Commissioning and Procurement
In recent years central government has emphasised the need for public service reform by identifying improvements in the commissioning (*buying in*) of services. Increasingly government agencies are encouraging the greater use of voluntary and community organisations in the delivery of public services as it is thought that the voluntary and community sector has the potential to deliver some services more effectively than other public of private sector providers.
Recent research has identified that grant funding for the voluntary and community sector, particularly smaller organisations, has decreased and that this has also led to the shift from grant funding to commissioning of services. The economic recession has further squeezed public sector funding, with the new collision government wanting to stimulate the growth of community/social enterprise. It is vital that the voluntary and community sector are kept up to date about the changes so that informed decisions can be made about which funding route (grant / commissioning) should be taken. Contracts with public sector bodies should enable voluntary and community organisations to generate funding which can be used to fund activities and/or contribute to the development of reserves. However, these same organisations may find themselves competing for the funding that they may have been receiving for many years.
These web pages will help you identify if going down the commissioning and procurement route is right for your organisation, whilst also providing some useful resources and contacts, should you choose to do so.
What is Commissioning?
Commissioning is the 'how' - where public sector bodies decide what services they require to meet their priorities. The Audit Commission defines commissioning as "the process of specifying, securing and monitoring services to meet people's needs at a strategic level" [Social Services Inspectorate / Audit Commission (2003) Making Ends Meet], thereby emphasising the importance of commissioning as being needs led. Continue reading ...
Latest update
NAVCA Commissioning and the community sector
Resources
- Commissioning and Procurement useful documents
- NAVCA Commissioning and Procurement resources
- Commissioning and Procurement Fit for Purpose Toolkit
Training and Information Courses / Events
NAVCA