CORPORATE SERVICES LEAD MEMBER BRIEFING
9TH AUGUST, 2004.
PRESENT: Councillors Hinds and Murphy
K. Clare, A. Eastwood, E. Halton, D. Rogers,
J. Spink, A. Westwood and M. Willetts
 Record of the meeting held on 2nd August, 2004 – noted
 Purchase of Collaborative Project Management Tool – proposal to
purchase a software tool to strengthen programme and project
management capacity within the ICT services and wider
deployment within the council in the longer term – approval to
purchase the HYDRA product from PMG Ltd at a cost of £42k
plus annual costs of £6k; and that Mike Willetts investigate if the
management of the Development Services capital programme
could be undertaken within this project.
 Proposals for capital expenditure – following schemes approved:o Re-roofing works at Moorside High School - £156k
o Acquisition of flats 1,2,3,5 and 6 at 100 Rigby Street Salford
- £186k
 ICT Services Highlight Report – specific reference to
o Staffing
o Proposal to be submitted for National CRM academy
o Think Customer
o Invitation to join Salford University Management Advisory
Council and also WINNIT Board (Women in IT)
o ICT open day
o Launch of national SPRINT user group
o BPR link to directorates
o E- Government
o A rating for ECDL test centre
o Variety of training and support measures
o Help Desk accreditation from Institute of Technical Service
Centre achieved
 Replacement of the Core Network and Storage Area Networks –
submitted details of proposals to upgrade the Council’s core
Network and the replacement of the Council’s Storage Area
Networks.
o Storage still remains a problem (why is it stored and for how
long?)
o Possible training required for Elected Member’s on the
Freedom of Information and the retention by them of
information
o Noted at this stage and re-consider in September
 Member’s IT provision – current licence expires in September
2005
o Alan Eastwood to submit the report at future meeting he has
with the Leader and the Deputy Leader
o Raise at future meeting of COSSIG
o Consideration to be given to all requests from Member’s –
but may not be able to satisfy all requests
o Co-opted Members to be included
 Law and Admin monthly update – specific reference to:o Committee Services and discussions with NPHL on
continuing to servicing meetings of the Boards
o Support Services – John Spink to let Alan Eastwood have
details in alleged delays in the collection and delivery of post
o Legal Services –
 Community and Social Services very happy with the
service provided by the Family and Community Team
 Look to change “legal function shown as a ratio of the
net revenue budget” to legal function shown as a ratio
of business activity
 Land Charges below target as a result of staff
absences in other directorates
o Elections – adult population and electoral turnout
o Registrars – target for total income (£200k) is less than the
budget for the service (£240k)
 Greater Manchester Pension Scheme – approval to the City
Council acting as a guarantor to the application from Jarvis plc for
admission to the Greater Manchester Pension Fund and to the
pooling of employer contribution rates in respect of staff
transferring to their employment at the Chatsworth Road site
 Public Works Loan Board – John Spink reported that due to
favourable market rates £8m of loans had been repaid on Friday 6th
August