The Executive, Resources and Contracts Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to convene on Monday 14 September 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the Council's capital programme, an examination of the corporate contracts register, and a discussion on risk management across various departments.

Capital Programme Monitoring

The committee is set to review the capital programme for the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year. This will involve looking at the current position of capital expenditure and receipts, and considering a revised capital programme for the period 2026/27 to 2030/31. The report details changes to schemes within the Resources, Commissioning and Contract Management portfolio, with appendices providing the revised programme, actual spend against budget, and commentary on individual scheme progress. Notably, variations requiring Executive approval include an increase of £125k for the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Switch Off scheme and the release of £2 million for the Facilities Management Planned Works scheme. Post-completion reports are also due for several schemes, including Churchill Court and IT Transformation.

Corporate Contracts Register

A key item on the agenda is the presentation of the September 2026 Corporate Contracts Register. This report provides an overview of the Council's active contracts valued at over £200,000, with a specific extract for the Executive, Resources and Contracts portfolio detailing contracts over £50,000. The register is generated from the Contracts Database (CDB) and aims to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the Council's procurement activity. The report highlights that as of 1st September 2026, there were 193 active contracts with a Total Contract Value (TCV) of £200k and above, with none flagged as a concern. For the Executive, Resources and Contracts Portfolio specifically, there were 83 contracts with a TCV of £50k and above, also with none flagged for attention. The report also includes a key explaining the RAG ratings used for procurement status.

Risk Management Review

The committee will receive an update on the risk registers and risk dashboards for the Chief Executive's Department, covering Corporate Services, Finance, and Human Resources. These registers have been revised to align with the Council's Risk Management Strategy, which is based on HM Treasury's 'Orange Book' framework. Each risk now includes a target score, reflecting the Council's risk appetite, and further actions are detailed where current scores exceed these targets. The Corporate Services register includes new risks related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), website failure, and legal services capacity, while the Finance register has been updated to reflect cost/growth pressures and capital overspends. The Human Resources register has reframed its Health and Safety risk and updated its actions. Members are invited to review these documents and provide feedback.

Matters Outstanding and Work Programme

The committee is scheduled to review progress on matters outstanding from previous meetings and to develop the 2026/27 Forward Work Programme. This includes identifying key issues for scrutiny and considering the most appropriate methods for pursuing them, such as working groups or select committee-style meetings. The proposed work programme for 2026/27 is appended to the report, outlining provisional report titles, lead divisions, and the committee's role for each item.

Forward Plan of Key Decisions

The committee will note the Forward Plan of Key Decisions, which outlines upcoming executive decisions for the period September 2026 to September 2027. This plan details what is being decided, who the decision-maker is, when the decision will be made, and who will be consulted beforehand. It also specifies how comments can be made on decisions before they are made and whether items will be considered in public or private.

Scrutiny of the Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder Decisions

The agenda includes an item for the scrutiny of the Leader of the Council, as well as pre-decision scrutiny of Executive reports. This will involve examining decisions made by Portfolio Holders, including the Capital Programme Monitoring for Quarter 1 2026/27, the Gateway 1 process for the Better Lives Programme, and the Small Works Programme Property Portfolio.

Policy Development and Other Items

Under policy development, the committee is scheduled to review the Corporate Contracts Register and the Council's Risk Registers. These items are crucial for ensuring consistent commissioning and procurement practices and for overseeing the Council's risk management arrangements.

The meeting will also consider exempt executive reports in Part 2 of the agenda, relating to the Capital Programme Monitoring and the Small Works Programme Property Portfolio.

The documents related to this meeting can be found at:

• Agenda frontsheet Monday 14-Sep-2026 19.00 Executive Resources and Contracts Policy Development a.pdf
• Public reports pack Monday 14-Sep-2026 19.00 Executive Resources and Contracts Policy Development.pdf