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Meeting Details

Meeting Summary
Scotland Excel Joint Committee
20 Jun 2025 - 10:45 to 12:00
Occurred
Remotely by MS Teams
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  • Documents
  • Attendance
  • Visitors
  • Declarations of Interests

Documents

Agenda

Agenda
Notification
Committee Members
Membership
Councillor John Shaw (Renfrewshire Council) (Convener) and Councillor Altany Craik (Fife Council) (Vice Convener)


Councillor Alex McLellan and Councillor Sandra Macdonald (Aberdeen City Council); Councillor David Keating and Councillor Alastair Forsyth (Aberdeenshire Council); Councillor Jack Cruickshanks (Angus Council); Councillor Reeni Kennedy-Boyle (Argyll and Bute Council); Councillor Simita Kumar and Councillor Mandy Watt (City of Edinburgh Council); Councillor Ellen Forson (Clackmannanshire Council); Councillor Kenny Macleod (Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar); Councillor Carolyn Wilson (Dumfries and Galloway Council); Councillor Heather Anderson (Dundee City Council); Councillor Stephen Canning (East Ayrshire Council); Councillor Calum Smith (East Dunbartonshire Council); Councillor John McMillan (East Lothian Council); Councillor Tony Buchanan (East Renfrewshire Council); Councillor Margaret Anslow (Falkirk Council); Councillor Lynn Ballantyne-Wardlaw (Fife Council); Councillor Ruairi Kelly and Councillor Rashid Hussain (Glasgow City Council); Councillor Derek Louden and vacancy (Highland Council); Councillor Jim Clocherty (Inverclyde Council); Councillor Colin Cassidy (Midlothian Council); Councillor Neil McLennan (Moray Council); Councillor Christina Larsen (North Ayrshire Council); Councillor Michael McPake and Councillor Denis Johnston (North Lanarkshire Council); Councillor Janette Park (Orkney Islands Council); Councillor Stewart Donaldson (Perth and Kinross Council); Councillor Mark Rowley (Scottish Borders Council); Councillor Dennis Leask (Shetland Islands Council); Councillor Chris Cullen (South Ayrshire Council); Councillor Eileen Logan and Councillor Walter Brogan (South Lanarkshire Council); Councillor Rachel Nunn (Stirling Council); Councillor Lawrence O’Neill (West Dunbartonshire Council); and Councillor Anne McMillan (West Lothian Council).
 
Standard Items
Further Information - online meetings only

This meeting is on-line only but is a meeting which is open to members of the public by prior arrangement. A copy of the agenda and reports for this meeting will be available for inspection prior to the meeting at the Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley and online at http://renfrewshire.cmis.uk.com/renfrewshire/CouncilandBoards.aspx

For further information, please email democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Members of the Press and Public - contact details
Members of the press and public wishing to attend the meeting should contact democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk to allow the necessary arrangements to be made.

 

Items Of Business
Apologies
Apologies from members.
Councillor Alex McLellan (Aberdeen City Council), Councillor Jack Cruickshanks (Angus Council), Councillor Reeni Kennedy-Boyle (Argyll and Bute Council), Councillor Simita Kumar (City of Edinburgh Council), Councillor Ellen Forson (Clackmannanshire Council), Councillor Heather Anderson (Dundee City Council), Councillor Stephen Canning (East Ayrshire Council), Councillor Paul Ferretti (East Dunbartonshire Council), Councillor Margaret Anslow (Falkirk Council), Councillor Michael McPake (North Lanarkshire Council), Councillor Mark Rowley (Scottish Borders Council), Councillor Dennis Leask (Shetland Islands Council), Councillor Lawrence O’Neill (West Dunbartonshire Council) and Councillor Anne McMillan (West Lothian Council).
Declarations of Interest and Transparency Statements
Members are asked to declare an interest or make a transparency statement in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest or the transparency statement.
There were no declarations of interest or transparency statements intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.
1 Minute
Minute of meeting of the Joint Committee held on 6 December 2024.
1
There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 6 December 2024.

DECIDED: That the Minute be approved.
2 Minutes
Minutes of meetings of the Executive Sub-committee held on 6 December 2024, and 24 January, 21 February, 21 March, 25 April and 16 May 2025.
2
There were submitted the Minutes of the meetings of the Executive Sub-committee held on 6 December 2024 and 24 January, 21 February. 21 March, 25 April and 16 May 2025.

DECIDED: That the Minutes be approved.
3 Presentation
Presentation by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel.
3

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

In relation to delivering value, the Chief Executive provided an overview of the value Scotland Excel delivered for members in 2024/25; financial savings; Year 1 and Year 2 projects delivered by the National Savings Team; and efficiencies. 

In relation to operational and project updates, the Chief Executive provided detail in relation to strategic commissioning; strategic procurement to address local priorities; current support provided to address national housing emergency; the organisations associate members; and community wealth building.

 

In relation to the future direction and priorities, the Chief Executive referred to the future focus of strategic procurement; the work being undertaken in relation to social care and the pressures faced; and the strategic workshops facilitated by Scotland Excel in 2024 and 2025.

DECIDED: That the presentation be noted.

4 Scotland Excel Unaudited Annual Accounts 2024/25
Report by Treasurer.
4
There was submitted a report by the Treasurer relative to Scotland Excel’s Unaudited Annual Accounts for 2024/25, a copy of which was appended to the report. 

The report intimated that the Annual Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 would be submitted to Azets in advance of the statutory deadline of 30 June 2025. The accounts indicated that Scotland Excel’s core activities resulted in a contrition to reserves (surplus) of £619,000 in 2024/25 compared to a budgeted contribution to reserves of £147,000, resulting in an in-year favourable variance to budget of £472,000 and that projects returned a surplus of income over expenditure of £2.010 million. This resulted in a combined balance of £2.629 million being added to usable reserves, most of which were committed for use as outlined in Note 4 of the Annual Accounts.

The report advised that the management commentary within the accounts provided an overview of Scotland Excel’s performance during 2024/25 along with risk information and the financial outlook. 

It was noted that the deficit line referred to in page 16 of the Annual Accounts should be a surplus and that this and other note references in the balance sheet would be amended prior to submission to Azets. 

DECIDED: 

(a) That the Unaudited Annual Accounts and budgetary outturn position for 2024/25 be noted; and

(b) That the Annual Governance Statement be approved.
5 Scotland Excel Working in Partnership with Other Shared Services
Report by Chief Executive of Scotland Excel.
5
There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel which provided an overview of how Scotland Excel engaged with other local government shared services.

The report intimated that Scotland Excel was currently developing a partnership strategy which would set out objectives and plans for key partnership working, assign ownership and prioritise activities to support delivery of the five-year strategy. In tandem with this, SOLACE was carrying out a review of all local government shared services to examine the contribution made to and the activity of partner organisations to ensure these were in line with SOLACE objectives.

The report described the current relationship with four key partners; CoSLA, The Digital Office, The Improvement Service and SEEMIS.

DECIDED: That the close and effective relationship between Scotland Excel and other local government shared services be noted.
6 Operating Plan Update 2024/25
Report by Chief Executive of Scotland Excel.
6
There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel relative to an update on the Operating Plan 2024/25, a copy of which was appended to the report. Following issue of the report, it was established that the item regarding facilities management on page 10 of the report should be green and the following commitment on IT strategy should be red. An amended copy of the Operating Plan 2024/25 had been issued to members.

The report intimated that the new five-year Corporate Strategy, outlining the organisation’s business goals and priorities from 2023/28, had been approved at the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 9 December 2022. The Strategy was supported by annual operating plans with the operating plan covering the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 being approved at the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 8 December 2023.

This report presented an update on operating plan activity that had taken place between 31 January and 31 March 2025 and concluded reporting against the Operating Plan 2024/25.

DECIDED: That Scotland Excel’s performance in delivering the actions contained within the Operating Plan 2024/25 be noted.
7 Future Procurement Systems for Scotland Excel
Report by Chief Executive of Scotland Excel.
7
There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel which provided an update on Scotland Excel’s future application project and the next steps for Scotland Excel.

The report intimated that a review of the current application infrastructure was launched in 2024 and that the project had considered the full operational needs of Scotland Excel and reviewed the various applications currently in use, as detailed in the report. The approach taken was to identify a suitable best in class end-to-end procurement application that automated many of the steps currently taken throughout the life cycle of a procurement exercise, allowing Scotland Excel procurement professionals to focus their efforts and expertise where the biggest impact could be made for both the organisation and its members.

The report advised that Scotland Excel would continue its Future Application project and also explore the market via a formal procurement exercise. A full supporting business case would be produced and submitted to the Joint Committee at its meeting to be held on 12 December 2025, and subject to approval, a request to approve award of a contract for the purchase and implementation of an application would be submitted.

 

DECIDED: That the intention of Scotland Excel to continue its Future Application project and to go to the market to identify a suitable best in class end-to-end procurement application be noted.

8 Annual Procurement Report
Report by Chief Executive of Scotland Excel.
8
There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel relative to Scotland Excel’s Annual Procurement Report, produced in terms of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (the Act). A copy of the Annual Procurement Plan was appended to the report. 

The report advised that since the introduction of the Act, public bodies with an estimated procurement spend of £5 million or more required to publish an annual procurement strategy. Scotland Excel was not obligated to produce an annual report, it was prepared and submitted on a voluntary basis providing evidence of good practice carried out through collaboration in Scotland’s public sector. Scotland Excel’s annual procurement report required to be published no later than the end of September 2025, subject to approval by the Joint Committee.

The report further intimated that the Act required Scottish Ministers to publish an annual report on procurement activity in Scotland and that the Scotland Excel Annual Procurement Report would then be considered along with those of other public bodies.

DECIDED:
 
(a) That the content of the report be noted; and

(b) That publication of the Annual Procurement Report, as appended to the report, be approved for submission to the Scottish Government by 30 September 2025. 
9 Strategic Risk Register Update
Report by Chief Executive of Scotland Excel.
9
There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel which provided an update on the Risk Register maintained to monitor risks that could impact the delivery of Scotland Excel’s strategic objectives and which set out the ongoing controls and actions underway to control identified risks. A copy of the Risk Register as of May 2025 was appended to the report. 

The report intimated that there were 14 identified risks ranging in evaluation score from 6 to 16 and a summary of the key components of each identified risk was detailed in the Register. 

DECIDED: That the Risk Register be noted.
10 Scotland Excel - Crown Commercial Services Partnership Agreement
Report by Chief Executive of Scotland Excel.
10

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel relative to the establishment of a Partnership Agreement with Crown Commercial Services (CCS).

 

The report intimated that, since 2017, Scotland Excel had a well-established collaborative arrangement with CSS which delivered financial benefit to participating Councils. It was intended to expand and formalise the arrangement by engagement through a Partnership Agreement. Detailed analysis would be carried out on each of the collaborative contracting opportunities to ensure that planned strategy aligned with the needs of member Councils. This information would be shared with Councils through the appropriate UIG’s for endorsement prior to committing support at a contract level.

DECIDED: That the development of the Partnership Agreement with CSS be approved and the further collaboration be supported.

11 Supporting Attendance, Special Leave and Hospitality
Report by Chief Executive of Scotland Excel.
11
There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive of Scotland Excel relative to staff absence rates, special leave given to staff and hospitality granted by the organisation for the 2024/25 financial year.

The report advised that during the reporting period, the average sickness absence rate per full time equivalent member of staff was 3.6 days, that a total of 434 sickness leave days had been recorded, representing an average sickness absence rate of 1.8%; that a total of 167.5 days had been recorded as special leave against the categories detailed in the table in section 4 of the report; and that there had been no spend recorded against hospitality for the 2024/25 financial year. 

DECIDED: That the contents of the report be noted.
12 Membership of Scotland Excel Chief Executive Officers Management Group
Report by Clerk.
12
Under reference to item 10 of the Minute of the meeting of this Joint Committee held on 6 December 2024, there was submitted a report by the Clerk seeking approval for the membership of Scotland Excel’s Chief Executive Officers Management Group (CEOMG).

The report advised that at the December Joint Committee meeting, it was 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 geographical locations of those Councils already represented on the Group.

The report noted that SOLACE had nominated Kathryn Lindsay, Chief Executive of Angus Council, as a member of the CEOMG, replacing Angela and proposed that the CEOMG membership be as detailed in paragraph 1.4 of the report until December 2025.

DECIDED: That the membership of the CEOMG, as detailed in paragraph 1.4 of the report, be agreed until December 2025.
13 Date of Next Meeting
Note that the next meeting of the Joint Committee will be held at 10.45 am on 12 December 2025.
13
DECIDED: That it be noted that the next meeting of the Joint Committee would be held at 10.45 am on 12 December 2025.

Additional Meeting Documents

Attendance

Attended - Other Members
Name
No other member attendance information has been recorded for the meeting.

Declarations of Interests

Member NameItem Ref.DetailsNature of DeclarationAction
No declarations of interest have been entered for this meeting.

Visitors

Visitor Information is not yet available for this meeting