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The combination of two new powerful concepts, Total Place and strategic commissioning, could drive real devolution to local level, says Nick Sharman Two powerful ideas are now driving change in local government – Total Place and strategic commissioning. And, implemented effectively, they could be the basis for a real devolution of powers to localities. "Total Place will demand clear and strong local leadership, based on a buy-in from a range of institutions. Strategic commissioning will mean agreeing outcomes jointly, integrating plans and budgets, and being clear about how each service can contribute to the outcomes." Total Place aims to join up the governance of all local public services based on individual and community needs. Strategic commissioning means translating those expectations into delivery. Together, they could alter the landscape of local government, enabling it to assume community leadership in a more devolved nation. Moreover, they could help meet the apparently-contradictory pressures of society's rising expectations of investment in public services, and the prospect of sharply-reduced levels of public sector spending. However, it is clear that Total Place and commissioning will mean radical change in the way central and local government work, and in their service and investment delivery models. In turn, that means big change in the way local service-providers operate, and in the contribution that individuals and communities themselves will need to make to services. On the positive side, the party conference season showed there is an impressive political consensus on the opportunities presented by Total Place and a commissioning role for local government, based on community leadership. It's also clear that there is genuine enthusiasm at local level. Total Place, for example, has been embraced both in the pilot areas and beyond. Total Place will demand clear and strong local leadership, based on a buy-in from a range of institutions. Strategic commissioning will mean agreeing outcomes jointly, integrating plans and budgets, and being clear about how each service can contribute to the outcomes. At local level, it will also mean big changes, two in particular – joined-up delivery of frontline services, and active involvement of communities and customers. Already, there are moves in this direction. Increasingly, councils are bundling together a number of community-based services to save costs and create a more ‘seamless' local service to users. Making a step change in joining up services will mean wider changes. Improving the health of a community, for example, means bringing together social, health and leisure services, and working with individuals to help change behaviours. Local economic development demands training agencies, Jobcentre Plus and local government support. Local transport and environmental services can only fully meet community needs if districts, counties, regional and highways agencies work together. Getting the necessary alignment of the cultures, budgets and management structures of the different local agencies to commission for local community outcomes is a big task, especially if and when budgets are radically reduced. And there is another big challenge – delivery of these more complex, outcome-based commissions. Experience already shows that partnership working between commissioners and providers is an essential basis for success. That, in turn, means the traditional, contractual culture which dominates public procurement has to change. Success will depend on developing flexible and true partnership based relationships between commissioners and providers. That will mean councils identifying a partner which will help them deliver their desired outcomes, rather than a contractor provider focused on a particular service. This new approach presents a real challenge for providers, whether they are in the public, private or third sector. Ahead of any procurement they have to be able and ready to work openly with commissioners to define how the services might be delivered. They will also need to engage with local communities to fully understand the expectations, requirements and desires of local people and then work with them to deliver the promised outcomes. Providers' frontline staff will need to ensure the public are positively engaged with the service they are receiving. In focusing service on the needs of individuals and communities, providers have to be able to flex their service to meet different needs of communities, and to change as circumstances change. One-size-fits-all is no longer an option. Key to successful partnerships is transparency. All parties need to understand the other's key drivers. Especially for private sector providers, reconciling this need for openness in a competitive culture is a real challenge. Delivery models which join up services and are flexible and responsive to communities can provide huge benefits in both service and reduced cost. Achieving this will be crucial to maintaining local public services and investment in a period of resource retrenchment. But it can only be achieved with major changes in culture and organisation of both the local public sector and its providers. Nick Sharman is managing director, local government, at Amey

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WHITEHALL

The opportunity of a lifetime

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