I notice Clinks have news about those new probation contracts and the bid by the third sector to get a slice of the action:-
Before Christmas, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) began the competition for Probation Delivery Partners who will be responsible for delivering accredited programmes, unpaid work and structured interventions – read more about this in my last blog. They also ran a series of market engagement webinars on the services they plan to commission through the Dynamic Framework – read the slides from those webinars here.
This blog provides an update on what stage those commissioning processes are at.
During the Dynamic Framework market engagement, Clinks provided regular feedback from the sector on the proposals. We welcomed the decision to commission services at Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) area level following our feedback that commissioning services across whole probation areas would likely exclude the involvement of the majority of the sector. We were also very pleased that following discussions with Clinks and the women’s sector regarding proposals for women’s specialist services, all areas of identified need will now be commissioned as a single contract lot for women.
Below is an update from HMPPS on the stage that each competition has now reached:
Probation Delivery Partner
The Selection Questionnaire phase of the Probation Delivery Partner competition is now completed. This is the questionnaire issued by contracting authorities to prospective bidders interested in securing public sector works, supply or services contracts as a way of short-listing interested parties which meet the applicable selection criteria. Bidders have been informed whether or not they have been successful and successful bidders were issued invitations to tender on 6 February and bid responses are due by 20 March.
Dynamic Framework
Following feedback from Market Engagement events with interested suppliers, HMPPS have amended their proposed categories on the Dynamic Framework. They will run competitions for services at Police and Crime Commissioner geographical level in the following groups:
1. Accommodation
2. Education, Training, Employment and Finance, Benefits, Debt
3. Dependency and Recovery (previously named Addictions and Dependencies)
4. Wellbeing Services (which is made up of the following categories; Lifestyle & Associates, Emotional & Personal Wellbeing, Family & Significant Others, Social Inclusion)
5. Women’s Interventions (which meet the needs identified above in one package)
They anticipate launching qualification for the dynamic framework in May. They are taking more time before launch to identify and assess the regional requirements at of National Probation Service Regional Directors for each lot described above.
Ahead of launching the Dynamic Framework and during the qualification for the framework, they will run a series of engagement events across the country, to raise awareness to the widest possible range of potential providers, and answer questions on the qualification process.
In addition they will inform the market of the call-off competition pipeline and continue market engagement to provide more information on the specification for each call-off.
Continuing to influence on behalf of the sector
We remain in regular contact with the probation review team as they develop plans for the Dynamic Framework and have offered support to provide knowledge and intelligence from the voluntary sector to engage with their work to identify and assess regional requirements in each lot. We are also in discussions about how we might support the engagement events when the Dynamic Framework is launched in order to ensure that the voluntary sector is fully able to participate in these.
We continue to highlight that grants are essential to the voluntary sector’s full engagement with any future probation model. We are also providing feedback on where the commissioning processes might be overly burdensome and present an uneven playing field for the sector – for instance with regards to IT assurance requirements.
We also continue to raise significant concerns that specialist services for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people are not being considered as a day one service (the services that will be commissioned directly by HMPPS from day one of implementation of the new model). We understand that this is because in some areas BAME service user numbers will be very low. However, we feel that in order to meet the Lammy Review recommendations, in both their letter and spirit, specific services for BAME people should be commissioned as day one services at least in areas with high BAME caseloads. Otherwise specialist BAME organisations will only find themselves commissioned as sub-contractors in wider supply chains, if at all.
We will continue to provide the sector with updates through Light Lunch, Twitter, blogs and our probation webpage.
"specialist services for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people are not being considered as a day one service... because in some areas BAME service user numbers will be very low."
ReplyDeleteAs last night's BBC Panorama showed: Nike, the Oregon project, Alberto Salazar, even National Treasure Mo Farrar & British Athletics have proven beyond doubt that acting 'in the spirit' is a lamentable state-of-mind reserved for losers.
You gotta push those boundaries to maximise *YOUR* potential. Don't be squeamish, don't be soft, do whatever it takes.
Runner-Up is First Loser.
Winning is Everything - races, contracts, promotions, bonuses, profits, gongs...
Lie; Cheat; Bully; JFDI
Just Do It.
Here endeth the lesson on outsourcing.
There's always going to be a conflict of interest with the third sector taking on government contracts.
ReplyDeleteThis was clearly highlighted with charities becoming involved with the work programme. Many who lobbied government against benefit sanctions, homelessness and rising food bank use became part of the process by having to share information about individuals with the DWP.
There's something unsavoury about trying to play both sides of the fence.
From justice questions earlier.
https://www.chardandilminsternews.co.uk/news/national/18259913.richard-burgon-claims-tories-pockets-billionaires/
'Getafix
Speaking during Commons justice questions, Burgon said: "The free market fundamentalists in the Conservative Party sent re-offending up and made working-class communities less safe with their privatisation of probation.
Delete"Despite acknowledging that this privatisation failed, under new plans the Tories are still insisting on handing hundreds of millions of pounds over to private companies.
"Is that because they are ideologically wedded to the free market or is it because the Tory Party is in the pockets of the billionaires and the private corporations?"
Buckland replied: "The only fundamentalist I see is sitting on the benches dead ahead. This Government is committed to reforming and improving the Probation Service by creating a truly national framework.
"I make no apology at all for wanting to harness the ability of small organisations and charities who specialise in rehabilitation, working together with our National Probation Service. We're not ideological, he is."
https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/outsourcing-chiefs-set-for-talks-on-whitehall-shake-up-11942230
ReplyDeleteThe bosses of Britain's biggest outsourcers, including BT Group, Capita and G4S, have been summoned for talks in Whitehall this week as part of a public sector procurement shake-up driven by Boris Johnson's top aide.
ReplyDeleteSky News has learnt that roughly 20 chief executives of major suppliers to government have been called to a meeting on Tuesday to be hosted by John Manzoni, the outgoing head of the Civil Service.
City sources said the summit was designed to address "new government priorities" and "wider commercial policy priorities" as part of a renewed "war on waste" being orchestrated by Dominic Cummings.
Mr Cummings, who has signalled a desire to eliminate bloated spending on outsourcing projects, is not due to attend the meeting, while a Cabinet Office spokesman said there would also be no minister present.
Nevertheless, one private sector attendee said it would be a "significant" discussion as the government prepares to publish an updated version of its "outsourcing playbook" next month.
Attendees at Tuesday's meeting earn billions of pounds annually from government work, and some of their employers are dependent upon the public sector for a substantial proportion of their turnover.
A list of those invited to the talks includes Philip Jansen, BT Group chief executive; Jonathan Lewis of Capita; G4S's Ashley Almanza; Lynn Mawdsley, who runs Interserve's support services arm; Phil Bentley from Mitie; Amey chief Amanda Fisher; Rupert Soames of Serco and Archie Bethel, departing chief executive of Babcock International.
The bosses of business groups including the CBI have also been asked to attend.
DeleteAccording to the agenda for Tuesday's meeting, subjects that will be discussed include how government is "tackling inappropriate risk allocation".
The financial health of major outsourcers has been an area of intense focus as they grapple with wafer-thin profit margins.
Carillion's collapse in 2018 sparked furious criticism of the government's lack of preparation for an insolvency.
Last year, Interserve went through a pre-pack administration but ended up in the hands of its lenders with little disruption to its public sector contracts.
There have also been mounting concerns over the future of Kier Group, although Whitehall sources denied a Sunday Telegraph report that Deloitte had been appointed to advise it on the company's financial position.
Tuesday's meeting comes shortly before Mr Manzoni is due to step down as chief executive of the Civil Service.
Sky News revealed last month that he was preparing to quit, with his role expected to be modified into a chief operating officer role.
Whitehall insiders tipped permanent secretaries including Alex Chisholm, who holds that post at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, as possible successors.
Others include his counterparts at the departments of health and Claire Moriarty, who holds the post at DEXEU, they added.
A Cabinet Office spokesman described the meeting with the outsourcing industry as "a regular catch-up".
https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/funders-power-over-charities-has-harmed-the-cause-for-diversity.html
ReplyDelete