Resources & guidance for commissioners

Links to share with public sector colleagues to useful guidance and resources on ‘intelligent commissioning’. These provide information on good practice in commissioning and procurement, involving the voluntary sector, when to use grants, encouraging SMEs and incorporating social and environmental criteria into specifications.

National Audit Office Successful Commissioning This online  toolkit is for the commissioning of local services by public bodies. It focuses  on those aspects of the process that are most likely to affect financial  relationships with third sector organisations. It covers the whole commissioning  cycle and has guidance on when to use contracts and grants.

Intelligent Monitoring This guidance compliments Successfull Commissioning and offers a clear, robust framework for  public sector commissioners involved in monitoring services.

Archived Best Practice Guidance from the former Office of Government Commerce (OGC).  Cabinet Office has since taken responsibility for implementing and overseeing procurement regulations but as yet has few useful online resources.

Buying Green! Handbook, the European Commission guide to green procurement. The handbook sets out guidance on integrating environmental considerations in each stage of procurement.

Best Value statutory guidance New statutory guidance on the Best Value Duty sets out some reasonable expectations of the way authorities should work with voluntary and community groups and small businesses when facing difficult funding decisions

Think Local, Act Personal has a number of resources and tools for commissioners of adult social care and personalisation. Categories of resource include developing the market, co-producing and developing small providers.