Number of Professionally Qualified Procurement Staff, Eg, SOPO, CIPS

Number of Professionally Qualified Procurement Staff, Eg, SOPO, CIPS

Strategic Commissioning for Partnerships Workshop Exercise 4

Commissioning Skills and Knowledge - Audit Questionnaire

Agency/service/team:

  1. Please identify the categories of staff that support the Partnership who have commissioning or procurement qualifications, training or the skills identified in question 3 below.
  1. For the partnership please state the number of:
  1. Professionally qualified procurement staff, eg, Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)
  1. Staff who have received structured training in commissioning or procurement related skills
  1. Complete the skills analysis questions a) – u) on pages 2-5, for each question identifying the level of commissioning and purchasing skills or knowledge for the partnership as a whole using the definitions described below. Please add any comments under the tick boxes. Note that ? = don’t know.

Definitions:

AwarenessSome awareness of issues; an ability to comply with rules and procedures.

UnderstandingAbility to understand the key issues and their implications for the local authority and able to ask relevant constructive questions on the subject.

KnowledgeDetailed knowledge of the subject and capable of providing guidance and advice.

ExpertiseExtensive and substantial practical experience and applied knowledge of the subject.

Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any problems or queries about the questionnaire please contact ______.

Skill / Awareness / Understanding / Knowledge / Expertise
Yes / No / ? / Yes / No / ? / Yes / No / ? / Yes / No / ?
a) Analysis: reviewing evidence to assess needs of population group
Comments:
b) Risk assessment and management
c) Understanding costs/budgets and financial modelling
d) Understanding and mapping markets
e) Influencing markets and changing service provision
f) Knowledge of population group
g) Options appraisal and business case development
h) Building and managing relationships and partnerships
i) Service design/redesign: developing specifications and setting outcomes
j) Political sensitivity and management
k) Disinvestment and/or externalisation of services
l) Specialist knowledge: contract, commercial and employment law; impact of commissioning legislation and guidance, including TUPE and EU directives
m) Specialist knowledge: business practices, finance and tax
n) Ability to engage with stakeholders including service users and providers
o) Negotiation
p) Contract letting and management
q) Tendering, including inviting, evaluation and selection
r) Analysis: monitoring and reviewing evidence to assess effectiveness of services and manage performance of providers
s) Project management
t) Problem solving
u) Facilitation
From the above analysis, identify the main commissioning and purchasing skills gaps in the partnership:

Institute of Public Care: Page 1 of 5

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