Council Wifi Board Paper FINAL
Renfrewshire Council · 8 September 2022
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 8 September 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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___________________________________________________________________ To: The Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board On: Thursday 8 September 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive and the Director of Finance and Resources ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: The Provision of Council Wifi Services (RC-CPU-22-074) ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The purpose of this report is to seek approval of the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board to award a Call-Off Contract for The Provision of Council Wi-fi Services. 1.2 This procurement was in accordance with Condition 1.5.3.1.2 of the Conditions of Contract of the Renfrewshire Council single supplier Framework Agreement for the Provision of Connectivity as a Service (RC-CPU-19-272) (“Framework”) and the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts. 1.3 A Contract Strategy for the Council’s Framework for Connectivity as a Service (RC-CPU-19-272) was authorised by the Head of ICT and the Strategic Commercial and Procurement Manager on 10 December 2020. The Provision of Council Wi-fi Services was identified as a relevant contract for replacement using this Framework. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board authorise the Head of Corporate Governance to:
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2.1.1 Award a Call-Off Contract for the Provision of Council Wi-fi Services to Commsworld Limited subject to conclusion of the Call-off Ordering Procedure under the Renfrewshire Council single supplier Framework Agreement for the Provision of Connectivity as a Service (RC-CPU-19- 272). 2.1.2 Award the Call-Off Contract for a maximum period of 20.54 years from 20 September 2022 until no later than 31 March 2043. Should the contract not start on 20 September 2022, the Call-Off Start Date will be defined in the Order Form. The Contract will have two review points, one at year 7 and the other at year 14, to allow the technology to be reviewed for ongoing alignment to business need. 2.1.3 Award the Call-Off Contract for a maximum Contract Value of £22,377,750 excluding VAT where the break points are not utilised, and the contract period reaches 20.54 years. If the contract break ends the Call-Off Contract in year 8, the Contract Value will be £7,516,664 excluding VAT and if the contract break ends the Call-Off Contract in year 15, the Contract Value will be £15,196,175 excluding VAT. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Renfrewshire Council has a current contract in place for the Provision of Public Wi-fi, also conducted as a Call-Off Contract under Framework Agreement for the Provision of Connectivity as a Service (RC-CPU-19- 272), which covers a small number of buildings and 3 Town centres and which will expire on 4 February 2023. The Council also has separate wi-fi services in all schools and in many Council Offices. These wi-fi services have been implemented on a piecemeal basis over the last 10 to 12 years and the infrastructure will become end of life in July 2023. Therefore, the Council is seeking to appoint a new Service Provider to provide all of its Wi-fi requirements. A new contract requires to be in place by 20 September 2022 to allow for the transition of the services to a new Service Provider before the current public wi-fi contract expires and the other infrastructure becomes end of life. 3.2 The requirement for Wi-fi was identified within the Framework Agreement for the Provision of Connectivity as a Service (RC-CPU-19-272) (“Framework”) as a service which could be included for future delivery as a Call-Off Contract from the Framework.
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3.3 This Wi-fi solution will meet the Council’s need for connectivity for non- wired devices which is essential to provide staff, partners and customers access to Council systems, digital services and the Internet. This solution will combine all Corporate; school and Public Access Wi-fi into a single integrated infrastructure and management arrangement. 3.4 The Framework provides that during the life of the Framework potential new services will be assessed and subjected to soft market testing before a decision is made to include these services within the Framework or subject the requirement to carry out a separate procurement process. In this instance, the Council carried out a benchmarking exercise for this requirement and determined that best value could be sought by awarding this contract via a Call-Off Contract made under the Framework. 3.5 In accordance with Standing Orders relating to Contracts 29.2, the Head of Policy and Commissioning (HOPAC) has identified a Framework which provides a suitable route to market and provides a procedure for Call-off Ordering without being required to seek further competition. 3.6 In accordance with the Call-Off Ordering Procedure of the Framework, the Council provided Commsworld Limited with a Statement of Requirements and requested that a response be provided to this document to be considered by the Council and benchmarked against the market. The Council has since been negotiating with Commsworld Limited to agree the final detail of this Call-off Contract and has now reached agreement. Both parties are required to complete a Framework Order Form in line with the Call-Off Ordering Procedure. To incorporate the requirements of the 20.54 year contract period with additional break options, and to draft the mechanisms for payment of Wi-fi hardware over the initial period of the Call-Off Contract, the Council will require to include Special Conditions of Contract which will clearly set out the mechanisms as agreed. Once drafted, the Special Conditions of Contract will be issued within the Order Form to Commsworld Limited. On receipt of the signed Order Form the Contract can be concluded. The Special Conditions of Contract will not impact on the contract elements already set out in Section 2 of this report which have been fully agreed with Commsworld Limited. 3.7 Commsworld Limited has committed to supply 30 switches and 100 wireless access points for the provision of Wi-fi in the Council’s Community Halls to fulfil their Community Benefit obligation under this Call-Off Contract. The extent of the coverage will be determined through physical surveys of those sites. It is anticipated that this offering will result in the provision of corporate and public Wi-fi across the following 24 Community Halls: • Bargarran Community Centre • Beechwood Community Centre • Bishopton Community Centre
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• Cargill Hall • Cochrane Castle Community Centre • Elderslie Village Hall & Library • Erskine Library • Foxbar Community Centre & Library • Foxbar Rivers Community Centre • Gallowhill Community Centre & Library • Glenburn Community Centre & Library • Howwood Village Hall • Hunterhill Community Centre • Johnstone Castle Community Centre • Johnstone Town Hall • Kirklandneuk Community Centre • Langbank Community Hall • McKillop Institute • New Tweedie Hall (incl Library) • Paisley Town Hall • Ralston Community Centre & Library • Renfrew Town Hall • The Steeple Hall, Kilbarchan • Wm McMaster Centre, Robertson Park In addition, Commsworld limited will also deliver Community Benefits with an equivalent points value of 100 across the Contract term. The Community Benefits to be delivered will be agreed in partnership between the Council, Commsworld Limited and the Community Benefits Forum. 3.8 Costs in respect of this Call-Off Contract will be met from the Council’s Revenue Budget. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial - Costs under this Call-Off Contract will be funded by the ICT Revenue budget. 2. HR & Organisational Development - No TUPE implications for the Council have arisen or are anticipated. 3. Community/Council Planning –
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• Working together to improve outcomes – this Call-Off Contract will ensure the Council takes advantage of new technologies to deliver better and more efficient services. 4. Legal - This procurement was conducted as a Call-Off in accordance with Call-Off Ordering procedure of the Renfrewshire Council single supplier Framework for Connectivity as a Service (RC-CPU-19-272) and the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts. 5. Property/Assets – Ownership of all hardware supplied to locations in relation to this Call-Off Contract will fully transfer to the Council by Contract Year 7, once all costs have been paid. The Council will have use of the hardware during these initial years of the Call-Off Contract. 6. Information Technology – The Council’s ICT Services will be able to utilise the connectivity infrastructure already invested by Commsworld Limited upon implementation of previous services carried out by them under the Framework. 7. Equality & Human Rights - (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – Commsworld Limited’s health and safety credentials were evaluated by the Council’s Health and Safety Department as part of the evaluation for the Framework and will continue to be reviewed by the Council on an ongoing basis. 9. Procurement – The procurement procedures outlined within this report ensure that the Council meets its statutory requirements in respect of procurement procedures, efficiency and modern Government. 10. Risk - Commsworld Limited’s insurance policies were evaluated by the Council’s Risk Department as part of the evaluation for the Framework and will continue to be reviewed by the Council on an ongoing basis.
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11. Privacy Impact – No privacy impact implications have arisen or are anticipated. 12. Cosla Policy Position – No Cosla policy position implications have arisen or are anticipated. 13. Climate Risk – The level of impact associated with provision of this service has been assessed using the Scottish Government Sustainability Test and is considered to be medium risk. _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Contract Authorisation Report for the Framework Agreement for the Provision of Connectivity as a Service ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Rachel Davison, Senior Procurement Specialist, Rachel.davison@renfrewshire.gov.uk