Agenda and minutes

None declared.

Proposed CHORD Programme Governance and Management arrangements to ensure that the decisions taken by the Council and the Executive on 27 November and 18 December 2008 would be taken forward in a way which was planned, transparent and accountable were considered.

Decision

1.      The CHORD Programme Governance and Management arrangements were agreed;

2.      Area Committees would accordingly decide which local Councillors would be core members of the Project Board, along with the link Director.  The Programme Management Board (PMB) expressed the view to Area Committees that the local Councillors appointed to be core Members of a Project Board should be the minimum number necessary for the effective management of the projects, rather than on the basis of wider stakeholder interest which could be accommodated in other ways. Project Boards would invite non–core membership of a project board.

3.      Project Boards will be supported by a Project SRO and Project Manager and will be administered by the relevant Area Corporate Services Managers;

4.      The PMB noted Councillor Walsh and Councillor Robert Macintyre had decided that they will not be part of the core membership of the respective Project Boards within their area;

5.      Robert Pollock, Head of Economic Development and Strategic Transportation will be the Senior Responsible Officer for the Programme. Another Officer yet to be indentified will be seconded to the post of Programme Manager initially for 6 months; Project Managers, assembled from within Development Services, will be identified; and

6.      The Director of Corporate Services will advise Area Committees and Project Boards of the arrangements for taking the programme forward.

(Reference: CHORD Programme Governance and Management Plan dated March 2009, submitted)

The Board agreed the Project Initiation Document (PID) template, as a key part of the programme management arrangements, to be completed for each of the Projects by the Project Boards and submitted to the Programme Management Board for sign off. While Full Business Case (FBC) activity can be programmed over a period yet to be determined it will be necessary for all PIDs to be completed together within a reasonable period and submitted to the PMB so that the Executive might allocate funding towards a programme of FBC development.

(Reference: Prince 2 PID Template form, submitted)

The Board noted the basis of the CHORD Programme Plan which will be drawn up by Robert Pollock and the Programme Manager. This will be brought back to the PMB and given to Project Boards.

(Reference: Draft Programme Plan, submitted)

Report by Head of Economic Development and Strategic Transportation

A report presenting a summary of potential funding options for the CHORD projects was considered.  The figures contained within the report were indicative only and would be subject to due process in assessing eligible costs following detailed consideration of the Full Business Cases once developed.

Decision

1.      Noted the report as an indication of potential European funding into the CHORD projects; and

2.      Agreed to keep this item on the agenda of each PMB meeting and to note that the Board will receive regular updates from the European and Corporate Funding Officers as to potential EU and other funding sources

(Reference: Report by Head of Economic Development and Strategic Transportation, submitted)

Report by Director of Development Services

The Campbeltown THI project was at a stage where the Council needed to commit support and funding in order to secure major external funding. Work had progressed on this simultaneously with the OBC process because of external funding drivers.

Because of External timescales, and the advanced stage of the bid process, in particular a LEADER bid for determination on 27 March 2009, it had not been possible to prepare a PID and FBC within the Programme Governance arrangements approved at item 2 above. A Stage 2 THI submission had been prepared which incorporated a Full Business Case and a health check PID had been completed.

The FBC set out a funding requirement from the £300,000 allocated to the Campbeltown Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) via the outline business case developed through CHORD. The funding package in the FBC comprised substantial contributions from Historic Scotland, HIE, HLF and LEADER, as well as CHORD. A further £100k was included in the package from the Council, out with the CHORD programme, although the availability of that funding needed to be confirmed. The project would be considered by the Campbeltown Project Board on 7 April 2009.

Decision

Having regard to the Stage 2 Townscape Heritage Initiative Submission and FBC, the PMB recommended to the Executive on 16 April that –

1.      The £300,000 allocated to the Campbeltown THI via the outline business case developed through CHORD is committed to the Campbeltown THI project over the next 5 years; and

2.      In the event that the further £100,000 is not available that the project will be scaled down accordingly;

[Note: with reference to decision 2 it was confirmed following the meeting that the further £100, 000 has been committed to this project]

(Reference: Report by Director of Development Services and Stage 2 Townscape Heritage Initiative Submission dated 5 March 2009, submitted)