Two presentations back-to-back form a Community Workers Conference in brighton last week. The first was used by Sally Polanski, Chief Officer of the Community and Voluntary Sector Forum to guide us through the current approach to commissioning in the city, with a particular emphasis on how the third sector could add value to the process. The other is an overview of BigSociety and is based on an Urban Forum session which ran in the city recently. It was delivered by John Routledge, Head of Communities Team in the CIty Council. Both offer an excellent primer on current issues, explain the jargon and start to explore potential opportunities.

1. Intelligent Commissioning &
the Big Society

2. What is Intelligent Commissioning?
‘Intelligence’ – sharing data at
every stage of the
commissioning cycle
The background papers ‘A
Council the City Deserves’ –
BHCC Cabinet Papers
Restructure at BHCC to
accommodate ‘outcome’
based commissioning and
remove silo commissioning

3. Where is the revolution happening?
Outcomes based commissioning rather than
departmental commissioning at BHCC
Evidencing social impact using new measurements, eg
SROI
Performance Compacts – internal providers and external
providers
Citizen voice embedded - ‘Community Engagement
Framework’ knitted into the new Commissioning
Framework
Co-design and co-production
Commissioners acting as ‘enablers’ rather than
‘directors’ of action and services
Be local: Buy local

4. Achieving outcomes: three ringed circus?
Buying services for people
Enabling people to
do it for themselves
Giving people the money
to buy their own services
Intelligent
commissioning

5. Pilot projects: place based budgeting
Alcohol & Substance Misuse
Domestic Violence
Child Poverty needs analysis

6. Sustainable Community Strategy
Promoting enterprise and learning
Reducing crime and improving safety
Improving health and well-being
Improving housing and affordability
Living within environmental limits
and enhancing the environment
Promoting sustainable transport
Providing quality advice and
information services
www.bandhsp.co.uk

7. How will this affect groups locally?
The national backdrop is spending cuts – this is background rather than the
motivation for these changes
Locally:
 Commissioning will involve de-commissioning
 Level playing field to compete with ‘in-house’ Council run services
 More competition for the work that you do from ‘employee spin-out
organisations’
 Important social advocacy role to enable citizen voice in designing and
delivering services
 Potential for more outcome focused and longer term contracts
 Changing personnel in the City Council and loss of relationships
 Changing performance management
Immediately:
 Domestic Violence and Substance Misuse pilots: needs assessment stage now!

8. Partnership and the intelligent commissioning cycle
Plan
Contribute to the design of services
Contribute knowledge of the market
Ensure that small providers are able to compete
Participate in shaping service specification
Do
Invest in building the capacity of the sector
Contribute to developing procurement
Participate in tender evaluation
Review
Participate in contract management
Service evaluation
Service monitoring
Analyse
Contribute to the process of identifying needs
Commission the sector to conduct research
Provide advocacy
Provide case studies and personal histories
Plan
Contribute to the design of services
Contribute knowledge of the market
Ensure that small providers are able to compete
Participate in shaping service specification
Do
Invest in building the capacity of the sector
Contribute to developing procurement
Participate in tender evaluation
Review
Participate in contract management
Service evaluation
Service monitoring
Analyse
Contribute to the process of identifying needs
Commission the sector to conduct research
Provide advocacy
Provide case studies and personal histories

9. What should I do: look head on the horizon?
 Keep informed –
www.cvsectorforum.org.uk/ic
 Read BHCC Cabinet Papers
 Consider the ‘added value’ that
organisations provide and prepare to
prove it to Commissioners – SROI
models etc
 Look for opportunities to
collaborate: be flexible, relationships
are important
 Maintain excellent service user
involvement practice and standards
 Respond to consultations, surveys
 Provide case studies around co-
production

10. CVSF’s activities
Community and voluntary sector reference group
Influencing documents and thinking, eg Commissioning
Framework, needs analysis and outcome design, appropriate
funding (use sector expertise)
Involving the sector in place based pilots: DV, drugs and
alcohol and child poverty
Influencing Sustainable Community Strategy workshops using
position statements
Influencing design of models to demonstrate added value and
encourage Commissioners to ‘buy local’
Ensuring community engagement framework is embedded
Outreach to involve smaller groups (neighbourhoods and
equalities)
Supporting the sector through change (ChangeUp)
CVSF reshaping representation and networks

11. Discussion
•Q&A for clarification on intelligent commissioning

12. Policy context to Big Society
Public service reform – changing the roll of
the state
Devolution and decentralisation
Public sector cuts – CSR October 20th

13. Review of Local
Local Gov Finance
Localism and devolution
Decentralisation
& Localism Bill
Public Bodies Bill

14. WELFARE,
HEALTH,
EDUCATION
Welfare Reform Bill
Cutting of Welfare Budget by £11bn
GP Commissioning Consortia
Pensions and Savings Bill
Academies
Free Schools

15. Reducing deficit in 5 yrs – 80%
through public spending cuts
A ‘progressive’ and ‘fair’ budget’?
Economists divided
Spending Review 20th
October
The Chancellor’s Budget

16. Office for Civil Society
Goodbye Third Sector…Hello Civil Society!

17. Big Society Themes
More active citizens, more volunteering
Transferring power from central to local government
(and then to communities?)
Supporting co-ops, mutuals, charities and
social enterprises
Open government

18. Big Society Proposals
Community ‘right to bid’, Community ‘right to buy’
and employee co-ops
Train 5,000 Community Organisers
Big Society Day & National Citizen Service
Big Society Bank
New Right to Data
Communities First: small grants in deprived areas
4 “Vanguard” communities

19. Something old,
something new,
something borrowed,
something blue?

20. Some things to think about...
Time-scales and different agendas
Communities providing services – competing with the private
sector?
Accountability and safeguarding
Level of public appetite for taking over services unclear
Risks of exacerbating inequality?
Opportunities????

21. Discussion
•Q&A on Big Society
•Any feedback for CVSF on either theme
•Opportunities and challenges for you in your role
Sally Polanski, CVSF
sally@cvsectorforum.org.uk
John Routledge, BHCC
John.Routledge@brighton-hove.gov.uk