Decision details

Summary

The Customer and Locality Services Portfolio Holder presented a report on the procurement and contract award for an Elections Management and Electoral Registration System for Westmorland and Furness Council. He informed Members that the system would provide the functionality required by Westmorland and Furness Council to manage all aspects of elections and electoral registration and enable residents to register to vote using the .gov.uk website.

Members were informed of the LGR Workstream which had been tasked with the procurement exercise to identify suppliers for the new councils and that South Lakeland District Council had taken the lead on the process for the Westmorland and Furness Council. During the exercise there was regular consultation between the three elections teams, IT officers as well as support from procurement and legal officers and oversight from the Westmorland and Furness Interim Chief Executive who was the Returning Officer. Following the procurement exercise a preferred supplier was identified, as set out in the Part II appendix 1 to the report.

No questions or comments were raised.

Decision

RESOLVED – That

(1)        the contract for the Elections Management and Electoral Registration system being awarded to the supplier identified in the Part II Appendix 1 be approved;

(2)        the Director Strategy, Innovation and Resources be delegated authority in consultation with the Specialist Procurement Officer and Legal Governance and Democracy Senior Specialist (Monitoring Officer) to enter into the appropriate contract with the successful bidder; and

(3)        the contract will transfer to Westmorland and Furness Council from vesting date

Reasons for Decision

The decision links to the Council Plan Priority for Working Across Boundaries.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

The option of continuing with existing systems and merging at a later date was considered and rejected. This approach would potentially lead to large numbers of mismatches when the three existing local authority GSS codes are deleted and replaced with a new code for Westmorland and Furness.

In addition there will be new functionality required to deliver Elections Act requirements and potential boundary changes which is better dealt with as one project in a new system.

The alternative option to award the contract to an alternative bidder is not recommended on the basis of the tender analysis in Appendix 1.