivery of commitments made by suppliers and providers at point of tender. For the return through to 30 September 2024, community benefits had been sought from suppliers and providers who had received more than £50,000 spend over the preceding two quarters via Scotland Excel frameworks.

Table 1 of the report provided a summary of the social value added across the Scotland Excel portfolio since 2013 until September 2024 and Table 2 of the report detailed the Living Wage status of suppliers and providers within the last six months reporting period. The appendix to the report detailed the accrued community benefits value per local authority area.

It was noted that the next community benefits data collection, analysis and review cycle would be completed in line with the management information process to cover the period to 31 March 2025. The results would be reviewed with the supply base and, where appropriate, would be incorporated into suppler performance objectives. 

DECIDED: That the content of the report be noted and that the ongoing practices in place to monitor delivery of community benefits and the application on Fair Work practices for the 2024/25 financial year be supported.

There was submitted a report by the Clerk seeking approval for the continued appointment of the existing membership of the Scotland Excel Executive Sub-committee for a further period to December 2025. 

It was proposed that details of members attendance at meetings of the Executive Sub-committee for the preceding year be included within future reports. This was agreed.

DECIDED:

(a) That it be agreed that the Executive Sub-committee continue to comprise of elected members from Aberdeenshire Council, Angus Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries & Galloway Council, Fife Council (Vice Convener), Glasgow City Council, Highland Council, North Ayrshire Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Renfrewshire Council (Convener), South Ayrshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Shetland Islands Council; and

(b) That membership of the Executive Sub-committee be next reviewed at the meeting of the Joint Committee in December 2025 and that details of members attendance at meetings of the Executive Sub-committee for the preceding year be included within the report.

There was submitted a report by the Clerk seeking approval for the membership of Scotland Excel’s Chief Executive Officers Management Group (CEOMG), a key governance body for the organisation and which had been part of Scotland Excel’s governance since its inception in 2008.

The report intimated that the CEOMG comprised six Chief Executives from the member authorities with the Chief Executive of Renfrewshire Council being a standing member due to Renfrewshire Council being the lead authority. The other five members of the group were appointed annually by the Joint Committee although membership could be renewed.

The report advised that Angela Scott, Chief Executive of Aberdeen City Council would be stepping down this year and that the remaining current members of the CEOMG had confirmed their membership of the group for a further year. The Chief Executive of Scotland Excel had submitted a report to the meeting of the Solace Scotland Branch on 29 November 2024 relative to membership of the CEOMG and Solace had approved these nominations for a further year and nominated Steven Quinn, Chief Executive of East Renfrewshire Council, as a member of the CEOMG, replacing Angela.

The report proposed that the CEOMG membership be as detailed in paragraph 1.6 of the report until December 2025.

The Convener proposed that the five current members of the CEOMG remain on the group until December 2025 and that Solace be requested to reconsider the nomination of a Chief Executive to replace Angela Scott taking into account the current gender balance and geographic location of those Councils already represented on the group and that an update report be submitted to the next meeting of the Joint Committee. This was agreed unanimously.

DECIDED:

(a) That the five current members of the CEOMG remain on the group until December 2025; and

(b) That Solace be requested to reconsider the nomination of a Chief Executive to replace Angela Scott taking into account the current gender balance and geographic locations of those Councils already represented on the group and that an update report be submitted to the next meeting of the Joint Committee.

There was submitted a report by the Clerk seeking approval for the proposed dates for meetings of the Scotland Excel Joint Committee in 2025.

DECIDED: That meetings of Scotland Excel Joint Committee be held remotely on MS teams at 10.45 am on 20 June and 12 December 2025.