Issue details

The Council is a member of the Cambridgeshire Consultation Partnership, which comprises the County Council, all the Cambridgeshire district councils, the PCT, Policy Authority and Constabulary. Since 2002, the partnership has entered into framework contracts with social research agencies to provide consultation services – e.g., run surveys, focus groups, etc.

Following the termination of the previous contract last autumn, the partner authorities and ESPO have now concluded an extensive procurement exercise and have awarded the framework contract to MR UK, on the basis of the cost and quality of their proposals. MR UK put forward the lowest tender of the shortlisted companies, as calculated by a basket of typical work carried out against their schedule of rates.

The Council has previously approved the principle of entering into framework contracts for consultation and has amended its Contracts Standing Orders to enable council services to use the framework contract for consultation services without other tendering processes set out in Standing Orders.

The matter is being referred to the appropriate portfolio holder, with consultation of the Resources Portfolio Holder, in view of the following delegation to portfolio holders in Standing Orders: “all other matters relating to contracts not already delegated to Chief Officers, after consulting the Resources Portfolio Holder. This will include consortium framework contract considerations, tender listing, acceptance, adjustments of any kind, extensions and emergency or urgent provision”.