Why is Wolverhampton Council spaying twice as much as Newcastle for the same software?

Response to this request is long overdue. By law, under all circumstances, Wolverhampton City Council should have responded by now (details). You can complain by requesting an internal review.

Dear Wolverhampton City Council,

Please see https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

This shows, quite clearly, that Newcastle City Council - slightly larger than Wolverhampton by population - spends £102k p.a. on their OLM Eclipse social care case management systems.

Wolverhampton City Council pays £275k p.a. for the same software.

The difference? Newcastle went to competitive tender for their system, whereas Wolverhampton selected OLM without doing any due diligence or looking at competitors.

1. When can Wolverhampton Council renegotiate payments to OLM? That is, what is the first contract breakpoint?
2. I note that this system was procured using Crown Commercial Service RM1059. Clause 24 of the contract with this procurement framework is as follows:

"24.1 Notwithstanding the Supplier’s obligations under Clause 17 (Continuous Improvement), the Customer shall be entitled to regularly benchmark the Call Off Contract Charges and level of performance by the Supplier of the supply of the Goods and/or Services, against other suppliers providing services substantially the same as the Goods and/or Services during the Call Off Contract Period.
24.2 The Customer, acting reasonably, shall be entitled to use any model to determine the achievement of value for money and to carry out the benchmarking evaluation referred to in Clause 24.1 above."

Wolverhampton City Council has the right to carry out a price benchmarking exercise. Has the Council done this in respect of the OLM Eclipse system? If not, does the Council have a planned date for a price benchmarking exercise?

Yours faithfully,

David Hanson

Wolverhampton Council, Wolverhampton City Council

 
Information request
Our reference: 2045193

show quoted sections

Dear Wolverhampton Council,

This FOI request is now overdue. Could you explain the reason for the delay please?

I would appreciate a response without any further delay.

Yours sincerely,

David Hanson

Wolverhampton Council, Wolverhampton City Council

1 Attachment

Dear David
 
In response to your email please find attached our acknowledgement
specifying the deadline for response to your request.
 
Regards
 
Malkit Sahota

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Wolverhampton Council,

This FOI request is now overdue. Could you explain the reason for the
delay please?

I would appreciate a response without any further delay.

Yours sincerely,

David Hanson

show quoted sections

Wolverhampton Council, Wolverhampton City Council

1 Attachment

 
Information request
Our reference: 2045193

show quoted sections

Dear Wolverhampton Council,

Thank you.

So to clarify:

- Wolverhampton City Council is paying more than twice as much as Newcastle City Council for the same software
- the council has had a contractual opportunity to benchmark prices since the start of the contract (i.e. to compare Wolverhampton's price with the price which other councils are paying)
- but you haven't taken advantage of this opportunity, and:
- you have no intention to do so in future

This is bizarre. You know you're paying more than twice the going rate, there's a contract clause which actually allows you to reduce the bill to Wolverhampton taxpayers - by £173 k p.a. - but you've decided not to take advantage of it.

Are any councillors reading this?

Yours sincerely,

David Hanson

Wolverhampton Council, Wolverhampton City Council

 
Information request
Our reference: 2045193

show quoted sections