A better return: setting the foundations for intelligent commissioning to achieve value for money

Based on research by the New Economics Foundation, the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning has published this report on how spending on public services can be directed to achieve the best return for communities, the environment and the public purse.

It is hoped that the report will assist commissioners and others in the following ways:

as a reminder of HMT’s definition of value for money which focuses on full value for public benefit not simply on unit costs
by encouraging commissioners and organisations to develop and implement the appropriate measurement tools, such as Social Return on Investment (SROI), to capture the full public benefit that providers say they will provide.
by encouraging commissioners and others to adopt a co-production approach which utilises to the full the skills and experiences of users of services
by further encouraging commissioners to explore and utilise an outcome based commissioning approach
by recognising, in the case studies, the efforts to use an evidence based approach as
to why commissioning from the third sector can capture added social, economic and environmental benefits that promotes public policy and well being.
by encouraging public sector organisations to set the context and the framework for intelligent commissioning to thrive and make its contribution to meeting the challenges ahead
by recognising the importance of capturing cross-departmental savings and encouraging such saving

http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=6583598#contents-2