This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. Commissioners and providers need to be clear about the costs, savings and benefits of providing a service if they are to avoid poor decommissioning decisions. Understanding costs should include an understanding of direct costs, indirect costs (including overheads), short-term and long-term costs (such as the rent on […]
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. Successive governments’ policies have recognised that third sector organisations (TSOs) have an important role to play in the drive to improve public service delivery. However, there continues to be a lack of understanding among some commissioners about both the role played by TSO in providing services and […]
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. This guidance shares its useful links with the Successful Commissioning Guide, which can be found at the link below: Successful Commissioning Guide: Useful links NAO guidance NAO: Decision Support Tool NAO: Intelligent Monitoring NAO: Working with the Third Sector Other guidance BIS Prompt Payment Guidance for Public […]
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. Commissioners should consider all the options for service change, of which decommissioning is just one possibility. Discussing options with providers can help commissioners to be aware of all the options that may be available to them. The table summarises the options that our research found which can […]
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. Decommissioning is not the same as cuts. Cuts are usually decisions taken simply on the basis of reducing the costs of service provision, while decommissioning is a process which, while sometimes leading to the stopping of services, can mitigate the potentially damaging effects of cuts. Although the […]
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. Definitions of decommissioning vary but the majority describe it as involving: a change in the provision of a service This may mean stopping a service or a significant part of it. It can also include terminating or re-negotiating a contract or grant with an existing service provider, […]
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. Good, supportive, and transparent relationships lie at the heart of successful decommissioning. Although commissioners and third sector organisation (TSO) service providers disagree about what constitutes good practice in terms of how such relationships are meant to work, both sides showed there is considerable room for improvement in […]
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. The table outlines what good practice should look like in some of the key areas relating to understanding needs and making a decision to decommission. It identifies the risks of not following good practice and looks at how these risks might be mitigated and what actions commissioners […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. Public bodies should at all times follow public procurement policy, based on value for money, and the European Union (EU) procurement rules which exist to ensure all providers can compete for contracts on an equal basis. While procurement practices should not involve preferential treatment for third sector organisations, […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. When deciding on outcomes, you often have to weigh up all the above factors listed in ‘Building outcomes‘ and come to a balanced view. It can be helpful to do this collaboratively, for example through workshops with the key players involved, including relevant third sector organisations (TSOs). Practical example: agreeing […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. The general principles should be applied sensibly. In particular, think about: Simplicity and proportionality. Processes, including commissioning, should be as simple as possible and proportionate. Financial controls, monitoring and evaluation requirements and external inspection should be intelligently designed and implemented [Note 1] Transparency. The more you can be […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. There are many models of the commissioning cycle but all share some common features and all include, in some form or another, a stage where the needs of the population you serve are assessed. Assessing needs may form part of a higher-level process called ‘analyse’ or ‘strategic […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. The National Audit Office (NAO) uses three criteria to assess the value for money of government spending i.e. the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes: Economy: minimising the cost of resources used or required (inputs) – spending less; Efficiency: the relationship between the output from […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. When you are establishing the outcomes for your programme, you may draw on a number of sources: Needs assessment. What does research show about the needs of your target client group? For example, if one of the main needs is a higher rate of vaccination among the children […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. One reason public bodies give grants to third sector organisations (TSOs) is to build their capacity to deliver public services. Often, these services will be for people in great need and who are hard to reach. Sometimes, a particular TSO may be the only organisation that can reach the […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. Introduction Ministers ask a central government department to establish a scheme to improve safety on the road for cyclists. A policy manager is put in charge of this. She holds a meeting with internal stakeholders, including those responsible for service delivery, finance and legal advice. From this […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. You need to establish at an early stage that you and your organisation have the ability to undertake the activities of the commissioning process you are contemplating. This falls into three parts – legal powers; money; and authority: Legal power (also known as ‘vires’) There may be power […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. UK (and European Union (EU) ) policy generally favour competitive markets because they are considered to contribute to efficiency [Note 1]. In the last 20 years or so, this has extended to the public services. Competition is now, with contestability [Note 2] and choice, an important part of […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. Once a financial relationship has been established, a number of issues become more significant. All of these issues need to be considered earlier, certainly before services begin to be delivered, but this is a convenient point for us to discuss them: Risk management Sustainable financing Full cost recovery […]
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. After assessing needs, commissioners need to plan or design the service(s) to meet those needs (part of the ‘Plan’ or ‘Procuring services’ are in some commissioning cycles). Establishing and agreeing the outcomes to be achieved by the service is critical for this and the remainder of the […]