Committee Chair: Councillor Majid Mahmood
Contact:majid.mahmood@birmingham.gov.uk
Committee Membership: Cllr Caroline Badley, Cllr Randle Brew, Cllr Ansar Ali Khan, Cllr Mike Leddy, Cllr Majid Mahmood, Cllr John O’Shea, Cllr Jess Phillips, Cllr Philip Parkin, Cllr Fergus Robinson, , Cllr David Willis
As our Committee name indicates, our work programme during 2012/13 is based around three broad themes:
o Selected Contract Performance – scrutinising a number of Business Critical/Major Contracts and others scheduled for review during 2012/13 where potential performance issues have been identified
o Partnership Priorities and Performance and
o A substantive review of the Health of the city’s strategic Third Sector which will focus on improving outcomes.
While a limited element of monitoring may be required as the Committee Work Programme develops, the Committee’s focus is very much on strategic overview and scrutiny of performance against corporate priorities. This includes in any consideration of contract performance:
o Testing acceptance/commitment by our contracting partners to the developing Business Charter of Social Responsibility and
o Social Value in procurement in line with the requirements of the Public Services (Social Value) Act.
Members of the public are welcome to attend any of our meetings as an observer.
HEALTH OF BIRMINGHAM’S THIRD SECTOR INQUIRY
Councillor Majid Mahmood has launched the Health of Birmingham's Third Sector Inquiry...
"The organisations that make up Birmingham’s varied Third Sector (or Voluntary and Community Sector) are an essential part of the City’s economy, services and quality of life. I chair the Partnership, Contract Performance and Third Sector Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Its job is to review how Birmingham City Council and other agencies, including those in the Third Sector, are working together to make the most of increasingly limited resources and deliver quality, value for money services to people who live and work in Birmingham.
All sectors are facing greater financial challenges than ever. We know from Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) that 30 per cent of small to medium third sector organisations delivering public services in Birmingham have closed over the past two years. This means a greater demand on running services not just in the Third Sector but the City Council as well. Both the City Council and Third Sector reviewing people’s needs and the best ways to meet them is essential to the city’s future.
Over the next few weeks we are inviting people and organisations to send us their views on how Third Sector organisations and City Council can work together better to deliver services that meet the needs of the people of Birmingham when there is less money available to make this happen. In addition to seeking views internally, including from City Council commissioning, contracting and grant funding leads, we want to find out the view from third sector organisations across the city – how does the City Council collaborate with you? Where is it best at joint working? Where does Third Sector collaboration work best? Where and how does working need to change?"
We have put together a number of questions, or ‘key lines of enquiry’ that we will be discussing in public meetings in November, December and January. These include:
- What does Birmingham’s third sector infrastructure look like currently and how is it meeting need?
- How mixed is Birmingham’s third sector economy?
- How far will the current mix enable the city to meet likely significant changes in funding, delivery and need?
- How can the Third sector and City Council work together better to deliver services for Birmingham citizens?
An inquiry is only as good as the evidence it receives. We hope that you will use this opportunity to get involved by submitting a written statement of your views, and suggested recommendations on any of the above points. We will collect all the written submissions and use these as evidence to support our work.
If you would like any further information about this Scrutiny Inquiry or how to submit written evidence, please email scrutiny@birmingham.gov.uk or call 0121 303 1668 or tweet @bhamscrutiny.
The Inquiry group asks that written submissions are in Microsoft Word format wherever possible and are no longer than four pages. Please include contact details of the person and organisation submitting the evidence.
Please send submissions by email to scrutiny@birmingham.gov.uk. If you would prefer to send a hard copy through the post, it can be sent to The Scrutiny Office, Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BB.
The deadline for written submissions is Friday 9th November 2012.
Officer Support:
Jenny Drew, O&S Manager Tel: 0121 464 6435 Email: jenny.drew@birmingham.gov.uk
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