The PSTA / Commissioning Compass / Reading
Key questions
Aspect of Commissioning 7: Commissioning process. Teaching text from June 2025.
June 2025 teaching template, slide 70
Commissioning process (1/2)
Do we have a strong, effective process?
Are you balancing meeting urgent financial and other priority requirements with thinking about long-term impacts?
Does your commissioning process support good collaboration, market development and co-operation, competition for improvement, value for money and commercials, and clarity of types of contracting improvement?
How do you relate your timeliness of engagement in your strategic commissioning process? Do you balance time on co-production, design, market/ provider co-design, specification development, contract management, learning, etc?
Do you have a positive approach to types and design of procurement and commissioning that focuses on proportionality and matches the design and the outcomes sought?
Give each question a score and once completed document some observations and examples for each aspect 0 – 24 Poor (significant risk), 25 – 49 Fair (lesser/lower risk, improvement required) ,50 – 74 Good (shortfalls identified/need to be addressed) 75 – 100 Excellent (no action required)
June 2025 teaching template, slide 71
Commissioning process (2/2)
Are you using a broad range of evidence to inform decision making and commissioning, and contributing your own insight through reflection and evaluation?
Does your process have a strong focus on Nolan Principles, social value, sustainability, equity, ethics, and openness?
Are you able to maintain a strong commissioning process even in joint and shared commissioning and shared arrangements?
Give each question a score and once completed document some observations and examples for each aspect 0 – 24 Poor (significant risk), 25 – 49 Fair (lesser/lower risk, improvement required) ,50 – 74 Good (shortfalls identified/need to be addressed) 75 – 100 Excellent (no action required)