1. Love me tender? Commissioning, procurement and the third sector Annie Gunner Logan, Director, Community Care Providers Scotland Fife Council Commissioning Event, December 2009

2. Definition of terms “strategic commissioning is the term used for all the activities involved in assessing and forecasting needs, agreeing desired outcomes, considering options, planning the nature, range and quality of future services and working in partnership to put these in place… “…it is not just about purchasing services from external providers, although this is an important part of the process.” Social Work Inspection Agency 2009

3. Spot the difference? Commissioning Support for people What to purchase Strategic Partnership On behalf of community Outcomes Best value Slow pace of development Low priority/budget Procurement Commodities How to purchase Specific Competition On behalf of authority Efficiency Best price Rapid pace of development High priority/budget

4. Spot the difference? Mk II What is the nature of a social work or social care service? a key means of supporting disadvantaged citizens to make their own decisions, manage their own lives, remain as independent as possible and achieve outcomes that are personal to them? or a contract opportunity to be awarded following a competitive tendering process, which must ensure that all service providers are treated according to principles of fairness, non- discrimination and transparency as laid down in the EU Treaty provisions relating to procurement within the single market?

6. Procurement: key issues Terms of contracts Tender evaluation criteria Little (or no) involvement of people using services Workforce implications Exemption of direct provision Terminology No impact assessment

7. Ways forward Set procurement activity firmly within a commissioning strategy: then, Develop shared understanding of what it takes to provide a quality service, and how that relates to cost Develop procurement processes which test capacity to deliver Standards for engagement with people supported by existing services Proper consideration of workforce issues Work with authorities and other partners to explore alternatives to tendering

8. “In accordance with our principles of free enterprise and healthy competition, I’m going to ask you to fight to the death for it.” Monty Python and the Holy Grail