Designing governance in strategic commissioning
More councils than ever before are now actively pursuing commissioning as a means to deliver a far wider range of services. Commissioning differs from traditional outsourcing in many ways, but often councillors are ill-equipped to manage its challenges and opportunities. In particular, the management of relationships with providers by council officers often seems designed to keep politicians away from what is seen as a data-driven relationship.
We can help to explore how councillors might better be “built in” to the design and review of commissioning arrangements. From thinking of ways to get councillors more actively – and productively – involved in the research that sits behind specification for commissioned services, to examining how their role on performance management might dovetail with that of contract managers within the council, we can help to explore and agree ways for councillors to continue to play a high profile and valuable role in the design and delivery of service in which their constituents still hold a strong stake.
This can range from short, one-off sessions to explain the basics of commissioning to a councillors audience, to longer-term support, working with senior officers to design commissioning systems with local democracy in mind.
Call Ed Hammond on 020 7187 7369 to learn more about what we can offer, and how we can help.