Capturing and demonstrating the value and benefits of your services – Invitation to #dpulo

This information was recently published by Inclusion London. I’m replicating it below, though substituting “DPULOs” for “DDPO” so it’s consistent with the terminology used in previous posts.

Now more than ever DPULOs need to evidence the value and benefits they bring to the services and contracts they deliver.

Earlier this year Inclusion London commissioned the Office of Public Management (OPM) to develop an easy to use, accessible ‘added-value’ tool kit that would help DPULOs demonstrate to funders and commissioners the value and benefits they bring to service delivery.

The first phase of this project is coming to an end – a bespoke added-value tool kit has been developed and tested by 6 London Deaf and disabled peoples’ organisations.

We now have successfully secured funding to roll out the toolkit to a further group of London DPULOs. DPULOs chosen will receive free training and support to use the toolkit and will, by the end of the project, have:

• Produced a case study, using the toolkit, that demonstrates the value and benefits of your services that can be used when applying for funding or contracts
• Understand the different ways you can best demonstrate your value to funders and commissioners
• Be able to use the toolkit across a range of your services and work

Inclusion London would like to invite your organisation to express an interest in taking part in the second phase of this project.

If you are interested please email your details to geraldine.ohalloran@inclusionlondon.co.uk. Closing date for expression of interest: 17 December 2012. Work with DPULOs chosen will begin in January 2013.

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DPULOs Making A Difference: working with commissioners – be a case study #dpulo

The Strengthening DPULOs programme is bringing together a collection of case studies exploring how DPULOs and commissioners have worked well together for the benefit of disabled people in their communities.

A full summary of this work is outlined at the end of this post.

The collection of case studies will show commissioners how practically DPULOs can work with them, in anticipation that it will encourage them to start, or continue, working closely with DPULOs in their area.

Living Options Devon will be coordinating this work on behalf of the Strengthening DPULOs programme.

How you can get involved

We are looking for a range of case study examples for the collection. As the coordinating DPULO, Living Options Devon will work with the DPULOs who are contributing case studies to support their effective contribution.

The Strengthening DPULOs programme have agreed to pay each DPULO who contributes a case study for one day’s work at £340 per day.

What is needed

There is a lot of good work happening between DPULOs and commissioners. We are looking for case studies that showcase a range of examples of good practice. This means that unfortunately we won’t be able to include every DPULO who expresses an interest.

A list of case study examples which we would like the collection to include has been put together, in coproduction with DPULOs, commissioners and other interested stakeholders – these are outlined below.  We would like to hear from you if your DPULO could provide us with a case study which fits any of these examples, though we are particularly interested in the examples which are in italics.

• Commissioners reserving contracts for DPULOs using existing legislation and regulations (i.e. article 19 of the EU Procurement Directive Significant contracts being issued for voice/engagement-related work
• Strategic partnerships / secondments between DPULOs and commissioners
• Commissioners working with DPULOs to support their move into new service delivery areas or taking over a failing service
• Effective engagement between DPULOs and emerging Health & Wellbeing Boards and local HealthWatch organisations
• A commissioner using a Section 106 agreement to benefit / establish a ULO
• How DPULOs and commissioners have worked together to deliver value for money at a time of austerity
• How commissioners and DPULOs have worked constructively together without compromising independence or voice
• A DPULO working with a commissioner to coproduce a tender specification
• How a DPULO and commissioner have worked together to address TUPE issues
• An example of a DPULO and commissioner working effectively together in employment, education or transport

If you would be interested in sharing your experiences and learning through a case study so that other DPULOs and commissioners can benefit please use the contact details below with a brief explanation of:

• The practicalities of the relationship between your DPULO and the commissioner
• If the relationship with your commissioner relates to one of the examples above please identify which and explain
• A brief summary of the successful results of this relationship.

Please email your reply to Kelly Mavro at Living Options – Kelly.Mavro@livingoptions.org – by 10 December 2012.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Kelly via email or phone 01392 459222.

Please share this information with any other people/networks who you think might be interested.

Preferential treatment for #dpulo (and others) in procurement – good to see

It was great to read this in the Liverpool Echo:

Liverpool council will adopt the pioneering approach when it evaluates bids for contracts.

The aim is to put extra emphasis on using socially responsible contractors and suppliers when procuring the £270m budget for buying in goods and services from third parties.

The council said value for money and the ability of a company to deliver the contract will still be the most important factors.

But additional consideration will now be given to organisations with a smaller gap between the highest and lowest paid staff (pay multiple).

Social enterprises which plough their profits back in to developing the business and firms which can demonstrate clear local benefits will also be favoured.

That is, Liverpool Council has said that it will actively prefer providers that add social value to the city of Liverpool in the way they deliver services.

This is good news. I’ve written a lot about the added value that organisations like DPULOs, mutuals, social enterprises and voluntary sector organisations bring, and it’s great to see a Council formally recognise this in its procurement process.

Way to go, Liverpool. Let’s see lots of your local authority colleagues follow suit!

(If anyone has any other examples of this type of thing, please let me know.)