Content

Salford City Council – Record of
Decision
 

Governance 360: Additional Resources/

Commissioning of Interim Governance
Capacity
 
I, Councillor Jack
Youd, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Finance, Support
Services and Regeneration, having considered the recommendation of
the Procurement Board, and in exercise of the powers contained
within the Council’s Constitution, do hereby approve the
following:
 
1.    
Authority is granted to proceed with the
commissioning of interim governance capacity required to deliver
the Governance 360 programme, within a capped budget envelope of up
to £320,000 (exclusive of VAT).
2.    
The proposed procurement route via the GM
Collaboration Framework is approved as a compliant and
proportionate route to market.
3.    
Following Procurement Board consideration, authority
is delegated to the City Solicitor (Monitoring Officer)
to:
o  
engage an approved supplier under the
framework;
o  
finalise contractual arrangements; and
o  
make the necessary interim appointments in line with
the approved budget envelope and business case.
 
The
Reasons are:
The Council is delivering
Governance 360, a time?critical corporate improvement programme to
strengthen constitutional arrangements, scrutiny, committee
effectiveness, governance assurance and support for elected
Members.
Temporary specialist governance
capacity is required to protect statutory governance delivery,
maintain decision?making assurance, and ensure the timely delivery
of programme milestones during a period of workforce transition.
The use of an approved framework provides a compliant,
proportionate and timely route to market and supports value for
money.
 
Options considered and rejected were:
·    
Do nothing:
Rejected due to the material risk to statutory committee cycles,
governance assurance and the delivery of the Governance 360
programme.
·    
Permanent recruitment:
Rejected as it would not provide the required flexibility or pace
and would create longer?term commitments that are not proportionate
to the time?limited nature of the programme.
 
Assessment of Risk:
If the decision were not
approved, there would be increased risk of:
·    
delay to the Governance 360 programme;
·    
reduced governance and decision?making
assurance;
·    
pressure on statutory committee cycles;
and
·    
increased cost and delivery risk associated with
re?entering a constrained interim market.
 
These risks are mitigated
through a capped spending envelope, use of an approved procurement
framework, time?limited commissioning, and oversight by the
Monitoring Officer.
 
The
source of funding is:
The commissioning will be
funded from the Governance 360 programme budget.
The £320,000 figure
represents a maximum spending envelope, not a fixed commitment. VAT
will be paid in?year and reclaimed corporately and does not
increase the net budget requirement.
 
Legal
Advice obtained:
Legal advice has been obtained
confirming that the decision is consistent with the Council’s
Constitution, including the Contract Procedure Rules, and that the
proposed delegation to the City Solicitor (Monitoring Officer) is
lawful and appropriate.
 
Financial Advice obtained:
Financial advice has been
obtained confirming there is budget available
within Legal and Governance resources to fund the cost of the
additional capacity needed to deliver the programme to up
£320,000.
 
Interim support will protect
statutory delivery, maintain decision?making assurance, and allow
the Governance 360 programme to proceed without displacing core
business.
 
Procurement Advice obtained:
Procurement advice has been
obtained confirming that the GM Collaboration Framework provides a
compliant and proportionate route to market and supports timely
mobilisation.
 
HR
Advice obtained:
No permanent
establishment changes arise. Interim workers will be engaged
through the approved framework and supported with: induction and
supervision; confidentiality/ information governance assurance;
health and safety arrangements; clear reporting lines and role
boundaries; performance management; and knowledge-transfer
expectations.
 
Climate Change Implications obtained:
No direct environmental impact
has been identified. Opportunities to minimise unnecessary travel
or printing will be encouraged during delivery.
 
The following documents have
been used to assist the decision process:
·    
Governance 360 – Approval to Commission
Interim Governance Capacity (Part 1 – Public)
·    
Governance 360 – Interim Governance
Capacity Business Case (Part 2 –
Exempt)
(This document contains information relating to the financial or
business affairs of the Council and other parties and is exempt
from public inspection under Schedule 12A, paragraph 3 of the Local
Government Act 1972.)
 
Contact Officer:
Christian Scade, Head of Governance
Contact
via: 07731
802243 or christian.scade@salford.gov.uk
 
·    
This matter is not a key decision.
·    
This matter is not subject to consideration by
another Lead Member.
·    
The appropriate Scrutiny Committee to call-in the
decision is the Overview and Scrutiny Board.              
.
 

Signed:    Cllr J
Youd         Dated:   23 February
2026.
         
   Lead Member
 

FOR DEMOCRATIC SERVICES USE
ONLY:
 
*         This
decision was published on 24 February 2026
*         This
decision will come in force at 4.00 p.m. on 3 March 2026 unless it
is called-in in accordance with the Decision Making Process
Rules.