WIREDGOV

At a high profile seminar for government communication leaders, yesterday, Campbell Robb - Director General of the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) - chaired an inspiring session on the value of working with the third sector and why we should ‘think outcomes, think third sector’. Delegates heard from Caroline Diehl, Chief Executive of the Media Trust, Sam Conniff, co-founder of Livity –a social enterprise ambassador; Seb Elsworth, Head of Policy at ACEVO; and Emma Jones, Senior Policy Adviser on Public Service Improvement at OTS.

Reflecting on the increasing significance of the third sector as an economic and social force in the UK, attracting some £12 billion of funding from Government sources in 2006-07, the speakers made a strong case for working with the sector. At its best the third sector reaches people Government cannot reach and offers new ways of approaching old problems with a flexible, outcome-based approach that works. But they also argued that with pressures on commissioners to deliver ‘more for less’ the importance of achieving value for money through ‘intelligent commissioning’ with a focus on delivering outcomes for people, communities and the environment was paramount. 

Campbell Robb explained that the Government’s National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning has been promoting intelligent commissioning since 2007. It is helping
improve the practice of around 3,000 public sector commissioners and procurement
officers to ensure they get the best out of working with the third sector.

Today, the second phase of the National programme went live. IDeA – the improvement
and development agency for local government  - is heading a new partnership of leading public and third sector agencies who will deliver training and support to commissioners, councillors and third sector leaders.

The programme runs until March 2011. Full details and bookings are available online at the website link below or by contacting Cheryl Flack at IDeA on 020 7296 6199.

• Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) external website