Bristol Compact
Improving commissioning processes Over the last few months, Bristol City Council and the Bristol Compact have been working closely on several important commissioning developments that will help the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector engage with commissioning. Mark Hubbard, Bristol’s Compact Liaison Officer, provides a progress update. The Select Committee took evidence from December 2009 to May 2010 and produced its Final Report in July. The report has been approved by the Council and Cabinet and its 11 recommendations are being implemented, some of which are described in the highlights below. In my opinion, the work of the committee and its Report and Recommendations were valuable. It really helps to have elected members championing best practice and the implementation of
and NHS Bristol, so our findings and recommendations were ‘reality checked’ as we progressed. It is encouraging that our recommendations have been agreed by Council and Cabinet, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I hope local organisations will help us track commitment.” Councillor Helen Holland (Leader of the Labour group of Bristol City Councillors, Chair of Select Committee on Third Sector Commissioning)
their recommendations will effect positive change. I hope that VCSE organisations experience these improvements in their relationships with the Council. “We chose “Third Sector Commissioning” for in-depth scrutiny by Select Committee, developing policy and recommendations working closely with VCS partners. Local authorities (and other public sector) are moving increasingly to commissioning local organisations to deliver services, and we wanted to look at best practice. VCS representatives sat alongside councillors, officers
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Recommendation 1. Championing the Third Sector
funding” – is being incorporated into the Enabling Commissioning Framework (ECF). This will mean that procurement activities may lead to grants in kind, outcomesbased grants or open tendering. These options will be considered in each commissioning process and applied according to the particular service area.
Recommendation 5. Sharing Learning and Development Part of the implementation of the ECF is a comprehensive training programme for elected members, service and commissioning managers. The programme has been informed by a training needs
The Leader of the Council is now
analysis and includes peer support,
the lead member within the
based on specialist commissioning
Cabinet for the VCSE sector. A
expertise. The differing cultural
network of Compact Champions
approaches of public and VCSE
is also being developed – these
sectors are included in the
will be points of contact for VCSE
programme.
organisations in their relationships with different parts of the council.
Recommendation 2. Commissioning and Grants
Recommendation 6. Support during the Commissioning Cycle This recommendation states that
This recommendation – “a
the involvement of the VCSE sector
‘mixed economy’ which includes
in all stages of the commissioning
commissioning, competitive
cycle should be mandatory. This
grant processes and direct grant-
will mean that the VCSE sector will
March / April / May 2011 Issue 13
Bristol Compact Recommendation 10. Decommissioning Decommissioning Guidance has been developed under the ECF and has been used in some council departments already. This means that all decommissioning decisions will be evidence-based and placed in context of strategic reviews and commissioning processes. For more information, contact Mark Hubbard, Compact Liaison Officer Tel: 0117 909 9949 Email: mark@voscur.org Or visit: www.bristolcompact.org.uk
throughout the commissioning
Recommendation 8. Improving Communications
process. In addition to being
The imminent publishing of
involved in the early stages of
‘commissioning intentions’ (the
service design and specification,
services that Bristol City Council
potential service providers will be
(BCC) will commission during
supported at the later stages of the
2011/12) is a direct result of this
– the council’s guidance for
commissioning cycle so that they
recommendation. This is important
commissioners to standardise
are able to understand the process,
as it will enable VCSE organisations
commissioning processes. More
timescales and regulations, and
to allocate resources to engage
information: www.bristol.gov.
engage to win contracts.
with future commissioning
uk/commissioning
processes.
Final Report and
be engaged at the start of and
Recommendation 7. Capacity Building
Enabling Commissioning Framework (ECF)
Recommendations of the
The select committee recognised
Recommendation 9. Accessing the Commissioning Process
the need for capacity building
This recommendation – to develop
support to enable VCSE
a “fully accessible alternative to
organisations to engage with
BePS” – was controversial due to its
commissioning. It identified some
demand on additional resources.
priorities for development and
BCC has instead worked to improve
– BCC’s online system for
some of these are included in the
BePS, based on VCSE sector
registering interest in
new VCS Support Service delivered
feedback and concerns, and the
commissioned services and
by Voscur. There is also some
new version will be live in April 2011.
receiving notifications.
discussion of targeted support in
It is possible that a paper based
https://procurement.bristol.
specific commissioning processes –
application option will be offered
gov.uk/supplierselfservice/
to respond to sector-specific issues
for any small grants processes.
pages/public/front.cmd
Select Committee can be seen at www.bristolcompact.org.uk/ thirdsectorcommissioning Bristol E-Procurement System (BePS)
and needs.
Issue 13 March / April / May 2011
www.voscur.org
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