Debra Walz

DEBRA WALZ QUESTION 1 What is Council’s framework for outsourcing work to contractors and consultants, including key criteria such as value for money, contracting practices and policies, alignment with appropriate Council plans, identification of risks, feedback on lessons learned, community engagement and comparison to internal Council employee expertise to undertake the work? RESPONSE PROVIDED BY: Trent Grauf, Director Corporate Services The framework for outsourcing any goods or services extends to the entire lifecycle of delivering a service or project. Consideration is given to the sourcing at both planning and execution stages. Planning Stage focus on Service Planning, Workforce Planning, Project / Program Planning and also during budget deliberations. During delivery or execution, sourcing is considered in terms of Procurement, Contract Management. In Terms of Service Planning: Council prepares a service plan for each of its services it undertakes. The Service Plan not only articulates aspects such as levels of service/frequency, but also articulate how each of those services are resourced. These are adopted each year with Council’s budget.As any major service contract, such as for example recently for cleaning, security, waste collection or lifeguards, as they reach the end of their contract, they are reviewed to determine whether scope and sourcing model is appropriate. Given this is undertaken on a case by case basis, with a focus on high value outsourcing arrangements, as discussed last month during the November 2024 Ordinary Meeting deliberations, there is opportunity to develop a broader, comprehensive and consistent review model of how council sources resources for its projects and service activities. In Terms of Procurement: The procurement of Goods and Services by Council is carried out in accordance with the Local Government Act 2009 and the Local Government Regulation 2012. More specifically, when procuring goods and services Council Officers must have regard for the Sound Contracting Principles, as detailed in the Act, noting that Value for Money is one of these principles, in addition to open and effective competition, developing competitive local business, environmental protection and ethical behaviour and fair dealing. In assessing any medium or large size contract, an evaluation matrix is applied that assesses the preferred contractor based on a number of factors - such as Value for Money, Environmental Impact, Experience, Methodology, Safety, Quality, Contribution to the Local Economy. QUESTION 2. Does Council keep a register of approved external consultants and contractors and a register of internal expertise of staff and if so, how often are these registers reviewed and updated and the process for undertaking this? RESPONSE PROVIDED BY: Trent Grauf, Director Corporate Services Council utilises a number of registers related to outsourcing arrangements. In Terms of Panel Arrangements: Under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012, Council does rely on panels, or registers of pre-qualified suppliers. Council will utilise these panels to undertake many of its procurement activities. These panels are both established by independent industry bodies, such as LocalBuy, and also specialised Council established registers that specifically focus on ensuring Council utilises and supports local businesses where possible. For interest, it is worth noting that during the 2023/24 financial year over half of the goods and services Council sourced were from local contractors in the Noosa, Gympie and Sunshine Coast region to support the local economy. The pre-qualification process for these panels follows the Act’s requirements for assessing value-for-money, and that the business has sufficient experience, insurance and standards (such as safety, environmental, etc.) before Council engages them for work. These panel arrangements are reviewed and updated annually. For any local business listening online, and interested being listed in these panel arrangements for Noosa Council and our neighbouring Council’s, please visit the Tenders and Procurement page on Council’s website. In Terms of Executed Contracts: Under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2009 and Local Government Regulation 2012, Council reports all large value contracts and tenders valued at $200,000 (ex GST) and above on Council’s website under the Tenders and Procurement page. Note that this does not extend to small to medium sized contracts under $200,000. This register is updated for each new contract. In terms of Workforce: Council’s new corporate plan articulates the need to develop a workforce capability plan. This Plan, once developed across the organisation, will provide a consistent baseline to assist in determining any risks and opportunities associated with the scale and expertise of our workforce, that may currently be supplemented through external arrangements such labour hire, contractors or consultants.