Decision Maker: Corporate Director (Economy & Place)
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
The Council has previously highlighted the
importance of developing the capacity to deliver projects at
significant scale, in particular on its capital schemes. At their
July meeting, Cabinet are being presented with proposals on the
establishment of a new Project Management Office.
A temporary externally funded post in the Economic
Growth/Regeneration Service will support the delivery of levelling
up work over the next 12 – 18 months. The post is titled the
Projects Manager (Levelling Up) and is set at Grade 10.
The Council is set to receive very substantial capital funding in
this financial year, in addition to the funding it has already
received through the Levelling Up Fund. As a result, there are
constraints on the Council’s capacity to deliver the
increased number of projects, in addition to business as usual.
However, the funding for delivery is short term and so the capacity
needs to also be short term.
There is an opportunity to help fill this capacity through Public
Practice, a well-respected not for profit company limited by
guarantee. The organisation aims to support the public sector build
and develop their place making leadership capabilities. They
undertake recruitment drives twice a year placing architects,
planners and other professionals into councils across the country.
The Council has already successfully recruited one temporary
project manager (a qualified architect with significant
regeneration experience) through Public Practice on a one-year
fixed term contract.
This decision will enter into a service level agreement with Public
Practice, which will initiate a recruitment process. The cost will
be £6,000 and will be funded from Economic Growth revenue
budgets.. If in turn the Council decide to recruit, the match
funding required for this role will be determined and agreed
through a separate decision.
To enter into a Service Level Agreement (SLA)
to the value of £6,000, to commission ‘Public
Practice’ to initiate a recruitment process for a
practitioner to undertake a placement with Tendring District
Council.
This will be to support the resources required to deliver the suite
of capital projects, as part of the Council’s delivery
programme. The £6,000 will be funded from Economic Growth
revenue budgets.
Note: If the recruitment process is successful, a separate decision
will be published to allocate the match funding required for this
placement.
Option 1 - to allocate capacity funding from
DLUHC to a fixed term levelling up projects manager post for one
year.
Option 2 - to not allocate funding to enable recruitment of a new
post for levelling up programme management and continue to manage
within current resources. The Council did not take this option as
there is external funding available for a new post of this
nature.
Publication date: 17/07/2024
Date of decision: 17/07/2024
Accompanying Documents: