Content

Decision to sign a call off contract under the
Fusion 21 Procurement framework to appoint Rand Associates by
direct appointment from the framework

Reasons for the decision

The Council is a local authority registered
provider of social housing property. It owns and manages
approximately 5,200 homes of varying construction and age across
the borough of Guildford. To maintain the stock in good condition
and to achieve and maintain decent homes standards the council
maintains a stock condition database, used to establish annual
capital programme budgets. For the database to be an effective and
an up to date tool, accurately reflecting stock condition,
condition surveys are carried out annually. The council meets the
industry standard of updating the stock condition database on a
five year cycle, surveying 20% of the stock annually. Rand
Associates undertake the surveys and carry out all work to update
and validate the database. We wish to maintain continuity of the
quinquennial programme of condition surveys by appointing Rand
Associated to undertake the condition surveys for this year,
2023/2024. We wish to appoint Rand Associates by direct appointment
from the Fusion 21 Framework and request approval to sign a call
off contract under the Fusion 21 Framework.

Alternative options considered

The other option considered is to invite
tenders afresh. Rand Associates were appointed initially by
competitive tender when the condition survey database was
established and set up in 2004, in response to the then
government's decent homes initiative. Rand subsequently won
competitive tender exercises a further three time in following
years. A quinquennial approach to updating the condition survey
database was not taken in earlier years but whenever a survey
update programme was tendered Rand Associates were always the most
competitive, repeatedly establishing their service provision as the
most economically advantageous to the council. In more recent years
the council has managed its condition survey database in alignment
with the industry standard of updates on a five year cycle and
appointed Rand Associates, initially by single tender action with
director approval and then by direct appointment from the Fusion 21
Framework. This is considered to be the optimum route as Rand were
(and are) high performing consultants within the Framework and
their framework rates were the most competitive .Because Rand
Associates have, without exception, provided the highest standards
of service to the council and continue to do so and have
consistently maintained competitive rates we consider that
appointment from the Fusion 21 Framework is the optimum procurement
route. We request approval to sign a call off contract under the
Fusion 21 Framework agreement and to appoint Rand Associates by
direct appointment from the Fusion 21 Framework.