A study of the way in which third sector organisations in Birmingham are responding to the challenges and opportunities presented by commissioning was published in October by Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC).  It finds that BVSC has vital roles to play both in making the most of commissioning… and enabling groups that want nothing to do with it.

Based on research carried out in 2008 by Terry Potter and others at the Centre for Community Research, the  report Commissioning and the Third Sector, reviews progress made so far and future prospects.  It presents a survey of attitudes and opinions to commissioning based on a set of interviews with statutory agencies and some voluntary organisation chiefs in the city.

It presents a ‘strategic view’ from the third sector based on discussions with BVSC management.  And identifies what BVSC has been doing to support commissioning so far which includes: training; awareness raising; policy making and strategic thinking; organisational development; better liaison and lobbying.

The report usefully sets out the role for BVSC in future in relation to commissioning.  Basically the message is that BVSC should be doing more of what it is already doing, only doing it more strategically.  ‘Given that commissioning exists BVSC seems to have a vital role in helping mediate how it happens and how it can happen well… ‘ However BVSC also has a role ‘beyond commissioning’: ‘It is vital that it plays a central part in supporting those elements within the Third Sector who want or need have nothing to do with commissioning.  It is vitally important that they get that balance right and demonstrate that they are an infrastructure support organisation for the sector’.

Finally, the report suggests BVSC can play a ‘unique role in enabling intelligence, policy and debate to happen in ways that will shape the sector in the long term’.   The Voluntary Sector Chief Executives’ Forum and the Third Sector Assembly are ‘environments where new policy initiatives can be formed’.