Commissioning must change to realise Big Society vision

New standards for commissioning, competition to encourage innovation and civil society hubs to encourage consortia are some of the changes needed to help social enterprises win public contracts, says a new report from right-leaning think tank ResPublica.

The Civil Effect, released last week, also argues that bureaucracy must be slashed if prime minister David Cameron’s vision of a Big Society is to be realised.

Founder of ResPublica, Phillip Blond, said: ‘The relationship between civil society and public service delivery is complex, but it goes to the heart of what the Big Society actually means.

‘This report shows there are many barriers to realising David Cameron’s vision of a Big Society.’

The report’s author, ResPublica deputy director Asheem Singh, said: ‘The government must concentrate on overhauling the commissioning system.

‘When tendering costs approach 20 per cent of the cost of the service as a whole, there is something seriously wrong with the system.’

The report was sponsored by Social Investment Business. Its chair Stephen Bubb, also CEO of chief executives’ body Acevo, said: ‘The real challenge at this time of economic constraint is translating positive noises about a greater delivery role for the sector into action. This report contains a number of interesting ideas on how this can be achieved.’

The report also suggests a working group be convened by the Office for Civil Society to scope the possibility of the Big Society Bank tapping into European Social Fund Financing.

The minimum standards framework suggested in the report would give more autonomy to commissioners and users. It would also see an increased role for grants to help the development of services.

Changes to commissioning are already set to be debated by parliament with a private members bill introducing a social value clause due to be introduced on 19 November.