Getting Round the Table

A guide to realising new opportunities and finding local solutions to

national problems by brokering relationships with commissioners in
order to ensure the delivery of public services by the third sector

Supported by
ACEVO
1 New Oxford Street
London
WC1A 1NU

T: 020 7280 4960

F: 020 7280 4989
E: info@acevo.org.uk
W: www.acevo.org.uk
Registered Charity Number 1114591

Published by ACEVO
First published 2010
Copyright © 2010 ACEVO
All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, or transmitted, or translated into
a machine language without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

2 The ACEVO Commissioning Support Service

 Contents
04 Foreword

05 Introduction

05 Who is this guide aimed at?

05 How to use this guide

06 What is a commissioning roundtable?

07 Understanding the commissioning environment

07 1. The policy framework
07 2. What does the commissioner want?
08 3. What does the third sector have to offer?
09 4. Issues of concern for the sector
09 5. Pulling these drivers together

09 Setting your objectives for the meeting

10 Preparation
10 1. Who are the key people you need at the meeting?
11 2. How to break the ice
11 3. What meeting format is most likely to enable you to reach the conclusions
you need?
12 4. Planning your agenda
12 5. What is the best location for the meeting?
12 6. When is the best time to run the meeting?
12 The day itself

13 Following up the meeting and keeping the momentum

13 1. Follow-up report
13 2. Further meetings

14 Monitoring and evaluation

14 Replication

14 Conclusion

15 Further resources

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 Foreword
As the way the third sector receives its funding changes, it is vital that we
are able to build relationships with the public sector bodies we hope to be
commissioned by. These relationships must foster mutual understanding
and trust.
Meeting with commissioners will enable the sector to tell its success stories
and influence the strategic planning processes which lead to services being
commissioned and procured. We have a great deal to offer the public sector
on a huge range of issues from healthy living to reducing re-offending rates
by working with people released from prisons. Many of these solutions, as
well as having a real impact on those they benefit, can have a positive impact
on the public purse at a time when it is severely stretched.
Understanding the pressures commissioners face, particularly the financial
ones, and the targets they have to meet, will enable us to sell our services
to them much more effectively. We can hear their language and learn about
their targets and aims so that we can hook our goals onto this framework.
Of course, at times, this will require compromise, while at other times
compromise might not be possible. The point is that the third sector needs
to get round the table to find out what is possible. This publication offers
simple guidance on how you might go about this in the most effective way
possible. Good luck. If you do not try, you will never succeed.

Stephen Bubb
CEO, ACEVO

4 The ACEVO Commissioning Support Service

Introduction
If the third sector is to realise its most effective contribution to public service delivery, then it is essential that
front-line organisations develop relationships with their potential commissioners. These relationships must foster
trust and understanding. This necessitates the need for that relationship to develop and deepen over time.
In their research on the commissioning of third sector organisations the IDEA1 found that 87% of commissioners
agreed that third sector organisations understood users, particularly those from ‘hard to reach’ communities.
Despite this only 21% of commissioners said that they always consulted the third sector at the early stages of the
commissioning process, although a further 28% said they did so ‘often’ and 38% ‘sometimes’. Of those that were
consulted, 59% of large third sector organisations said they had been involved in specific service consultations
compared to only 26% of small third sector organisations.
There is clearly much work to be done to capitalise on the recognition of good practice and turn it into regular
consultation, particularly where smaller groups are concerned. This is a key role infrastructure organisations can
play; bringing together the front-line charities, community groups and social enterprises that make up the third
sector with potential commissioners. As connections are made, infrastructure bodies can help sow the seeds for
new opportunities and innovation in the public services that the groups they represent and work with can deliver.
As part of the Capacity Builders’ National Support Service for Income Generation, ACEVO is working with a
range of technical and regional support infrastructure bodies to develop a series of commissioner roundtable
meetings. These meetings have sought to consider a challenge or an opportunity of national significance at a local
level. By working in this way ACEVO hopes to show infrastructure bodies around the country what can be
achieved if they simply create the space to get people round the table.

Who is this guide aimed at?

This guide and the project it is part of are aimed at inspiring support providers to take action and to create
opportunities for the front-line third sector organisations they work with. This guide is for development workers
working in local, regional and national networks and infrastructure bodies who are working to provide development
support in some capacity to an aspect of the third sector. This could be a geographical area or a specific strand
of the sector, such as healthcare, the environment or social enterprise.

How to use this guide

This guide sets out in general terms, the principles behind and practical steps involved in organising a strategic
meeting that will function like an away day. This could be the launch of an on-going process or an opportunity to
take stock and re-evaluate what is happening.
In order to inspire you further, we are publishing information packs2 about some of the meetings we have
organised in this programme. The packs outline the specifics of each meeting, including the aims and objectives
of the meeting, materials used to promote the meeting, feedback from delegates, how the meeting was followed
up and whether it has already been replicated in other parts of the country.
The project has been designed to establish a set of case studies showing how the infrastructure support provider
can facilitate the development of working relationships between commissioners and front-line groups. Each
meeting arranged by the project has been selected because it is contributes to the understanding of a national
problems or attempts to find a new opportunity for service delivery among a set of partners that could be
replicated anywhere.
The meetings chosen are in no way comprehensive, and that is not the point of the project. The point of the
project is to inspire and challenge. To show that if you ask, you might just get. Be imaginative, and draw parallels
between what you see here and different situations in your own field or area.

1 Evaluation of the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning: http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/8195411

2 http://www.acevo.org.uk/commissionerroundtables

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What is a commissioning roundtable?
Being paid to deliver public services is crucial to the long term survival of the third sector. It is therefore necessary
to engage with the commissioning processes that design our public services in order to win contracts through
winning procurement opportunities.
The role of the support provider is to recognise that many of the third sector organisations they represent and
work with cannot access commissioners in their own right. This means the support provider has a key role to
play in fostering that communication and acting as a collective voice for the sector.
A successful commissioning roundtable should either create a new opportunity for third sector service delivery
or create the conditions which will allow the third sector to deliver on an opportunity that had not previously been
open to them.

6 The ACEVO Commissioning Support Service

Understanding the commissioning environment
Before we look at the mechanics of organising the meeting itself, in a practical sense, we need to consider the
commissioning environment you are working in.

1. The policy framework

Every aspect of public service delivery is governed by a combination of EU, national, regional and local
policy. Exactly what this combination is will depend on the type of service you are talking about and what
it might hope to deliver. You need to follow developments relevant to the sector you are representing
in order to understand what opportunities or difficulties this might raise.
These developments might include attempts to modernise commissioning processes such as world class
commissioning in healthcare. They might be major shifts in policy such as the move towards
personalisation of public services. It might also be a more unique change such as a change to a specific
piece of legislation governing how an aspect of a service is delivered or the targets for it are set.
Tap in to the news channels for the third sector, joining national and international networks where
appropriate. This will help you understand what is just round the corner, and why it is going to happen.
You can then talk to the relevant commissioners from a position of knowledge and understanding. You
may have a way of solving a problem; they haven’t discovered an answer for themselves yet.
Don’t forget the importance of following national news as well. This enables us to measure the current
economic and political climate and have a wider understanding of the pressures facing the makers of
policy and legislation and the holders of our budgets.

2. What does the commissioner want?

These developments will be turned into reality by the commissioner. We need to consider what we can
broadly assume a commissioner wants. This is a useful exercise because it is about getting a feeling for
what the person or group on the other side of the table wants.
Being a commissioner of public services is not an easy job. There is a massive range of services covered
by public service from day care for adults with learning difficulties to household waste collection. There
will be a huge range of contradictory pressures involving budgetary limitations, public opinion, political will
and statutory laws and rules. Alongside this, the more different types of service a commissioner is involved
in procuring suppliers for, the harder it will be to have a full understanding of how that service operates.
Despite these pressures a commissioner is likely to care about high quality outcomes for service
beneficiaries, and has chosen to serve public benefit through their career.
While it is clearly very simplistic to say that all commissioners are the same, there are certain broad
assumptions that can be made:
1. A commissioner wants to commission a service which he or she can trust; they want a solution they
know will get the job done.
2. They will have a financial basis for making a choice, be that lowest cost or best value.
3. They will be under considerable pressure to reduce costs and make the most of restricted budgets,
particularly in the current economic climate.
4. They have a duty of care to consider and key performance indicators to deliver.
5. They have to consider and meet the requirements of national policy and the democratic processes
of elected officials, which can quickly change following a national or local election.
6. There are likely to be a huge range of public, media and lobbying pressures affecting commissioning
decisions.

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 7. Governmental policy, budget restrictions and personal ambition can often foster a desire to innovate.
Beyond this commissioners will vary in their thoughts about what constitutes best value, and many
will be inclined to want to issue fewer larger contracts, thus simplifying contracting procedures for the
commissioning body.
That a commissioner has financial and budgetary restrictions to consider does not mean they don’t
care about high quality outcomes. For example; a healthcare commissioner for a PCT will have to
make difficult choices between commissioning treatment for acute problems and preventative
measures such as healthy eating initiatives. While the latter will undoubtedly reduce long term
pressures on health budgets, it is easy to see why a decision will go in favour of treating those in most
need at the time.
3. What does the third sector have to offer?
The third sector is extremely diverse. We have different motivations. Some organisations are motivated
by social problems, some by a desire to protect the environment, while others are motivated by faith.
What unites most of these people is a passion for what they do; a desire to solve a problem, whatever
the reason behind its cause. In doing so, most will strive to provide public benefit and to pursue innovative
solutions that create jobs and opportunities despite difficult times. Within this, different organisations will
choose a multitude of different approaches.
What you want to cover in your discussions with local commissioners will be shaped by the make-up,
capabilities and priorities of local groups. Below are some common themes you may want to get across.
An enterprising sector
The third sector has a well deserved reputation for innovation. It is used to seeking solutions to knotty
problems, often problems that others have ignored or given up on. The sector is also skilled in making the
most of limited resources. It is uniquely well placed to provide public benefit and to pursue innovative
solutions that create jobs and opportunities despite difficult times.
The sector has a lot to be proud of. It is already delivering a huge range of public services. Over 40% of
services delivered for the Department of Work and Pensions are delivered by the third sector. We have
an impressive and seemingly unparalleled ability to look at the root causes of problems rather than the
visible symptoms, and that means we can offer a vision which has the potential to save the public purse a
huge amount.
The sector is also capable of pioneering achievement. A good example is the kerbside recycling services
most of this country now receives. The highest achieving services delivering the best quality recyclable
commodities for re-processing were developed in this country by the third sector through the work of
organisations like Avon Friends of the Earth and ECT Recycling. These services are now mainstreamed,
and embedded in the way waste management is delivered by the public and private sectors.
Common cause
It’s worth stressing that many of the causes that motivate the third sector are also concerns that preoccupy
the public sector:
• Delivering to beneficiaries – especially those who are most disadvantaged
• Providing public benefit
• Pursuing innovative solutions
• Generating jobs in face of rising unemployment
• Adopting cost effective, sustainable approaches

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 Effective partners
This combination of common cause and enterprise means the third sector has the potential to be an
extremely effective partner. We are collaborative in approach, able to be flexible and can provide
extremely cost effective solutions. We are also grounded in the local community, which means that we
can bridge awkward gaps between the public and the commissioner. This might overcome cultural
exclusion, promote social cohesion or help embed messages that change behaviour for the better.
Challenging stereotypes
Unfortunately too few commissioners are aware of the strengths the sector has to offer. Some hold
negative stereotypes. The cliche is that the third sector is well meaning but inefficient and poorly managed.
It’s important to counter this perception. Charities, social enterprises and community groups are already
successfully delivering public services to budget and target for government departments, using quality
management and impact assessment systems to tell the story of what they are achieving.

4. Issues of concern for the sector

Of course it may also be appropriate to consider issues that are causing difficulty for local third sector
organisations. Approach these issues carefully and in a reasonable manner. Talk to your local groups to
find out what the specific issues are, and attempt to develop constructive solutions that mean you can
move on from them.
They might include:
• Unrealistic deadlines
• Lack of full cost recovery
• Processes that are inaccessible to small groups
• Fair allocation of risk
• Obligations that are disproportionate to the size of the contract
• Inappropriate use of standard clauses

5. Pulling these drivers together

We now have a basic understanding of where public service delivery is headed and the motivations of
commissioners and front-line third sector organisations. You now need to talk to the groups you work
with, making them aware of where developments are headed and what is about to happen. You need to
ascertain specifically what they want to achieve and what innovative ideas they might have. The more
regularly you ask groups these kinds of questions, the better your picture will be of their desires and
objectives and their capacity to make them happen. This will give you a clearer picture on where to focus
your efforts and how to make a difference. You will be able to think about where a roundtable meeting
might move things forward.

Setting your objectives for the meeting

It is vital that you are clear about what you want to achieve with your meeting and for who you want it to benefit.
Your purpose is likely to fit one of the following options:
1. Policies regarding the service the organisations you work with are changing and you are working to help your
groups understand and respond.
2. You or the groups you work with can see a new opportunity or innovative approach for business development
which requires the support of commissioners.
3. The groups you work with are facing barriers which prevent them accessing opportunities to deliver public
services and a meeting could help overcome them.

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4. You are aware a new tendering opportunity will arise in the next year and you wish to discuss how the service
will be commissioned and what the commissioner hopes to secure from the successful provider.
5. You want to influence public service planning, practice and performance to ensure that the groups you work
with can continue to deliver despite external pressures.
From your broad purpose you will be able to define a set of objectives you hope to achieve. The more clear and
concise these are the better, but allow for some flexibility to react to the needs of those you meet. In order to
do this it is essential that you get together a core team you want to be involved in the meeting. Talk through with
them what you want to achieve with the session and why.
It is essential you have some clear goals of what you want to achieve from the meeting. This could be something
general like getting to know the relevant commissioners and showing them the work you do and what you are
capable of, or something very specific such as securing agreement to launch or fund a specific third sector delivered
service or trial project.
While these goals will form a firm foundation for everything that happens afterwards, it is essential that you realise
you are meeting someone with different ideas and objectives and that you may need to be flexible, adaptable and
able to consider alternative ways of thinking and opportunities. You need to project a highly positive ‘can do’
attitude. You may find the most valuable outcome of the meeting is something you had not anticipated at all.
Finally make sure your goals are shared by those you are representing. This includes your own governance and
the third sector organisations you are trying to broker an opportunity for. It would be extremely counter-
productive if you get a commissioner to agree to try something, without the groups you work with or your
trustees being interested in following up your negotiations.

Preparation
Once you have set your objectives you will be able to plan your meeting in order to achieve them. To do this
answer the following key questions:

1. Who are the key people you need at the meeting?

In order to achieve your goals are there certain key people you need at the meeting? There will be key
commissioning organisations you want round the table and there will be specific people from them that
you want to attract, probably characterised by their seniority, their ability to control budgets and to affect
change within their organisation’s strategic direction.
In order to get whatever combination of commissioners, civil servants and prime contractors you need,
do not be afraid to make your meeting seem exclusive. Flattery can really help, and while it might not
seem a third sector thing to do, it could help you attract the people you need. Using a terminology like
‘away day’ and ‘commission’ can help add weight to this. Using these options will help if your meeting aims
are more discursive and less focused on a particular bit of business.
Be aware that you may not get the specific person you want from an organisation, and that not all
commissioning bodies will agree to attend. The crucial thing is that you make the best effort you can to
build a working relationship with those that do. You may well find that, having successfully delivered the
first meeting, word will spread and more senior staff and more commissioners will want to be involved
in follow-up activities.
In terms of third sector organisations it is essential that you invite the right people. This requires a careful
balance of organisations that can illustrate successful and professional service delivery and that can
articulate well thought through but ambitious plans for success. Aim to include organisations and people
who exemplify the qualities you want to convey. Look for those who are good at being constructive -
finding solutions and where possible identifying common ground, but who are also good at holding their
own where necessary. Check that they can follow through on any agreed actions. It is probably better

10 The ACEVO Commissioning Support Service

 not to include individuals who are likely to want moan about local commissioners. This is unlikely to
help negotiations, while those people can still benefit from the outcomes of a successful meeting.
Make sure you take the time to talk properly about the aims and objectives of the meeting with the
groups you invite, so you all share the same focus. Convenience and work pressures may dictate this is
done by phone and email, but if you can get everyone together before hand for a pre-meeting, then so
much the better.

2. How to break the ice

When people arrive at your meeting you want them to open up and not be stiff with each other. It is
crucial that you break the ice. In doing this you should remember that some party game style icebreakers,
that may be wholly appropriate for a staff away day, could actually have a negative impact in this context.
Think of an interesting initial activity that gets people talking and opening up. This could easily provide an
opportunity to show off the third sector. For example a simple tour of a good project could really draw
people in. Another option might be that if your commissioner delegates are all coming from the same
place, you could lay on a mini-bus, from your local community transport organisation, to bring them to the
meeting together. If neither of these is an option, don’t underestimate the power of an exciting cake or an
over-flowing plate of tasty pastries.
3. What meeting format is most likely to enable you to reach the conclusions
you need?
There are a number of different ways you could choose to run your meeting. You may want a facilitator
to lead people through discussions to reach a set of conclusions everyone can agree to and support. You
may want some third sector organisations to give presentations showcasing the work being carried out
in this field, before discussing how to capitalise on this work. You may want to get people round a table
and discuss a specific opportunity that is of mutual benefit, and get straight to the point.
One meeting organised in this programme attracted a wide range of commissioners, housing associations
and third sector organisations. At different points during the day, the two parties were taken to different
rooms so they could have conversations which focused in on specific barriers or opportunities affecting
them with their peers. This was followed by plenary sessions where they shared the outcomes of the
discussions.
Another chose to put delegates into pairs which consisted of a third sector representative and a civil
servant or commissioner. This was done well in advance of the meeting as the pairs were instructed to
make contact before the event, so they could get to know each other. They then worked together during
the day and were encouraged to continue their contact and collaboration afterwards. This methodology
was chosen to create lasting working relationships.
All of these are entirely appropriate for different situations. You should consider the best way to lead
those present to the conclusion you want, without letting them feel you have dictated the outcomes. It
will be much more beneficial in the long term if everyone can feel ownership of the outcomes.
If you are going to use an external facilitator to run your meeting, make sure you spend time preparing
the day with them. It is essential they understand what you are trying to achieve, and are equipped with
whatever knowledge you can pass on to them about those in attendance. The better the briefing you give
to them, the more they can do to secure your goals.
Decide also whether you want to be able to send round a detailed report of the meeting afterwards, as
you need to plan in advance how the notes will be taken that contribute to this report. A facilitator may
be able to do this for you, or you could bring an additional staff member along to take notes and photos
of the day.

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 4. Planning your agenda
This is intrinsically linked to the format of the meeting, and will guide your content. It is probably a good
thing to plan a formal agenda for the meeting, but to allow for some digression dependent on enthusiasm
in the room. The last thing you want to do is cut a fruitful discussion short because you have to stick to
a timed agenda.
A planned agenda should take the groups from A to B and guide their discussions. Consider how to get
people to introduce themselves and their aims. Consider how to present the issues or opportunities you
want to discuss, and how to extract valuable thinking from delegates. Think about what examples of third
sector practice can be best articulated to illustrate your points.

5. What is the best location for the meeting?

Of course there will be logistical concerns to consider, such as size of room, transport infrastructure, and
quality of catering, but there may also be outcomes that can be secured by choosing the right venue. For
example, does a successful third sector organisation have a venue which ensures those that attend the
meeting can see successful third sector public service delivery from a firsthand perspective?
For some meetings it may help if no one feels like they are on home territory. This may reduce any
tensions resulting from a feeling of competition and it may also help your delegates relax if they are away
from the day-to-day background chatter of their working environment.

6. When is the best time to run the meeting?

You are not operating in a vacuum. At the local, regional, national and international level there are
developments, changes and strategic moments that may lend weight to what you are trying to do. Any
of these may provide a hook to getting people round the table. You may be offering a local politician or
civil servant a way of showing they are responding to a national concern or a change in the balance of
power. This could give you a way to exploit a political development or lack of understanding of a policy
change to your advantage.
Equally you should be aware that some events could cause problems for you, school holidays being an
obvious example.
That said, not having an obvious date to aim for should not be a barrier. It is far better that you keep trying
to make contact and develop relationships, than that you don’t.

The day itself

On the logistical front, make sure you arrive early to set things up, make it easy for delegates to find the venue,
and are punctual. You don’t want to alienate people before the meeting has started.
The crucial success factor will be how much the commissioners that do attend want to talk and open up. The
more they talk, the more you can listen to what they have to say and build an understanding of what they want.
This will enable you to align your goals to theirs and show them how working together is to everyone’s advantage.
It’s a good idea to have some optional activities or topics prepared in advance that you can call on if they seem
appropriate. This could be having a couple of groups ready to make presentations about their work, it could be
having researched a key funding opportunity that you know you could help the commissioner access or it might
be some kind of ice breaker activity.
Thinking about the way the meeting might go, and preparing accordingly, means you can allow the meeting to
digress from your planned agenda if that is where the delegates want to take it. You can be confident and flexible
at the same time and allow the meeting to take a different route to the goals you want to achieve.

12 The ACEVO Commissioning Support Service

Doing this requires a strong chair to hold things together. This could be someone from your team, or an external
facilitator you have brought in to lead the meeting. With either option preparation is crucial and a well prepared
chair or facilitator should be able to decide when it is better to let discussion flow and when it is better to stick
to agendas.
One approach used by a lot of trainers is to get people to write down and commit to a specific action on the
topic you have discussed. The point of this is to translate something that could have been quite theoretical into
practical personal action. Experience also suggests that if we make a pledge to act – particularly in front of others
– we are more likely to act
No matter how meticulous your planning and no matter what you do to lay the groundwork for your event,
something may go wrong at the last minute. Perhaps some delegates will cancel at the last minute, possibly because
of wider political events or simply because of illness. Don’t let this knock you off track. Focus on making the most
of the opportunity and making the best impression you can on those that do attend.

Following up the meeting and keeping the momentum

Miracles may happen, but you are unlikely to have solved every problem or overcome every barrier to successful
public service delivery in one meeting. In fact the point of the meeting is to create opportunities for you to
deliver further work! This means following up the meeting is essential. How you do that depends on what you
want to achieve.

1. Follow-up report
It is probably worth circulating some kind of follow-up to the meeting. This could include:
• Summaries or transcriptions of what was discussed
• Key action points decided during the meeting
• Personal action points committed to at the end
• Contact details of everyone present
• Sources of further information pertinent to or specifically mentioned in discussions held at the meeting
• A photographic record of flip chart pages and brainstorming exercises carried out at the meeting
Think carefully about the structure of this report. Key actions and commitments want to be clear from
the first page. Photographic reports of lots of pages of flip chart notes and transcriptions are more likely
to be annexes, but one or two photos in the main text will act as a nice visual prompt. Remember how
hard it is for you to read everything you want to read and make this part easy for people.

2. Further meetings
There are two ways to consider follow-up meetings and either or a combination of both could be
appropriate in order to achieve the long term goals you want to realise.
In order to deliver a specific time-defined piece of work such as a funding bid or produce a strategy
document, the most appropriate option is probably to establish a smaller working sub-group who are
willing and able to get on with the task at hand. Sub-groups could also be used to split the discussions
down into specific topics, so that those with particular interests are able to discuss the issues more fully
before reporting back to the group as a whole.
You may also want to commit to having a second meeting of the group, or perhaps to turn it into a regular
event, perhaps at bi-monthly or quarterly intervals. Think about the momentum you are trying to create,
and how sustainable it is. You don’t want people to feel they are meeting for the sake of it, and work needs
to happen in-between the meetings for them to feel valuable.

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Monitoring and evaluation
Proper monitoring and evaluation is critical to enable understanding what was successful about the event you have
organised. This does not mean an anodyne form asking questions about whether people enjoyed their free lunch.
You want a form containing thought-provoking questions that enable you to capture whether people feel they
have an increased understanding of the subject covered by the meeting point and whether the situation you are
discussing has progressed as a result of this intervention. You also want feedback on the way you have structured
the meeting so you can do an even better job next time.
The Charities Evaluation Service has produced excellent guidance on first steps in evaluation, which is available
to download at www.ces-vol.org.uk

Replication
The key purpose of this guide and the associated packs is to show that if you dare to try there is every chance
you might succeed. You have nothing to lose apart from a bit of time and some sandwiches in return for what
could be huge results, so why not? The worst case scenario is that you gain some experience of what not to do,
so you make a better approach next time. The point is you tried. You have will have laid down a marker and
showed to the commissioners that you and the groups you work with want to deliver public services.
When considering replicating a meeting or developing a new topic consider whether there are any other networks
and infrastructure organisations that would be interested in the aims of what you are doing, and would therefore
support you in trying to achieve them. Several of our roundtable events have been organised in partnership with
national and regional infrastructure networks that have technical specialisms in specific fields. Any of these types
of body would be only too glad to work in partnership with a local VCS infrastructure body that wants to organise
a similar meeting for their area. If you are a national or technically focused infrastructure body, and you want to
expand the work of the groups you work with in a specific geographical area, there is likely to be a local VCS
infrastructure body, a local co-op development group or a social enterprise support body that will be interested
in partnering with you, to create an opportunity.

Conclusion
Good luck and good hunting!
Please tell us your success stories by contacting commissioning.support@acevo.org.uk

14 The ACEVO Commissioning Support Service

Websites
Negotiation Skills
• Win Win, A Guide to Negotiation Strategy and Tactics for Third Sector Leaders:
https://www.acevo.org.uk/publications
ACEVO Training Programmes
• https://www.acevo.org.uk/events
Procurement Law
• Office of Government Commerce:
http://www.ogc.gov.uk/procurement.asp
• Pathways Through the Maze
http://www.navca.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/FFE1ABE0-5C54-4F26-A4B4-8F30AA4801F6/0/pathways.pdf
Relationships Between Commissioners and the Third Sector
• Evaluation of the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning:
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/8195411
Researching Your Commissioner’s Priorities
• One-Place – an independent overview of local public services:
http://oneplace.direct.gov.uk/
• World Class Commissioning (Department of Health)
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/managingyourorganisation/commissioning/worldclasscommissioning/index.htm
• The Audit Commission
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk
• The ACEVO Personalisation Commission
http://www.acevo.org.uk/Page.aspx?pid=1410

ACEVO Commissioning Support Helpline

Contact us for advice and support on procurement and commissioning issues:
E: commissioning.support@acevo.org.uk
T: 020 7280 4937
W: www.acevo.org.uk/commissioning

The ACEVO Commissioning Support Service 15

ACEVO is the professional body for third sector chief executives.
We connect, develop, support and represent our members, to increase the
sector’s impact and efficiency.

We promote a modern, enterprising third sector, and call upon

organisations to be:

• Professional and passionate in achieving change and delivering results

• Well-led, with a commitment to professional development, training and
diversity
• Well-governed and accountable, with robust and fit-for purpose
systems to protect independence and enable effective decision-making
• Enterprising and innovative, taking a businesslike approach to
funding issues and striving for continuous improvement and sustainable
development.

For more information, visit www.acevo.org.uk