Commissioning Local Authority Services for Best Value. The Wider Issues of Partnership, Competition and Contracting‐out

Citation

Vinten, G. (2000), "Commissioning Local Authority Services for Best Value. The Wider Issues of Partnership, Competition and Contracting‐out", Managerial Auditing Journal, Vol. 15 No. 7, pp. 383-383. https://doi.org/10.1108/maj.2000.15.7.383.1

This is part of a valuable series of publications from the Competitiveness Joint Committee, which is a large inter‐disciplinary network more than capable of dealing with all the technical, accounting, auditing and managerial aspects of this complex area. Best value is in many ways old wine in new bottles, and familiar to readers of the Managerial Auditing Journal. However it is the Labour Party’s bid for innovation in public sector management, and since we are dealing at the interface of public, voluntary and private sectors, all thrown together in the contract culture, which is a worldwide phenomenon, there is material here of wide relevance. The options and available partnerships are outlined. The strengths and weaknesses of traditional methods, together with likely future trends, are then explored. The scope for modernising and improving contracts, risk factors, performance bonds, incentives and tender evaluation form the subject matter of the next section. This leads on to the strengths and weaknesses of alternative methods, followed by approaches to innovative commissioning, summary conclusions, and a glossary of terms, important in such a jargon‐ and acronym‐ridden area. It also allows overseas readers to be able to relate to their own situation, and to gain ideas from the rich portfolio of offerings available in this mature public sector market, which is increasingly in symbiosis with private and not‐for‐profit sector alike.