Community commissioning: shaping public services through people power

Author(s)

LENT Adam, STUDDERT Jessica, WALKER Trinley

Publisher(s):

New Local Government Network

Publication year:

2019

This report argues that if there is to be a move to a preventative system in public services, communities need to take on more responsibility for their own health and well-being. The report makes the case for why the process of commissioning of public services needs to be led by citizens and service users, not public sector professionals. It also explains in detail how this shift is happening in practice. The report suggests four key questions that public sector organisations need to consider when moving to a model of community commissioning: the nature of the service - will it be a statutory or non-core service; the nature of the commissioning network - will it be open to all residents within a geographical area only to those with a particular need or interest; the method of power transfer - formal or informal; and the depth of participation. It includes recommendations for central government that would help bring about this transfer of power to communities in the commissioning process. (Edited publisher abstract)