Transcript Public Sector Commissioning - Voluntary Action Westminster

Public Sector
Commissioning
For Beginners
What is Commissioning?
• Assessing need in an LA or PCT area
• Identifying resources available
• Arranging service delivery to meet
that need
• Reviewing
• Reassessing need
What is procurement?
• Acquisition of goods or services
under legally binding contractual
terms
• Includes buying services from
private, voluntary and independent
organisations or other public bodies
• Part of the commissioning process
What is a commissioner?
• Anyone who purchases services from a
third party
• Employed by Local Authorities, PCTs larger
organisations or any other agency buying
services
• Can sometimes be a joint commissioner on
behalf of more than one agency
How does procurement
work?
• Commissioners identify local needs
• Tender advertised to deliver services
• Organisations can bid alone or with
others
• Stage 1:Expressions of interest
• Stage 2:Detailed tender by invitation
Where does the voluntary
sector come in (1)?
• Many services previously grant funded will
be commissioned instead
• May need to engage with a commissioning
process to secure funding
• Will need to conform to procedures and
policies to deliver public services eg
Equalities, personnel or safeguarding
Where does the voluntary
sector come in (2)?
• Well placed to respond to local need
• Crucial role in developing
commissioning strategies
• Takes lead on parts of the agenda
• Contributes to local needs analysis
• Can identify gaps ‘on the ground’
Any risks?
• Mission drift-taking on projects that do
not fit with aims and objectives
• Groups need to be sure they want the kind
of service being requested
• Stringent demands from contract manager
could be challenging
• Time spent on evidence collection may take
away from service delivery
How do we prepare?
• Make sure your organisation is robust, has good policies,
good financial systems etc
• Consider who might want to commission what you offer
• Tap into information sources about what could be
commissioned by eg Children’s Trust or other WCP thematic
groups by staying in touch through the Westminster City
Network (WCN)
• Make yourself familiar with the strategic aims and LAA
targets of thematic networks relevant to what you can
offer
• Stay alert to what is happening on the ground and feed it in
to commissioners as part of their needs assessment
Who might commission in
Westminster?
• Joint commissioning by health and social services
for eg drug and alcohol services, mental health or
carers
• Schools and Children’s centres
• Westminster City Partnership using LAA money
through Thematic networks and their working
groups eg Safer Westminster Partnership, Health
and Wellbeing, Housing, Liveability, Children’s
Trust & Westminster Works
Future Funding
• It is expected that the recession will continue to affect
public sector funding for some years.
• Money available for voluntary sector funding or
commissioning will also be affected.
• The money that is available is likely to be targeted towards
the strategic aims of the partners in the local area
• All money will be pooled into a single pot to deliver the LAA
indicators, known as the Area based grant
• Possible new funding may be available in 2011 as a ‘reward
grant’ spent at the discretion of the local partners, if
target expectations have been exceeded up to 2011
• Look for other sources of funding as well to ensure
sustainability
Useful websites
To look for tenders
available in the public
sector you can sign on
at www.supply2.gov.uk
To keep up to date on
strategic issues in
Westminster City
Partnership
www.westminstercitypartnership.
org.uk
For support with
organisational
development
www.vawcvs.org.uk
To influence thematic
networks or find out
what they are doing
www.westminstercommunitynetworks.
org.uk