Telephone:0141 840 3703

Fax:0141 840 3335

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Your Ref:

My Ref:MD FIT/CS

Contact:Richard Sharp

Date:9 August 2010

Nicola Coupland

Dear Nicola,

Freedom of Information Application – Response

Thank you for your enquiry received by the Council on 16th June 2010 and subsequently clarified by your enquiry dated 20th July 2010. In response to your request, the following information has been provided:-

1. How do you procure construction consultancy services?

Where the spend is less than £10,000, the Council shall typically utilise the Public Contracts Scotland websites database of registered companies to identify at least six construction consultants who shall be invited to quote.

Where the spend is in excess of £10,000, the Council shall typically publish a notice on the Public Contracts Scotland website inviting expressions of interested from construction companies who wish to be considered for a particular technical consultancy opportunity.

The Council also recently conducted a mini competition exercise for technical consultancy services through the Buying Solutions framework agreement for Project Management & Full Design Team Services (Code RM457)) however this was the first incidence of using such a framework agreement for technical consultancy.

2. How you procure construction contractors?

Where the spend is less than £10,000, the Council shall typically utilise the Public Contracts Scotland websites database of registered companies to identify at least six construction contractors who shall be invited to quote.

Where the spend is in excess of £10,000, the Council shall typically publish a notice on the Public Contracts Scotland website inviting expressions of interested from construction contractors who wish to be considered for a particular construction opportunity.

The Council has recently tendered a framework agreement for major capital works. Established with three constructor partners, the Council is able to run a mini competition under this framework agreement to award a particular construction contract.

Prior to progressing any procurement exercise, the Council will consider the best way in which to approach the market for construction opportunities. Consideration will therefore be given to utilising our existing framework agreement for major capital works, procuring the construction project through the Hub Initiative or tendering the requirement.

3. If by your own framework agreement, please tell me:

(a) The titles and content of the relevant framework agreements?

Renfrewshire Council does not have a framework agreement in place for construction consultancy services but has a framework in place for major capital works. This framework agreement is entitled: "A framework agreement for the provision of works and associated services relating to a community infrastructure programme (to 2014)".

In order to respond to the second part of your question, please clarify what is meant by "content of the framework agreements".

(b) Who is on the framework agreements?

Bam Construction Scotland Ltd,

Bovis Lend Lease

DC Community Partnership

(c) The start and end date of the frameworks(s)?

The framework agreement was established on 28th May 2010 and shall run until 27th May 2014.

(d) The name and contact email of the person responsible for the frameworks?

The contact name for the person responsible for the frameworks is Annabel Travers, and the email address by which to contact Annabel is .

I hope that this is sufficient to answer your enquiry.

Review Procedure

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Council has dealt with your request, you are entitled to require the Council to review its decision. A copy of the Council’s review procedures is detailed at Appendix I.

Yours sincerely

Richard Sharp

Archivist

Appendix 1

THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

REVIEW PROCEDURES

Introduction

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (“the 2002 Act”) provides a statutory right of access to information held by Scottish public authorities. Renfrewshire Council is committed to freedom of information compliance. The 2002 Act entitles an applicant who is dissatisfied with the way in which the Council has dealt with a freedom of information request to require the Council to review its actions and decisions in relation to that request. This procedure is referred to in the Act as a “requirement for review”.

The Review Process

Should you wish a review to take place you must:-

Lodge a requirement for review within 40 working days after:

the date of the Notice refusing your request;

on receipt by you of a Fees Notice; or

the expiry of the 20 working day time limit in which the Council is obliged to comply with your original request

The requirement for review must be in writing or in another permanent form. This means that it should be in a format which is capable of being used for subsequent reference e.g. a recording made on an audio or video tape.

The requirement for review must include your address for correspondence, a description of your original request and the reasons why you are dissatisfied. This should be addressed to the Head of Legal & Democratic Services:

Kenneth Graham

Head of Legal & Democratic Services

Department of Finance & Corporate Services

Renfrewshire House, Floor 1, Cotton Street, Paisley PA1 1TT

Email :

Fax : 0141 840 3365

The review will be fair and impartial and will be decided by the Head of Legal & Democratic Services. You will receive notice of the result of your review within 20 working days after receipt by the Council of your request.

The Council will explain how it has reviewed the original decision and will provide a Statement of Reasons for its findings.

The Council may :

Confirm the decision complained of, with or without such modifications as it thinks appropriate;

Substitute the original decision with a different decision; or

Reach a decision, where the complaint is that no decision on a freedom of information request was reached.

The Council is not obliged to comply with a request for review if :

The requirement for review is vexatious; or

The original request to which the requirement relates was vexatious or repeated.

You may withdraw your requirement for review at any time before the decision is made by written notice to the Director of Finance & Corporate Services.

Right of Appeal

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the review, you have the right to appeal the Council’s decision to:

The Scottish Information Commissioner

Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9DS

Tel. No. 01334 464610

Fax No: 01334 464611

Email :