 Dear Colleagues, 
With the end of the calendar year rapidly approaching, we thought it would be useful to provide a round up and recap of a few of the issues and developments from the past year, along with a couple of things to look out for next year.
In the meantime, don't forget to contact our Enquiry Service if you have any questions about commissioning and procurement and finally, on behalf of the whole LCPU team:
Merry Christmas
and a prosperous New Year!
Rachel Rhodes
Commissioning and Procurement Advisor
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Intelligent Commissioning
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Many of the questions we have received through the enquiry service relate to either disproportionate monitoring systems or how to encourage commissioners to maintain grants. LCPU assisted the National Audit Office, Third Sector and Commissioning Team with the development of two pieces of work to help improve commissioning and contracting at a local level. - Intelligent Monitoring and the Office of the Third Sector Principles of Proportionate Monitoring were published in July and aim to lessen the unnecessary burden of monitoring on voluntary sector organisations.
- Successful Commissioning: How to secure Value for Money through better financial relationships with Third Sector Organisations will be launched in March 2010. This 'How to' guide expands on and updates information from the Decision Support Tool. It aims to help local commissioners answer some of the fundamental questions they face, in particular when to use grants and when to use contracts.
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Proportionality
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Proportionality is an area that keeps cropping up in relation to procurement processes.
LCPU replied to an Office of Government Comme rce (OGC) request for feedback relating to adopting actions from recommendations in the Glover report. More information about these actions and on creating opportunities for local voluntary organisations and community groups can be found on the OGC website.
A rush to adopt the quality certificate ISO 9001 within the sector led us to write an article around this issue. 'Do we need ISO?' is now also available as a booklet. If you would like a hard copy just email lcpu@navca.org.uk. We are looking to continue work in this area in 2010 in partnership with Charities Evaluation Services.
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Tender Support
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| If you're looking for practical support around completing tender documents, two areas of support are available. - LCPU are offering support to members and affiliates tendering for their local infrastructure service.
More info can be found on the NAVCA website
- The NAVCA Tender Support Project is being delivered as part of the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning. Consultancy support is available to frontline organisations tendering for services. This support will be facilitated by a number of NAVCA members. See the website for more details and eligibility criteria - www.navca.org.uk/tendersupport
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Procurement Guidance
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We are receiving excellent feedback on our publication Pathways through the Maze: A guide to procurement law, written by Anthony Collins Solicitors and published in partnership with NCVO.
 This unique guide - the first of its kind - will help you understand procurement processes and give you the information you need to challenge the myths and mistruths about procurement.
All NAVCA members should have received their free copy and we ask you to promote this publication to your local voluntary organisations and community groups and commissioners, who can download the guide at www.navca.org.uk/maze
This guide was commissioned with a specific focus on the rules that apply to Part B services (the majority of services delivered by our sector) and we will continue in the coming year to focus on areas of particular relevance to local voluntary and community organisations. |
Health & Social Care
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LCPU continued to work with the Department of Health throughout 2009 and are pleased that support for members in this area will increase next year following NAVCA's achievement of Strategic Partner status. We will be working closely with our colleague Jon Burke, Social Care and Health Development Adviser, to address issues around commissioning, contracting and the personalisation agenda. The DH is busy updating various pieces of commissioning guidance including the Principles and Rules for Cooperation and Competition and Revised National Contracts. We are also expecting a guide for the third sector to be published following these updates and will keep you informed when publications are released.
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Upcoming events
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 Following a successful launch in the South West, NAVCA will be delivering interactive seminars ' Advocating Intelligent Commissioning' across all the regions next year. Aimed at local infrastructure workers, the events aim to support LIO workers to effectively champion good practice in the commissioning of public services. More information will be available early next year on our news pages and in the next addition of the newsletter. If you would like to run one of these events in your area, please email lcpu@navca.org.uk to express your interest. |
Commissioning and Procurement discussions
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 Last but not least, don't forget to join our Commissioning and Procurement discussion group on navcaboodle. 70 of you already have! Sign up to swap notes with colleagues across the country, ask questions and network at: |
NAVCA is the national voice of local third sector
infrastructure in England. 
