The Compact
Commissioning, Procurement, Tenders – your questions answered Members of Bristol’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector have lots of questions about the commissioning of public services and how their organisations can be involved. Mark Hubbard (Compact Liaison Officer), who works with public sector commissioners across the city and helps them engage with the VCSE sector, sheds some light on the subject.
What is ‘commissioning’?
Basic Commissioning Cycle
There are several definitions and it is important to be clear. Bristol City Council (BCC) has adopted the Audit Commission’s definition: “Commissioning is the process
Analyse
of specifying, securing and monitoring services to meet
Review
people’s needs at a strategic
Plan Do
level. This applies to all services, whether they are provided by the local authority, NHS, other public agencies, or by the private and voluntary sectors.”
how services are delivered across
What is the difference between commissioning and procurement?
different sectors should answer
These terms are often used
VCSE concerns about the need for
interchangeably but there are
a ‘level playing field’. In practice
important differences. Broadly
this will mean that when services
speaking, ‘commissioning’ is
are reviewed, redesigned and
about services for people and
then commissioned the current
‘procurement’ is about
situation will be comprehensively
purchasing goods.
This definition has some
partner, be it public, VCSE or
notable strengths:
private sector. The consideration of
• it is an ongoing cycle with four stages (analyse-plan-do-review) rather than a one-off activity • it recognises the importance of meeting needs of groups / communities / populations at a strategic level rather than thinking about ‘one service’ • it considers meeting need with services provided by public, private or VCSE organisations This last point is important. Commissioning encompasses the delivery of services by any delivery
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questioned – what has traditionally been delivered by the Council or NHS, for example, may change significantly in the resulting commissioned services.
BCC has recently merged the two functions into its Corporate Commissioning and Procurement Service and redefined procurement as one of the tools that can be used within the commissioning cycle. This is
September / October / November 2010 Issue 11
The Compact a crucial development as there
their proposals. This will help
lead to several options, including
were concerns among the VCSE
organisations respond to
grants. Bristol City Council’s
sector and commissioners that
relevant opportunities.
Select Committee on Third Sector
grants, contracts and service level
• Information. The Enabling
Commissioning has recommended
agreements would move into what
Commissioning Framework
that the Council commits to
is perceived to be the ‘hard world
will produce an annual
“commissioning, competitive grant
of procurement’. In any case, both
‘commissioning intentions’
process and direct grant-funding”.
cultures have something to learn
calendar so that providers
from each other – all to the benefit
can know in advance which
How can we find out more?
of the service users.
services / outcomes will be
The best ways for VCSE
commissioned and make plans
organisations to find out more
to prepare their proposals. This
about commissioning and
will help organisations respond
specific processes in their field
to relevant opportunities.
of work is to:
Why is it so confusing and who’s doing something about making it simpler? Understanding commissioning
• Joint commissioning. Several
and to know where to start can
public sector bodies are working
be difficult. Bristol’s public sector
in this way. The advantages
agencies through the Bristol
of shared approaches are
Compact Partners’ Group have
simplicity and efficiency for
acknowledged the issues and
commissioners, providers and
there are lots of current
service users.
developments that are changing things for the better. • Standardisation. BCC is developing its Enabling Commissioning Framework, which will define standard practice for all BCC commissioning processes. It includes guidance on all activities within each stage of the commissioning cycle and includes Compact principles. Standard practices will enable more VCSE service contracts. • Information. The Enabling Commissioning Framework will produce an annual ‘commissioning intentions’ calendar so that providers can know in advance which services/ outcomes will be commissioned and make plans to prepare
• Good Practice. The Compact Partners’ Group (which leads on Bristol Compact and related initiatives) is working to promote good practice and help standardise commissioning processes. It is anticipated that BCC’s Enabling Commissioning Framework, for example, will form the basis of commissioning processes across the public sector in Bristol.
What’s going to happen to our grant? There are concerns that grants will be lost in the shift to commissioning. It is likely that most existing arrangements will change, especially as public sector budgets come under pressure. There is a positive angle to this – commissioning processes can
Issue 11 September / October / November 2010
• visit the new Bristol Compact website (www.bristolcompact. org.uk – this goes live on 1 October 2010) which provides information on commissioning, Compact issues and events. • register on Bristol E-Procurement System (easy and you only need to register once) • network at conferences and seminars to keep informed, get your voice heard and form relationships with other groups • identify key contacts and build relationships with them • join networks and listen for opportunities / developments • subscribe to Voscur, BDA and The Care Forum’s e-bulletins • sign up for training and support from Bristol Compact designed to enable VCSE organisations to participate in commissioning.
Mark Hubbard Compact Liaison Officer Tel: 0117 909 9949 Email: mark@voscur.org
www.voscur.org
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