How are the eight aspects of commissioning connected to the eight approaches to commissioning?

June 2025 teaching template, slide 19

Step Six – Not for the faint hearted!

Now if you are the person at school who always wanted the stretch questions, the advanced level....here is one for you in this assessment.

Once you understand your score on the eight aspects of commissioning, you can use this to select your most appropriate approach to commissioning. 

Return now to your scoring for the eight aspects that you did at the beginning.  Add those scores into the table here. 

Then read down the table from the top to the bottom

The first score over 50, reading down the table, identifies the recommended strategic commissioning approach. 

But critically it must not have a lower score beneath it in the table.

For example -

In this example, the system has been given a mix of scores and you could interpret it several ways.

You might be tempted to focus on approach 2, 'Leadership of the place for whole system change', because it is high up on the table and you have a high score. We would suggest that you don't, because some of the lower down aspects – the ones that are foundational – have weaker scores of below 50. This example is particularly weak in aspect 4 ('citizen, place, and outcome centred' and also has weaknesses in aspects 3 and 6 ('Capacity, capability, and confidence' and 'Making room to make a difference').

In the example, we would suggest that you focus on fixing the foundations which involves focusing on some of the lower down aspects. If you want to pick a single commissioning approach then in this example you would benefit from 'Market management'. If you instead opt for a blend of approaches then consider researching 'market management' and 'Delivery model design' which are both within your grasp and 'strategic procurement of services against needs', and 'values-based/disruptive commissioning' which are both a bit more advanced than your current practice.

In this example the temptation is to go with the 'approach' 2. leadership of place for whole system change.  However, this is undermined by the score on 3.Capacity, capability and confidence and 4. Citizen, place and outcome centred. 

The next highest is 5. Information and Insight.  But undermined by 6. Making room to make a difference. 

The assessment of your system will help you understand why you have these undermining features and are there quick wins to resolve them, allowing you to move up the approaches for more impact. 

Note scores of over 70 are very unusual.  If you do not score over 50 in any aspect then you will need to begin with the foundational aspect of 8. Models and Tactics. 

In summary- 

 An approach higher in the table, is only sustainable if the commissioning aspects lower down the table can support it. They are the foundations.  If the lower aspects are not achieving a high score the risks are higher. It is not impossible to apply a higher approach.  But you need to do it with the awareness that your basics and foundational practice needs boosting, scaffolding or nurturing in the process. 

Considering the approaches in this way allows you to critically appraise, or to opt for a blend of approaches, sense-checking your understanding of your challenges, bringing in your insights on your constraints and enablers and any associated action-planning you have developed. A blend of approaches may be useful at different times and in different commissioning situations.  

Aspect

Score (/100)

Approach

Focus

1

Whole system design 

 20

Place-based wellbeing 

2

Relationships and organisation across the system 

 60

Leadership of place for whole system change  

Aspirational focus area with substantial risk. Substantial action to reinforce below otherwise system vulnerable to shock if key partners leave.

3

Capacity, capability and confidence 

 30

Unlocking potential 

4

Citizen, place, and outcome centred

 20

Citizen-centred commissioning 

5

Information, insight and innovation 

 60

Values-based/disruptive commissioning 

Aspirational focus area with risk reinforce below

6

Making room to make a difference

40

Strategic procurement of services against needs 

Strengthen

7

Commissioning process 

60

Market management 

Primary focus area

8

Models and tactics 

 55

Delivery model design 

Maintain and improve

June 2025 teaching template, slide 25

Aspects of commissioning