Commissioning, Co-commissioning and Being Commissioned; the NHS and Third Sector Organisations.

Examination of NHS commissioning practices, and their consequences, in respect of third sector organisations.

1. Strengthen the evidence-base for guidance to commissioners on how:
(a) VSCE contributions can strengthen healthcare commissioning
(b) VCSEs should use research to inform their activities, to encourage and enable them to produce evidence in their own cause.
(c) Commissioners and VCSEs can gain knowledge of each other’s needs.
2. Produce evidence about how, and under what conditions, healthcare commissioning of VCSEs and co-commissioning with them tends to produce the potential positive or the potential negative consequences listed above.
3. Develop the typology of commissioning methods relevant commissioning VCSE providers and to co-commissioning with VCSEs,
Additional study aims are to develop:
4. Commissioners’ capacity for co-commissioning with VCSEs, and the training and knowledge mobilisation methods required.
5. Practice guides for VCSEs about service commissioning at the scale of CCGs (including merged CCG), local authorities, and local communities.