Issue - decisions

Transport Professional Services - Contract Award and Appointment of Specialist Advisors to Provide Network Management Support (Mark Smith)

22/10/2019 - Transport Professional Services - Contract Award and Appointment of Specialist Advisors to Provide Network Management Support

Councillor Pat Hackett introduced a report that, in accordance with the Council’s updated Executive Decision Making process, sought approval to appoint external resources to provide ad-hoc support in the Network Management Service for the delivery of regeneration/growth objectives and to ensure that the Council’s statutory obligations in relation to network management and road safety were met. 

 

The Cabinet was informed that an option to do nothing had been considered by officers and rejected as failing to progress and establish a Professional Services Contract would compromise the Council’s ability to meet statutory obligations, deliver Capital Programmes and support the aspirations of the Wirral Growth Company.

 

The matter was not a Key Decision.

 

Councillor Hackett reported that safe and well maintained roads were important to every resident, business or visitor to Wirral.  They connected people to services, employment, education and healthcare and this was a fundamental part of their daily lives. The Council had significant regeneration plans which were being driven by the newly formed Wirral Growth Company. It therefore, needed expertise in this field to advise and deliver on how networks could be adapted and upgraded to meet increased visitor and investor demand.  Specialist advisers allowed the Council greater autonomy to commission high quality, stand-alone project work and also provided the flexibility to change the level of resources to address peaks and troughs in workloads. The proposals set out in the report would work towards improving the transport offer for all residents, businesses and visitors creating a joined up and efficient transport system and making it easier to connect Wirral.

 

Councillor Stuart Whittingham informed that Wirral had some excellent network management traffic and highways officers working for the Council. However, in the light of the Councils regeneration proposals it needed extra capacity to drive them forward.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the appointment of advisors via the Merseytravel Consultancy Services Multi Party Framework Agreement 2019, subject to completion of Contract Procedure Rules, to provide ad-hoc support services in highways development control, traffic management and road safety up to a value of £450,000 as set out in the proposal below be approved:

 

Proposal

 

(1)  Procurement of specialist advisor resource be via the Merseytravel Consultancy Services Multi-Party Framework Lot 7. The hourly rates offered through this framework are considered to represent good value for money in the present market. The framework has already been successfully used by Wirral Council for engineering services over the past 14 months and it is likely to offer better value than alternative procurement routes. At this stage it is envisaged that the services may be required up to a maximum total fee value of £450,000 between November 2019 and November 2021, extendable by a further 12 months subject to performance, but there will be no guarantee of the type, timing, quantity or value of work that will be issued through the contract.

 

(2)  A mini-competition between interested specialist advisors within the relevant framework lot be administered by the Council's Procurement Team through the Due North electronic tendering portal, The Chest. The competition be on a 50/35/10/5 price/quality/social value/GDPR basis, and be based on an assumed schedule of hours for each staff grade in the framework, generating an indicative price offer, with an optional discount provision, together with a quality statement and social value submission, which will be assessed in accordance with instructions that will be provided at the time of tender invitation and agreed with Procurement colleagues in advance.