Commissioning-is-an-approach-to-transformation
The think‑piece, authored by Benjamin P. Taylor (Chief Executive of the Public Service Transformation Academy) and Garath Symonds, examines the concept of commissioning within 21st‑century public‑sector management. It traces the historical origins of the term, highlights its mixed reputation – often misunderstood and denigrated – and argues that commissioning remains a vital lever for transformation when applied thoughtfully. The authors present multiple lenses for understanding commissioning: as a systems approach, a methodological cycle (understand‑plan‑do‑review), a learning mindset, and an identity (the "conductor" metaphor). They critique the traditional, waterfall‑style commissioning cycle (Commissioning 1.0) and outline a maturity spectrum – Commissioning 1+, 2.0 (outcomes‑focused), and 3.0 (asset‑based) – each representing a shift toward broader resource perspectives, co‑production, and systems change. Throughout, the piece stresses the need for context‑specific definitions, humility, continuous learning, and the integration of commissioning with funding, policy, and delivery. It concludes with a call for leaders to adopt a systems‑thinking, experimental stance, positioning commissioners as middle‑class agents that bridge policy, funding, and delivery while fostering systemic change.
Topics
Historical Roots and Evolving Meanings of Commissioning
Explores the term’s origins from state‑led engineering projects, royal commissions, and military commissions to its modern public‑service usage, including the shift from compulsory competitive tendering to best‑value approaches.
Commissioning’s Mixed Reputation: Misunderstanding and Denigration
Documents the sector’s ambivalence – a small majority view commissioning as unhelpful, references high‑profile failures (e.g., Carillion) and the ‘death of commissioning’ narrative.
Commissioning as a Systems Approach
Frames commissioning as an intervention that requires understanding whole, interconnected systems and the commissioner’s place within them to improve outcomes.
Commissioning as a Methodological Cycle (Logical Approach)
Describes the classic ‘understand, plan, do, review’ cycle, its static and iterative variants, and its role in surfacing assumptions and learning in complex public‑service contexts.
Commissioning as a Learning Mindset
Emphasises continuous learning from multiple sources – citizens, providers, technology – to refine purpose and outcomes.
Commissioning Identity: The Conductor Metaphor
Uses the image of a conductor in a chaotic warehouse to illustrate the commissioner’s role: guiding diverse activities without imposing a single choir, fostering usefulness.
Maturity Spectrum: From Commissioning 1.0 to 3.0
Maps the evolution from transactional, cost‑focused commissioning (1.0) through outcomes‑centred (2.0) to asset‑based, co‑production models (3.0), highlighting shifts in resources, outcomes, and stakeholder roles.
Critique of the Traditional Waterfall Commissioning Cycle
Identifies systemic flaws in the classic cycle – deficit‑based analysis, cold data, lengthy procurement, limited learning – and argues for a more agile, learning‑rich approach.