RESOLVED that Cabinet –
(a) notes the progress of the existing partnership arrangement with Essex County Council for the delivery of procurement functions under the Service Level Agreement;
(b) agrees that Tendring District Council (TDC) form part of a wider partnership of Councils to explore the Shared Procurement Service for parts of Essex;
(c) authorises the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance, (as the Executive member responsible for procurement) to represent this Council at the Member Advisory Group;
(d) requests the Chief Executive to appoint the appropriate Officer to serve on the Strategic Officer Group;
(e) authorises the contribution of £45,000 from existing vacancies to the shared procurement project for the development of activities as set out in the Portfolio Holder’s report;
(f) authorises the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance, to agree the Partnership Agreement for the Shared Procurement Service;
(g) requests the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance to review the Shared Procurement Service progress prior to any decision at the expiration of the existing Service Level Agreement with Essex County Council;
(h) instructs Officers to ensure that the Council’s Contract Register and Procurement Project Pipeline was kept up to date to ensure TDC matters could be included within the Shared Service prioritisation; and
(i) welcomes the work identified for a joint approach to Social Value for procurement purposes, for a further report to be presented at a Cabinet meeting later in 2023.