1. Welcome and Apologies

Maureen  Wade welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Steering Group and summarised the group membership:

• Maureen Wade (MW) - Project Director, M25 Secretary & Head of Library Services, LSE
• John Gilby (JG) - Project Manager, M25 Systems Team
• David Archer (DA) - Project Partner, Reader Services Librarian, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
• Peter Dennison (PD) - Project Partner, Circulation Librarian, Institute of Education
• James Farnhill (JF) - JISC Programme Manager representing HEFCE
• Mary Hartley (MH) - Project Partner, Library Systems Manager, London Metropolitan University
• William Marsterson (WM) - M25 Steering Group and Resource Discovery Working Group, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Head of Learning Resources and University Librarian, Middlesex University
• Ruth Moore (RM) - Project Partner, Deputy Director, Centre for Learning Support & Development and Team Leader Customer Services, London South Bank University
• Fraser Nicolaides (FN) - Project Partner, Academic Services Librarian, University of Greenwich

Apologies had been received from RM and WM.

2. WAM25 Project Background

MW recounted that the idea for a project to investigate walk-in access to M25 libraries originated at an M25 Steering Group meeting during 2006 and the idea was taken forward by the Resource Discovery Working Group. An initial bid to the HEFCE Shared Service Programme was submitted in April 2007 but due to a misunderstanding, a revised bid was re-submitted to HEFCE in October 2007. The revised bid was successful and M25 finally received details of the grant in December 2007.

It was noted that HEFCE have arranged for JISC to assist in running the Shared Services Programme and that JF was the key JISC contact for WAM25. JF clarified that HEFCE are the decision makers for the project and pending a successful Feasibility Study, would give approval for developing a Business Plan.

MW explained that as the grant funds and project staff were based in the LSE, then the LSE purchasing procedures for the consultancy tender were being followed.

3. Review Consultancy Tenders and Select Preferred Bid

Previous to the meeting steering group members had approved the tender documentation and this had been issued to three potential consultants. Two bids had been submitted by the deadline and the group unanimously voted in favour of the bid from Curtis & Cartwright. From discussions about the successful bid, the following actions and comments are recorded:

• Draft documents to be submitted to steering group prior to meetings to enable documents to be approved during the meetings.
• Action 3.1 JF to arrange with HEFCE to streamline decisions regarding deliverables to avoid potential delays in timescales.
• Action 3.2 MW/JG to clarify timescales, assessment criteria, focus group/interview attendees and travel expenses figures with consultants.
• Action 3.3 JG to set up a JISCmail list for the steering group.
• User focus group attendees to be offered an enticement to attend sessions.

4. Partner Representatives Role

JG summarised the anticipated tasks that the partner representatives would be involved in:

• Arrange staff interviews as required by consultants
• Arrange user and/or staff focus groups as required
• Organise any venues required by consultants for interviews and focus groups
• Attend two further Steering Group meetings to review consultancy outputs

5. JISC/HEFCE Reporting Requirements

JF confirmed that HEFCE accepted that the two consultancy outputs would be 'signed-off' after peer review by the Steering Group. JF also noted that a brief progress report on the project would be required at the time of the Break Point Review and a similar short Final Report at the end of the currently funded stage of the project. Action 5.1 JF to send JG templates for these progress reports.

6. AOB

None.

7. Future Meetings

Dates were discussed for the Break Point Review and Final Steering Group meetings. [Note subsequent to meeting - project timescales have been revised and future meetings are now 16 April 2008 and 19 or 21 May 2008 at the LSE.

Minutes by JG