Below are some research reports on public service delivery and
the impact of commissioning and procurement on third sector
organisations across England.
If there is some research you think would be useful sharing
please contact lcpu and
we can list it here.
Third Sector Directories Research Report
This report on the Directories Research Project, commissioned
by the Five Counties Partnership, looks at the use and development
of supplier directories in the third sector.
Some conclusions from the research indicate:
- Overwhelmingly, public sector commissioners supported the
development of third sector supplier directories - they are seen as
a highly useful and effective aide to commissioning processes
- Local support and development organisations manage the vast
majority of directories
- Commissioners and procurement officers recognized that local
support and development organisations were the most effective and
efficient bodies to develop and manage directory content.
Outcomes in Advice
This research report is published by the BOLD project and
produced by nef and AdviceUK, working with Advice Services
Coventry. It demonstrates how advice services contribute to wider
local priorities such as health, homelessness prevention, community
safety and employment as well as applying SROI to case studies to
estimate the financial value of advice interventions, but also to
calculate the costs that accrue when public services get it wrong
for citizens.
The Economic Significance of the Third Sector in
Lincolnshire
Looking wider than just public service delivery, this research
looks at the economic significance of the third sector, helping to
evidence the impact and importance it has.
Download The Economic Significance of the Third Sector in
Lincolnshire
Download an executive summary of The Economic Significance of the
Third Sector in Lincolnshire
Results of the Third Sector Commissioning Survey
VOSCUR, April 2010
A report looking at the results of a third sector commissioning
survey in Bristol carried out by the Bristol ChangeUp Consortium,
including NAVCA member VOSCUR. The survey looked at Bristol
organisations' involvement in the early stages of commissioning,
their readiness for commissioning, involvement in bidding and the
ability of smaller organisations to engage with commissioning. The
findings show a discrepancy between higher levels of readiness to
engage and actual involvement and success at the bidding stage. A
number of recommendations have been made drawing on the findings
and the principles of intelligent commissioning, including the need
for strong local support on commissioning.
Measuring social value: the gap between policy and
practice
Demos, 2010
"Measures of social return are not like laws or sausages; you do
want to understand how they are made"
The report looks into social value and methods of measuring it,
such as Social Return on Investment. It concludes that SROI, while
valuable, "can be an extremely ambitious goal". It reports on how
30 of organisations have measured and communicated methodologies to
measure their social value.
"Three things seem particularly crucial: first, we should not
forget our ultimate goal is social impact - measurement is merely a
tool to help us maximise this; second, the move to better measures
of social return on investment is a journey. The important thing is
to embark on that journey, get the benefit from the first steps,
and not worry too much that nirvana is a long way off; third, the
sector is going to need a lot of help."
Are big charities becoming increasingly dominant?
A short paper from the Third Sector Research Centre looking at
whether large charities have become increasingly dominant.
The paper explores incomes for a range of charities and
concludes there is "no evidence" of a "tescoisation" of the charity
sector, but that "the initially established organisations in
general, but not the very largest in particular, have benefited
most from the aggregate increase in income".
Involving Users in Commissioning Local Services
Joseph Rowntree Foundation, May 2010
A report/think-piece about service users' experiences and views
of involvement in shaping services, and the experiences and views
of commissioners when involving users. The research points to what
is currently happening and what might be possible in the future
shape of commissioning.
Survey of third sector organisations' experiences of the
sub/prime contractor model in the delivery of DWP/Jobcentre Plus
contracts
Pentagon Partnership. May 2010.
Ineligible Applications: The Wasted Work of the Voluntary
Sector
DSC has published research indicating that over one-third of
applications to UK charitable grant-makers are ineligible,
according to the funders That's over 360,000 applications in one
year - help your members to avoid this wasted time and effort!
Grant making with the voluntary and community sector
A think-piece by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies with
Voluntary Sector North West exploring the economic and social value
of grant-making.
Briefing Paper for Sir Clive Booth, UK Chair of the Big Lottery
Fund
- Derbyshire Contracts Advice Network (DCAN), October
2009
Here is paper produced by DCAN, a partnership of infrastructure
organisations across Derbyshire lead by Chesterfield Links. DCAN
are delivering a BASIS support programme on commissioning,
procurement and contracts. This paper gives a summary after 2 years
of the project of commissioning and the impact on the third sector
in Derbyshire.
Commissioning and the Third Sector
- BVSC, October 2009
A study of the way in which third sector
organisations are responding to the challenges and opportunities
presented by new commissioning guidelines.
- Download "Commissioning and the Third Sector" via the
BVSC website.
Mapping local infrastructure organisations' commissioning and
procurement activity
- NAVCA's Local Commissioning and Procurement Unit,
2009
A mapping survey was carried out between October and December 2008
to find out what activities LIOs were involved in and the resources
they were using to carry out this work.
Equalities and Procurement Survey 2008
- The EHRC, the IDeA, the LGA and the Society of
Procurement Officers in local government (SOPO), June
2009
Several pieces of research looking at how local authorities
incorporate public sector equalities duties into different stages
of the procurement process. All pieces can be
downloaded
via the LGA website.
Commissioning Excellence: Securing Innovation and Value from
London's Voluntary Sector
- London Health Forum, December
2008
Looks at the quality of the commissioning relationship,
particularly between the statutory and voluntary sectors in London.
Includes recommendations for both commissioners and third sector
providers.
Commissioning: Possible, Greater Manchester VCS Organisations'
Experiences in Public Sector Commissioning
- GMCVO, November 2008
Provides an insight into the experiences of third sector
organisations in Greater Manchester with public sector
commissioning and makes recommendations for improving voluntary and
community sector organisations' chances to contribute to health in
Greater Manchester
Commissioning outcomes and recovery
- London borough of Camden, October 2008
Information from Camden Council's Invest to Save project with nef
and Voluntary Action Camden focusing on commissioning outcomes.
Contracts, Cuts and closures: an uncertain future for South West
Social Purpose Organisations
- South West Forum, October 2008
Research from the South West into the funding climate, demand for
services and impact on end users.
The Tender Subject of Tendering
- Oxfordshire Community & Voluntary Action, August
2008
Research into the effects of competitive tendering
on the service delivery of the voluntary sector in
Oxfordshire.
Who Delivers Services? A study of involvement in and attitudes
to public service delivery by the Voluntary and Community Sector in
the North West of England
- Centre for Local Governance at the University of
Manchester, April 2008
The results from a survey in late 2007 in the North West on the
make up of the regional third sector and involvement in public
service delivery.
Common Themes on Commissioning the VCS in Selected Local
Authorities in Greater London
- London Councils, May 2007
This report looks at the impact of commissioning voluntary and
community groups to provide public services in six areas within
London. It focuses on developments in health and social care and
highlights examples of good practice and common themes.