Commissioning and Procurement

1
Commissioning and Procurement

• Examining the challenges to third sector
  organisations in the North East region wishing to
  engage in the delivery of public services.
• Jo Curry
• 13th May 2008

2
Presentation Outline

• Policy Context
• What does the VCS in the North East have to
  offer?
• What is the problem?
• What can we do about it?

3
The Policy Context

• National Procurement Strategy
• National Compacts Code of Good Practice on
  Funding and Procurement
• Third Sector Action Plan (OTS)
• Local Government White Paper
• Sustainable Procurement Task Force
• Local Government and Public Involvement in Health
  Bill
• Treasury report into the future role of the Third
  Sector in Social and Economic Regeneration

4
The Regional Response

• 2007 Roundtables
• Compact Working Group
• North East Commissioning Framework and Action
  Plan
• Dedicated procurement resources
• Allison Agius Allison_at_NESEP.co.uk
• Jo Curry Jo_at_VONNE.co.uk
• VODA / Northumberland CAN

5
What does the VCS in the North East have to offer?

• Strategic partners, assisting in the design of
  services by identifying and articulating service
  users needs
• Delivering services
• Lobbying / campaigning to effect change

6
Barriers

• Commissioners and Procurement Officers failing to
  see the value of involving the VCS Those that
  understand the added value dont always know
  where to find the VCS
• Are individual VCS organisations Contract
  ready?
• Fewer larger contracts

7
Solutions

• Educating Commissioners and Procurement Officers
• Improving the knowledge of VCS organisations
• Mechanisms to work in partnership with others

8
Working with Commissioners

• LSP
• Compact Working group
• NESEP pilot South Tyneside and Middlesbrough
  financial PQQs and Social Clauses
• SHA Health Commissioning
• Meet the buyer events

9
Individual Organisations Are they contract
ready?

• Voluntaryskills.com
• MHNE
• Redcar and Cleaveland Fit to bid initiative
• Individual Patient Budgets
• Matrix
• PQQs
• BLNE
• Planned Master classes and mentoring

10
Fewer Bigger Contracts

• RDA
• LSC / DWP
• LA Harmonisation and Collaberation
• Capabilities database / the growth project
• Bid architects / intelligent spiders
• Third sector skills and employability contracting
  support hub.

11
The North East Experience

• Willing Partners
• Commissioning Framework
• Action Plan
• but it is not for everyone.