Commissioning Procurement

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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