Commissioning Toolkit
Tendering for commissioned services for first timers can be a daunting task. To make the process easier, simple toolkits have been developed. At CVS Hounslow, we are working to develop a more thorough toolkit for the Hounslow borough.
Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)
Below is information on completing a PQQ
- Use bullet points as much as possible to answer the questions. The panel that evaluates PQQs will have several forms to assess, so it is important that your answer is easy to read
- Ensure that the completed PQQ form has approval by your board of governors / trustees
- Some of the PQQ questions are straight forward and can be answered YES / NO or some other direct answer. Even so, it is not a bad idea to briefly expand on these answers. For example -
Q: What venue will you use for services?
A: Montague Hall - we chose this venue for our service provision because it
- has disability access
- is located close to our user groups
- has public transport links
- has ample car parking space
- is located close to a police station for added security.
- Be consistent in the way you answer the questions, with the font size, style, sentence structure and so on.
- As obvious as it sounds, make sure you follow the guidance of the PQQ as set out in LBH’s instructions. These were sent with the PQQs to organisations that have expressed an interest and to delegates at the CVS Hounslow 4th Sep meeting
Completing a PQQ Workbook - A workbook on developing a completed PQQ. The workbook has been designed by Trade Local Development Programme and was funded by Harringey Council. The workbook has useful tips for completing your own PQQ.
For section H – Environmental Policies and Sustainability, it will be worthwhile to develop an environmental policy and implement this. Business Link have free guidance for setting up an Environmental Management System (see link below).
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1079422683
Sample Environmental Policy - A sample environmental policy. It is advisable to work on development and implementation of your own policy as this will contribute to building your PQQ score.
Suggested PQQ answers - With some of the questions in the PQQ, it may be difficult to include an appropriate answer, as you may be working toward implementation of a policy, or wish to remain open to consortium / partnership work. The document here gives some examples of possible answers you can use
Tendering Toolkit
Below you will find toolkits developed by BASSAC on Collaborate for Commissioning www.bassac.org.uk
Tender Evidence Checklist - A checklist of the evidence generally requested when tendering.
CFC Toolkit 1 - Are you geared up for commissioning? Part 1 allows an organisation to assess if delivering public services under contract is right for it.
CFC Toolkit 2 - Are you prepared to collaborate for commissioning? Part 2 allows an organisation and partners to assess if they are ready and understand what is required by collaborating with each other to deliver public services under commissioned contracts.
CFC Toolkit 3 - What will be required? Part 3 gives some indicators of the issues partners will need to address in order to work together to tender, win and deliver commissioned contracts.
Roles and Responsibilities - A framework for working out the roles and responsible of all the partners involved in the collaboration can be mapped against the delivery requirements of the tender.
Below is advice from an evaluator from the Hounslow Joint Commissioning Team on common errors that some VCS organisations make in submitting tenders.
Common VCS tendering errors - A guide on what NOT to do in tendering.
Other Information Sheets
The Weaver’s Triangle - This article explains a tool which can be used by individual organisations to describe themselves. It is also helpful for VCS organisations that want to establish a consortium to agree upon a Weaver’s Triangle structure that best describes the partnership as a whole and demonstrate a common purpose. As Hounslow borough public service tenders are becoming increasingly outcomes based, this tool can help your organisation / consortium check against outcomes commissioners want to see fulfilled.
Our web page on Current Opportunities & Training also hosts the powerpoint presentations that were delivered in our session Introducing Commissioning for VCS Groups on 15th Sep ‘09.
