Decision - Legal Services Framework

1.       That the Head of Law be authorised to enter into a Consortium Agreement to achieve a joint procurement framework agreement for external legal services with all or any of the Unitary, County, District, Borough and Fire and Rescue Authorities in West and East Sussex (the Consortium Authorities) to be led by Arun District Council, and take any steps necessary or incidental to implementing the framework agreement.

1.       Approval of entering into the relevant consortium agreement is sought in order to deliver efficiency savings and value for money for the council when instructing external legal providers. 

2.       The method proposed allows the council to market test the cost of external legal services, to seek efficiency savings based on the economy of scale and to establish a more efficient method of procuring external legal services.

1.       That the Council enters into the Consortium Agreement with the other authorities within West and East Sussex to form a Joint Procurement Framework Agreement as detailed in this report. Arun District Council is to take the lead on this project (preferred option).

2.       That the Council does not enter in the Consortium Agreement with the other authorities within West and East Sussex to form a Joint Procurement Framework Agreement as detailed in this report.  Given that there are no cost implications for doing so, this option is not recommended.

3.       That the council enters into a Framework Agreement solely for work needed by the council.  This option remains open to the council whether or not the Sussex-wide framework is entered into.  However, it is likely that the Sussex-wide framework will offer greater value for money due to the potential size and scope of the work on offer to the legal providers.