Commissioning

Commissioning is the process of identifying needs and securing services for the Council, from assessing priorities to managing and monitoring the way services are provided to residents.

We are a Commissioning Council

In 2010, the Council agreed that it should focus on the following key functions:

• Community leadership – we want to transform local public services through partnership and collaboration
• Building community capacity to enable residents and communities to take greater control over their lives and, where appropriate, deliver services
• Becoming a strategic commissioning body with a reduced role in service delivery

Becoming a strategic commissioning body means we aim to increasingly commission services externally, by working with the voluntary sector, private sector and community groups to understand needs, priorities and agree the outcomes that local people want to see from services.

In working towards these goals, we have joined with other organisations to create the following bodies:

Achieving for Children

Children's services for Richmond and Kingston Councils are delivered by Achieving for Children (AfC), a Community Interest Company wholly owned by the two Councils, which went live on 1 April 2014. Contract opportunities run by AfC will continue to be advertised through the Council website.

The commissioning cycle

We follow a framework to ensure all commissioning is carried out in a consistent way. More about our commissioning cycle.

Providing services to local people

Specific procurement opportunities are advertised on our website. More about the procurement process.

Further information is available for voluntary and community organisations interested in bidding for contracts.