Local Authorities in partnership with VCS organisations

1. Local Authorities in partnership with VCS organisations • Gordon Stewart MA • County Commissioner for integrated and targeted youth support: Northamptonshire • 07769886464 • Gordons509@aol.com

2. The strategic importance of the VCS now and the future • Local Authorities will become smaller • Commissioning and Procurement models and processes will become prominent • Contract models engaging with VCS in three year contract cycles will become the norm

3. Northamptonshire’s model to deliver youth services • To develop robust contracting arrangements • To offer dedicated professional support to capacity build and advise as well as to establish contracts and monitor contract performance • Creating a win win partnership

4. The range of opportunities for small medium and large VCS • Small grants: £5-£10,000 for localities (Wards/Parishes) – to offer locally driven community based models of youth work • Strategic grants: £10-£50K p.a. (1-3yr) for areas or themes – to offer specialist provisions by theme, speciality or strategic importance • Procured contracts: £50k-£300K p.a. (3 yr) – either Area provision or specialist provision

5. Commissioning and Grants awards • High level of support to new or fledgling organisations: application guidance and completion, target setting and monitoring • Training provided: to understand processes and to train the VCS part time sector in delivery elements:H+S, CP, Risk; 1/1; GW; • Support advice and guidance to medium VCS orgs to access strategic grants

6. Commissioning and Procurement • The model timeframe is planned 1 yr ahead • Two commissioning conferences engage the sector in assessing & reviewing; gap analysis; contract ideas and themes • One conference to outline: all contract themes; explain the Procurement model and timeframe; advise and guide VCs orgs • 3 months thinking and Partnerships phase

7. Commissioning and Procurement • Pre Qualification Questionnaire processes and de-mystifying the expectations and pain • Tender processes: minimum standard of 42 days to complete • Focus on the detail and delivery model • Styles of tenders and prescribed formats • Submission requirements

8. Commissioning and Procurement • Tender interview processes: preparing the ground mentally and emotionally • Young People Panels • Adult Panels • Notice and contract preparation phase: Northamptonshire’s model allows for 3 month preparation phase

9. Finding out about your local Authority • Through Infrastructure Support Agencies • Through the Local Authority web site • Through direct contact and appointment with Commissioners • Understanding the Local Authority rules protocols and policies • Preparation is the KEY to success

10. Finding out about LA contracts • Duty to advertise • Northamptonshire uses a website named www.sourcenorthamptonshire • Advertising in local papers or national journals • Specific LA strategies: check them out

11. Knowing your niche: and how it fits national and local priorities • NI 110 positive activities (detached, outreach, community centre, youth club or project, special theme: sports, arts, IT, culture, volunteering, empowerment (forums Cttees) • PSA 14 and Targeted Youth Support: reduction of NEET, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, juvenile offending, persistent school absence

12. Large Commissioned contracts • The competition: large local and national • Gearing Up: partnerships through mergers or a formal memorandum of agreement • Local competitor and threat or local partner and ally • Is the LA focused on cheapest or its own VCS sector? • Agreeing the lead agency and defining the detail: QA, management data, training, staff management, Finance/Accounting; % share

13. Planning and delivering the needs of the LA alongside your needs • The LA will need: Finance history and verification; QA model; H+S track record; Insurance; clear track record; evidence of delivering outcomes; Business Plan (have you planned a 3yr model for delivery against budget that will deliver outcomes tracked against milestones); VFM including income generation

14. Planning and delivering the needs of the LA alongside your needs • Your Needs; maintaining your service values and culture • Expansion or status quo: capacity issues • Engaging Management Committees and Trustees in planning developing and tendering processes: use their expertise • Gaining full sanction – minuted • Empowering staff: motivation and training

15. Be pro-active • Expect to be informed but don’t wait • Expect to be invited to partnership commissioning events where a dialogue takes place but ask when this will be • Expect to be treated as partners not as slaves pleading for access to funding opportunities • Lobby when required: be empowered

16. Gordon Stewart MA • Commissioning and Procurement • Small, strategic and procured contracts • Youth Work; Targeted Youth Support Integrated Youth Work; YOF; TellUs 4 • Voluntary and Community sector partnerships and strategies • Engaging and involving young people • 07789886464 gordons509@aol.com