Purpose

Following a procurement exercise completed in
2023 under the G-Cloud 13 Framework, it has been suggested to
appoint Legend as the Leisure Management provider. As part of the
Council's offering, a lessons and courses system operates alongside
the primary system. This provides the Council with the lessons and
courses software to manage attendance, monitor children's
development, online joining, waiting lists and online
parent’s portal.
Following the successful implementation and operation of the
CoursePro system across the Council’s leisure facilities, we
are extending the current contract with Fitronics (CoursePro) in
line with the original agreement, which included an option to
extend.
The CoursePro system continues to provide essential functionality
for managing our lessons and courses programme, including swimming,
gymnastics, trampolining, and holiday activities. It integrates
seamlessly with our primary leisure management system (Legend), and
no alternative software offers the same level of compatibility and
integration, as such an exemption is also required.
The extension period will be for a period of 18 months and cost
total of £26,671.51, split across financial years as detailed
in the background letter attached.

Content

a) Extend the contract for a period of 18
months in total with Fitronics (CoursePro) to provide the Sports
Facilities' lessons and courses digital management system to all
three leisure facilities at Clacton, Dovercourt and Walton on the
Naze at a total cost of £26,671.51.
b) for the Head of Sport and Leisure to enter into a contract
variation with Fitronics (CoursePro) under the terms set out in the
existing agreement.
c) £7,654.23 will be allocated from the Management of Sports
Facilities Budget revenue for Sports Facilities 25/26 to fund this
contract, with an additional £19,017.28 allocated from the
same budget for Sports Facilities 26/27.

Alternative options considered

Choosing not to proceed with the contract
extension could be an option however, this would result in a return
to a manual system, which is significantly less efficient and no
longer fit for purpose. This shift would negatively impact:
• Service levels, due to increased administrative workload and
reduced operational efficiency.
• Income generation, particularly through disruption to
automated payment processes.
• Strategic alignment, as it would fail to support TDC’s
Corporate Plan commitment to delivering a fully digital customer
experience.
Additionally, the current system has become well-integrated into
users’ routines and expectations. Removing it would represent
a step backward; undermining progress made in reducing the subsidy
and improving service delivery.