CORPORATE SERVICES LEAD MEMBER BRIEFING
16TH SEPTEMBER, 2002.
PRESENT: Councillors Antrobus and Murphy
M. Brooks, K. Clare, A. Eastwood, E. Halton,
A. Lobley, J. Spink, A. Westwood and M. Willetts
 Strategic Provider:
 Alan Westwood gave an update on developments since last week
which included details of:
 The Team Leaders forum at Buile Hill
 Concerns of those staff who have improved their performance
greatly over recent years
 Letter to be sent to all staff explaining the reasons why the Council
was looking at partnership arrangements and the way forward
 Letter to go in the name of the Chief Executive or the Leader of the
Council
 Donna Hall was client manager at Blackburn for Capita – see if she
would be available to talk to SMG and Team Leaders
 Alan Westwood reported that he was making arrangements for
Vertex to give a presentation to SMG
 Alan Eastwood suggested that both Capita and Vertex should give
presentations at Team Leader forum
 Councillor Antrobus stated that there was a need to assess if there
was a case for going out to an external partner – hard facts and
figures were needed not just sales talk
 Mike Willetts submitted an issues and initial actions report, which
referred to: Scope and purpose
 Services
 Consultation and communication resources
 Project management
 Preparatory contract and tendering issues
 Organisation and HR issues
 Logistics
 Risk assessment
 Service continuity
 In response to a question from Maura Brooks on whether the
Council were looking to improve the service of just trying to set up
a business centre in Salford – Alan Westwood indicated that service
improvement was the major driver but the Council was also looking
towards the business centre
 Cabinet to be requested to set up a Project Board and Project Team
to progress the matter
 All other Directors to be kept informed of developments
 To appear as a weekly agenda item
 P.C.’s for Co-opted Members – Keith Clare reported that two
members had shown an interest and an assessment was being made on
their needs – it was proposed to go back to the remaining members to
make sure that they did not want a p.c.
 Salford @dvance – Service Improvement Plan
 This year capital programme cut to nothing – only investment
coming from IEG 2
 Councillor Antrobus indicated the need to justify investment and
the need for external scrutiny
 See if Peter Kawalek and any students from Salford University are
available to assist
 In response to a question from Councillor Antrobus on the
resources put into the Project Support Office function in respect of
Prince 2 Mike Willetts indicated that it was very little
 Put an item on the agenda for the quarterly meeting the Chief
Executive has with the University re partnering
 E-government champions event in London 26th September –
approval to three people going
 Contract for the supply and maintenance of Digital Copiers –
APPROVAL to tender of Konica Business Machines (UK) Ltd. At a
cost of £613,676 for a three year period 1stOctober 2002, to 30th
September 2005, with an option to extend for a further year
 Record of previous meeting: ALMO agreements signed on Friday 13th September
 Budget consultation - Geoff Topping looking into the two e-mails
from Councillor Antrobus on the matter – leaflets to be given out at
September Council meeting
 All members to be e-mailed when the Statement of Accounts is
available on the web site
 Next special Cabinet on Budget Strategy – suggested venue
Broadwalk Resource Centre
 2002/03 Capital Programme:
 Housing Market Renewal Fund – formal notification still awaited
on the £800k
 Concerns that the Leader had apparently given approval to incur
£100k on business support in the Chapel Street area
 List of capital schemes to be cleared with Bob Osborne and
submitted to September Council