'Third Sector' of 19 March
included a letter from NAVCA Chief Executive, Kevin Curley, on the
Department for Work and Pensions commissioning strategy.
"There is much to welcome in the new Department for Work and
Pensions Commissioning Strategy. They want to involve local
voluntary organisations in flexible New Deal, recognising our
experience and skills in reaching people who have been out of work
for a long time. A key passage in the strategy reads "We expect
risk and reward to be fairly assigned across the supply chain in
ways that allow the small and specialist providers to play their
full part".
Can DWP deliver on this commitment? To do so they will need to
require their 'top tier providers' to offer attractive
sub-contracts to local third sector groups. Simply bringing
organisations together at local events - welcome as they are - will
not bring about the new relationships we need to see if flexible
New Deal is to deliver high quality results. Sub-contracting must
be a requirement and subject to strong performance
management."