From procurement to the commissioning of public services

Abstract

Today, the challenges facing governments are increasingly shifting away from traditional, to so-called wicked problems. At the same time, fiscal constraints and a growing demand from citizens for core services seem to have become a constant in government operations. Responding to these issues has led many jurisdictions to focus greater attention on innovation and exploring new ways to design and deliver public services. Governments around the world are adopting new public-private service delivery approaches and some have introduced the concept of commissioning which goes beyond traditional procurement and outsourcing agendas. Here we explore the opportunities that the commissioning approach offers to public administrators as a strategic path towards service delivery.