Tag: Consultants

The Amtec Contract

This is the original Key Decision where control of the Council was handed over to consultants. It’s the one mentioned by Barnackle Bill on this post.

It’s reproduced here for ease of access, and because the original archive version has major formatting issues which make it mostly unreadable. The original can be found at the following web address:
http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/democracy/decisions/executive_decisions_archive.aspx?apk=1873

It is to be hoped that there can be a constructive discussion about this decision, right here on this page, around exactly what has been agreed, what the effect has been, and whether actual benefits have accrued.  One can but hope.
Continue reading “The Amtec Contract”

Transformation with V4 Services and Verto in Peterborough

Many will remember that the subject of consultants has been rumbling on here, ever since Cllr Mike Fletcher asked some difficult questions back in January 2010 and later. If this means nothing to you, and you’d like to find out more, here is as good a place as any to start.

If you’d rather have a quick summary, here it is. Peterborough City Council have spent many millions per year on consultants, in order to achieve claimed savings of many more millions. Others dispute the benefits. What follows is one person’s interpretation of the situation.
Continue reading “Transformation with V4 Services and Verto in Peterborough”

Use of Consultants – Council Statement

08:35 Friday 25th March 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY GALL: Yesterday we brought you the outcome of the inquiry into whether Peterborough City Council is spending too much money on consultants. The three-man panel made 31 recommendations to the Scrutiny Committee, and called for the process of hiring consultants to be made more transparent. PCC couldn’t put someone up to talk to us, because the report will be discussed at a Cabinet meeting in June, but they did send a statement.

VO: “Peterborough City Council has some of the best controls in the country for managing and monitoring its use of consultants. We are already implementing many of the recommendations in the report as part of our drive for greater transparency, and ensuring we are always providing the best value for money for our taxpayers. Over the past 4 years we’ve been able to take £68 million out of our budget because of this work. We’d like to thank the consultants who’ve worked for us in the past, and those who continue to work for us, for sharing their expertise with our staff to enable us to improve the skills and knowledge we have within our own workforce.”

ANDY GALL: And in today’s Evening Telegraph you can get Council Leader Marco Cereste’s thoughts and comments on the report.

Related Posts

Mike Fletcher on the Use of Consultants Report

08:13 Thursday 24th March 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY GALL: 31 recommendations have been put before Peterborough City Council, after a report was produced into the authority’s use of consultants. Opposition politicians were concerned that spending millions of pounds on them was too much money. The report was commissioned after Councillor Mike Fletcher complained that the Council was spending too much on consultants. And Councillor Fletcher was at the meeting last night, and joins us on the line now. Good morning Councillor.
MIKE FLETCHER: Good morning Andy..
ANDY GALL: You wanted answers regarding consultants for some time. Continue reading “Mike Fletcher on the Use of Consultants Report”

Use of Consultants – Task and Finish Group Final Report

07:23 Thursday 24th March 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY GALL: A special meeting was held last night to discuss whether Peterborough City Council has spent too much money on consultants. It stemmed from complaints made by Councillor Mike Fletcher, who said that payments to consultants need to be more transparent. A group of three councillors were asked to investigate. One of the working group is Liberal Democrat councillor Nick Sandford, and joins us now. Good morning Nick.
NICK SANDFORD: Good morning Andy.
ANDY GALL: So can you remind us of how the investigation came about. Continue reading “Use of Consultants – Task and Finish Group Final Report”

Loose Ends

As we await the final publication of the Council’s Review into its use of consultants ..

Extract from an interview with Cllr Mike Fletcher November 10th 2010 titled:
Call for Minister to Intervene on Consultant Secrecy.

MIKE FLETCHER: I doubt it. There might be a report, but I’ll bet these questions aren’t answered, such as who determines what rate is paid, who actually hires these people. And yesterday I saw again we’re hiring consultants to look into whether we need travellers sites in the town. (LAUGHS) And so it goes on.
PAUL STAINTON: And we smile at this, and we’re smiling this morning, but it’s serious business. This is our money, isn’t it. Millions of pounds of our money.
MIKE FLETCHER: It is. And when this comes up in group meeting or committee, some councillors grin, and snigger, and think it’s funny. Well it damn well isn’t funny. And I’m absolutely beside myself with rage over this.
PS: There’s sniggering going on is there?
MIKE FLETCHER: Oh yes. Yes. From fellow councillors, snigger and grin, and think, hello, here he goes again.
PS: Well I’m glad they think it’s funny that twelve million pounds of our money could have been wasted. I’m glad they find it something to snigger about.

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Extract from Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald’s Twitter account dated November 9th 2010

“Police panel meeting went well then went for some entertainment at town hall listening to Cllr fletcher speaking always fun.”

Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald

 

Interesting Times

Council Calendar:
7pm 16th March 2011: Sustainable Growth Scrutiny Committee
7pm 23rd March 2011 Sustainable Growth Scrutiny Committee – EXTRAORDINARY.

Report on consultants delayed.
THE results of a study into Peterborough City Council’s spending on consultancy have been delayed until next month.
An independent task group of councillors has been reviewing the amount spent on consultants since it was set up in March. (2010)
The group had planned to present its findings at the Sustainable Growth Scrutiny committee last night but this has been put back because the review has been expanded as “other lines of enquiry have been identified”.
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Thu Feb 03 2011

Peterborough City Council Consultants “on £1,300 a day”

07:08 Friday 4th February 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show BBC Radio Cambridge

PAUL STAINTON: A report into Peterborough City Council’s use of consultants has been delayed again. It was due last November, then again this week. But it’s findings have now been pushed back to mid-March. The review started after local councillors expressed concern over the authorities’ £6.6 million spend on consultancy, over a period of nine months in 2009. Councillor Mike Fletcher submitted questions about consultancy use to the Council last January, and they still haven’t been answered. He’s with us this morning. Morning Mike. Continue reading “Peterborough City Council Consultants “on £1,300 a day””