Applying a strengths-based methodology to your strategic commissioning is designed to support local commissioners to consider their strengths and assess the factors that influence their place, to develop their approach. It is a vehicle for self-improvement, not a performance management tool.
Applying a strengths-based methodology
This methodology takes the view that the right approach to strategic commissioning for your local area or place depends on where you are starting from – the conditions locally (in the place, your team, your organisation, partners, community), the history and the forces which are shaping the future.
It does not promote a single, perfect, “one size fits all” approach, since the only ultimate judgement of commissioning success is the experience of citizens and communities in your place. It aims to help you select the approach that will give you the best fit for your local circumstances, enabling you to make a noticeable and positive difference to your ways of working and to make a difference to people’s lives. The suggested approaches are not mutually exclusive and a blend of approaches is possible.
The toolkit includes:
About applying a strengths-based methodology to your strategic commissioning (Word)
Introducing commissioning aspects (Word)
Introducing and implementing strategic commissioning approaches (Word)
Self-assessment and development tool (Excel spreadsheet)
The Excel-based self-assessment and development tool is designed to support a structured discussion about the local place, based on eight aspects of commissioning.
Set out on a number of worksheets in a single Excel file, the tool can be used to capture key discussion points and analyse the strengths and areas for development for your place, using the insights from your discussions.
It enables you to record your discussions and apply a score to different factors in each commissioning aspect, and to weight each, to give an overall understanding of your place in relation to that aspect.
The eight aspects of commissioning we've identified are:
- Whole system design
- Relationships and organisation across the system
- Capacity, capability, and confidence
- User and outcome-centred
- Information, insight, and innovation
- Managing the policy and compliance landscape
- Commissioning process
- Models and tactics.
Building on this understanding, the tool recommends a commissioning approach that will best suit your place and supports action planning for improvement, based on identified constraints and enablers.
- Place-based wellbeing
- Leadership of place for whole system change
- Unlocking potential
- Citizen-centred commissioning
- Values-based/disruptive commissioning
- Strategic procurement of services against needs
- Market management
- Delivery model design.
Recommended Steps
Below are the steps we suggest you follow when using the toolkit. Steps two to five are supported by the self-assessment and development tool.
Familiarisation
Read the About applying a strengths-based methodology to your strategic commissioning and other pre-reading resources.
Internal discussion and quick assessment
Discuss and assess your place in each of the eight commissioning aspects (use quick tool worksheet).
Workshop with partners and stakeholders
Conduct a workshop or workshops to consider the place against each of the eight commissioning aspects. The self assessment and development tool has separate worksheets which enable you to capture key discussion points against a range of factors; to weight each factor in terms of relevance and importance in your place; and to score your place in relation to this factor. Once all factors have been considered, the tool offers a provisional score for each aspect. Read Introducing commissioning aspects for more information.
Select a commissioning approach
Based on insight and scoring from the previous step, use the self-assessment and development tool to consider which commissioning approach would provide the best fit for your place. The approaches are outlined in Introducing and implementing strategic commissioning approaches.
Identify constraints and enablers (optional)
Consider the top constraints and enablers for your place, which are, or are not, in your control, which can be boosted or influenced, and which may benefit from experimentation, to inform action planning. If you wish, this can be developed into a commissioning development plan.
Implement a commissioning approach
Read Introducing and implementing strategic commissioning approaches to explore and understand the selected approach and start to put it into practice. You may wish to develop a strategic commissioning plan.