The aim of this newly created post is to improve commissioning between the public sector and the voluntary and community sector (VCS), focusing on Manchester and Greater Manchester commissioning. My focus is on the process: the way consultation is carried out; how specifications are written; when and how are decisions about recommissioning made; how information about new commissions are disseminated; commissioning processes that build on the strengths of the VCS; how appropriate forms are for VCS organisations. The key strength of the role is that it looks across commissioning, at what is happening in a range of public authorities and across client groups.
It is still early days, the post started at the beginning of February and I am at the beginning of developing a strategy for the role. Much of my early work has been about meeting commissioners in Manchester City Council, NHS and the Police Commission, finding out about the history and potential future of commissioning in Manchester, understanding different approaches to commissioning and identifying areas of work where I might be able to make an impact. For example, I have recently joined the project board tasked with maximising the value of VCS groups commissioned through the new Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).
It is already clear that improving the quality (and in some cases the quantity) of communication is going to be a central part of the strategy. It seems sometimes that commissioners live in one world and VCS organisations live in another, even though they, largely, share similar aims - the provision of effective services that meet the needs of clients. In order to achieve this aim it is absolutely critical that they have constructive dialogue. However, in a time of diminishing resources and increasing competition, we can’t pretend that this is going to be easy to achieve. My role is partly to act as an interpreter, for instance, what is a market development strategy and how can it be used to enhance the role of the VCS in Manchester?
I will be creating web pages on Manchester Community Central about commissioning and procurement, including information about what is being commissioned and commissioning intentions. Together with other members of the Policy and Voice team at Macc, I will be developing web pages that identify the key strands of local, regional and national policy that will impact on the future of commissioning so that VCS organisations can understand the context of commissioning. I will also be developing a list of commissioners in Manchester and their roles so organisations know who to approach.
So that local individuals and organisations can keep up-to-date with my work I will be tweeting, writing news articles for Community Central Bulletin and doing occasional blogs that open up key questions concerning commissioning.
Due to my long background working in the VCS in Manchester I am in the fortunate position of knowing many people in the sector but a key part of my work is to get to know more. Please feel free to call me or invite me to give short presentations on commissioning issues.
Contact me on 0161 834 9823, email: [email protected], follow me on twitter: @NigelMacc
Take part in our survey on Commissioning in Manchester
To inform the work of the Macc’s new Strategic Lead on Commissioning Macc is conducting a short survey to gather a snapshot of what the VCS in Manchester thinks we need to say to commissioners.
Click here to fill in the survey