Understand the elements of commissioning cycles in adult social care. While commissioning cycle models may vary, we’ve included information about what you’d typically expect to find.
The commissioning cycle is a way of modelling the different activities involved in commissioning. There are several models of the commissioning cycle including:
New Economics Foundation (NEF) model
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Develop insight
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Effectively plan
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Improve delivery
Learn more about the
NHS model
Learn more about the .
Institute of Public Care (IPC) - Oxford Brookes University
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Public Service Transformation Academy
The offer a different way of looking at the commissioning cycle. They offer the commissioning compass which comprises of the following eight aspects:
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Whole system design
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Relationships and organisation across the system
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Capacity, capability, and confidence
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Citizen, place, and outcome centred
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Information, insight, and innovation
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Making room to make a difference
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Commissioning process
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Models and tactics
With all models, consultation and coproduction should happen at every stage of the commissioning cycle. This means spending time with people and listening and gaining feedback in creative ways, and wherever possible, being part of the whole process.
Elements of commissioning cycles
Each organisation or system will have their preferred commissioning cycle model. You might also have a preferred model you would like to utilise. Whichever model you use will likely contain the following elements. This list is alphabetical and is not a definitive list of elements of commissioning cycles. It’s designed to be a helpful starting point for those new to adult social care commissioning.
Benchmarking and measuring outcomes
To measure success, you need to define the outcomes that are to be achieved. Benchmarking helps you to set and measure outcomes in alignment with other similar organisations. Your organisation might use the term Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) rather than outcomes.
When benchmarking and measuring outcomes for communities, consider:
When benchmarking with other local authorities or integrated organisations, consider:
As well as this, you should be ambitious with outcomes.
Turning up is not an outcome, gaining something that makes you healthier, safer, or more independent is.
Person with lived experience who helped to develop this framework
大象传媒’s Workforce transformation outcomes measurement framework resource might be helpful.
Business cases
Your role might include writing business cases. This means creating a document which summarises the justification for undertaking a project or programme. Usually it would evaluate the benefits, costs, and risks of the project or programme, and provide a rationale for the recommended actions. With any document, you’re not on your own, and reaching out to your formal or informal peer networks can be a great way of getting advice, templates, and support.
Contracting and contract management
Contracting arrangements may include: personal budgets, individual service funds, block contracts, spot contracts, dynamic purchasing systems, prime contracts, alliance contracts, arrangements for self-funding, arrangements for personal health budgets, frameworks, joint integrated contracting, and options appraisals.
Key elements of contract management include:
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Legal and regulatory compliance – adhering to the Care Act 2014 and procurement legislation including the Procurement Act 2023 and the Provider Selection Regime to ensure transparency, fairness, and value for money.
Successful and proportional contracting and contract management plays a large part in positive adult social care provider relationships and financial planning.
Data analysis
Collecting and analysing data will support you to make evidence-based decisions. Some key data sets you might want to look at include:
Also consider:
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A PESTLE analysis (political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental)
Consider identifying someone who can lead on intelligence gathering and analysis to support you. They might already provide information or guidance to citizens, families or the public, collect figures/statistics and analyse data, provide reports based on analysis of data or information or someone that can offer finance and workforce support.
Decommissioning
Decommissioning is a planned process of removing, reducing or replacing care and support services. Decommissioning services which aren’t meeting people’s needs is as important as commissioning services which will meet people’s needs from a market shaping, workforce shaping, and financial perspective.
Coproduction, engagement and consultation are key to successful and appropriate decommissioning.
Data protection, digital, technology, and AI
In today's world, data protection, digitisation, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) are important topics to be aware of.
Commissioning isn't just about commissioning care providers. It's also about the commissioning of digital systems for the social care workforce. This might include things like technology-enabled-care (TEC) equipment, alarm response centres, case management systems or electronic care monitoring systems.
Commissioning might also be involved in digital initiatives such as shared care records and system interoperability, the use of data for service performance management, market oversight, quality assurance, risk management, service design, and procurement.
For any new project or initiative, a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) should be completed.
There is a national policy driver to digitise social care which requires commissioning to be aware of the opportunities and challenges with this.
Useful links to start exploring these areas in more detail include:
Evaluation and review
Within every commissioning cycle, there will be space for evaluation and review. You might want to refer to the Supporting you section, or other evaluation and reflection tools to support you such as Gibb’s Reflective Cycle or Patel's What, So What, What Next model.
Procurement
Be aware of the Procurement Act 2023 and the and how the Act can support person-centred, innovative commissioning. Understand how to engage with the sector under procurement guidance.
When undertaking procurement activities, work with procurement colleagues to plan enough time to communicate with the market, engage and codesign solutions to deliver positive outcomes. You'll also need to connect with democratic processes and involve the voices of people who draw on care and support and communities.
Risk analysis
Risk analysis is a key element of commissioning cycles. It may refer to internal and external risk assessments and RAID logs (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies), digital risks and cyber resilience, business continuity planning, or other risk analyses and mitigation.
Consider which colleagues and partners you need to work with to ensure risks are identified and mitigated proportionately.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. The Care Act 2014 sets out a clear legal framework for how local authorities and other parts of the system should protect adults at risk of abuse or neglect. Familiarise yourself with your organisation's safeguarding responsibilities, plans, and processes, including the role of the Safeguarding Adults Board. Ensure you complete mandatory organisational safeguarding training.
Service specifications
Your role might include writing service specs. Service specs give an outline and details of a service being commissioned from a provider.
Providers and commissioners who developed this induction with us shared that service specs should be aspirational and not overly prescriptive to give providers scope and responsibility to deliver on outcomes.
When writing service specs, you’re not on your own. You can reach out to your wider networks for support, advice, and pointers on what to include or exclude. You can also check service specs with the provider market.
Social value
Social value is the value demonstrated by an organisation beyond any financial benefits. It may refer to benefits to the community and the environment. Social value may be generated from within an organisation or from the wider supply chain or system to benefit communities or the environment. Social value is not just a tick box in a tender, but a lever for gaining exponential value.
Top tip
In the commissioning workforce, you’re part of a community of professionals who are keen to share best practice, and who are generous with their knowledge. The commissioners who helped co-create this induction want this framework to give you permission to reach out to others, ask questions and share.
Join our national peer network for commissioners.
I have shaped the commissioning cycle by embedding lived experience, reflection, and relationship-building throughout, rather than only at the end. Using feedback loops, coproduction checklists, and reflective learning tools, we have created a more inclusive and learning-focused approach.
Isaac Samuels OBE, Think Local, Act Personal (TLAP)