Synopsis: Coventry Partnership: using the commissioning process to improve service delivery

Updated and transferred from renewal.net. The commissioning process is central to the delivery of better public services. It enables partnerships to prioritise objectives and ensure that service delivery is well planned and coordinated. Coventry Strategic Partnership (CSP) developed a commissioning framework to improve the delivery of their share of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF). CSP produced a programme of partnership activities to link to priorities, address gaps in delivery and lead to sustainable improvements in local services. The partnership adopted an inclusive approach throughout the development of the process. It also ensured that work was led by evidence and focused on ‘what works’ in developing specifications and selecting interventions. CSP used their experience gained in setting up the process to inform the design of commissioning arrangements for their local enterprise growth initiative (LEGI). The NRF and LEGI commissioning processes are both successfully specifying and securing services that meet needs and improve local neighbourhoods. They are also helping partners to better understand each other’s priorities, and are making a contribution towards delivering sustainable community strategy (SCS) outcomes and local area agreement (LAA) priorities.