28 April 2009

Understanding Strategic Commissioning

Understanding Strategic Commissioning

Martyn AllisonNational Advisor Culture & Sport.

Why do we need to think about this now?

• Public service improvement remains a key priority.

• The focus on delivering local outcomes will be a key focus in the CAA.

• The financial downturn will drive the efficiency agenda faster and further.

• The culture and sport sector need to better understand it and engage with it.

Needs & aspirations

Improvedquality of life

outcomes

Deliverypartnerships

Joint activity

Politicalchoice

Governance& probity

Capacity& competence

Behaviour

The ideal model of public service delivery?

Strategic Commissioning What is it?…….

Commissioning & Strategic Commissioning

• Strategic commissioning is the process the LSP goes through to deliver the Sustainable Community Strategy and the LAA.

• Commissioning is the application of the process at an operational level e.g. within a culture and sport service or individual services.

Something old……..

• Providing better public services

• Good procurement

• Good performance management

Something new…• Strategic partnership working & finding the

right delivery partner

• Defining outcomes based on evidenced need

• Managing contract performance to outputs and outcomes (not inputs)

• Stimulating the market particularly the third sector

• New opportunities for the sector

Something borrowed……..

• It has its origins in the reform of the health service and changes in the education and social care sector

• Some of us have been commissioning on a small scale for some time e.g. artists

Something “blue”

• Viewed by some as a continuation of the service externalisation debate

• It challenges traditional ways of working and “in house provision”

Some of the complexities…..

• We are often the commissioner and the commissioned at the same time

• It may apply to service and facilities and may result in new service providers, new facilities or both in the same package

• The sector is at different levels of understanding because of their history

How does it work ?Three key stages……• strategic planning (based on proper

assessment of need and resources available)

• procurement (including analysis of supply options and option appraisal )

• performance management. (including the measurement of outcomes and impact)

Priorities

Needs

Resources

Userscommunities

Deliveryoptions

Procurement

Review

Monitoring

Delivery

The process of commissioning

Opportunities for the sector

• We can improve what we offer by ensuring needs, outcomes, delivery partners and performance management are better aligned.

• We can generate more activity and resource by responding to other commissions e.g. health, older people, children & young people.

Challenges for culture & sport• Needs assessment – we need to improve how we define

community need

• Resource allocation - major demands now on new capital and revenue expenditure

• Options appraisal – we need to improve how we identify the best provider/delivery option to meet the needs

• Procurement – we need to improve how we procure services to achieve outcomes and value for money

• Performance management and evaluation. – we need to improve how we measure our contribution to outcomes

• Market development and capacity building – we need to ensure there are a good range of delivery partners capable of providing services that achieve the desired outcomes

A word on the economy• Councils will want to make efficiency

savings……lets at least do it right

• Finding a range of delivery partners to work together may deliver these efficiency savings

• The big spenders will still need to deliver on big outcomes……you can help them

• But…… has the sector got the capacity and the will to rise to this challenge?

Help & support…..• Framework document to stimulate discussion

across the sector

• Guidance papers on • Need assessment• Option appraisal & procurement• Building third sector capacity

• Case studies

• Competencies

• Further resources next year

Links & information• IDeA Knowledge http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?

pageId=9202260

• Health and wellbeing• DH, Commissioning Framework for Health and Wellbeing (2005) • http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/

PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_072604• Guidance and tools:• http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/managingyourorganisation/

commissioning/worldclasscommissioning/index.htm• http://networks.csip.org.uk/BetterCommissioning/

• Children’s services• DCSF, Joint Planning and Commissioning Framework for Children,

Young People and Maternity Services (2006)• http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/_files/

312A353A9CB391262BAF14CC7C1592F8.pdf• Guidance and tools:• http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/strategy/

planningandcommissioning/

Links & information

• Housing-related support• CLG, Needs Analysis, Commissioning and Procurement for Housing-related Support

(2008)• http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/housingrelatedsupport

• Learning and skills• LSC, LSC Business Cycle• http://www.lsc.gov.uk/aboutus/businesscycle/

• Employment services etc.• DWP, DWP Commissioning Strategy (2008)• http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2008/com-strategy/cs-rep-08.pdf

• Offender management• MJ, NOMS Commissioning Framework• http://noms.justice.gov.uk/news-publications-events/publications/strategy/

Nat_Commissioning_Fwork_0708?view=Binary • Sport England Facility Improvement Service (FIS)• http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/planning_for_sport_front_page.htm• http://www.sportengland.org/sustainable_community_sports_hub_toolkit-2.pdf