Commissioning is by no means a new concept in the public sector. However, while it is a familiar term, confusion still arises around what it means exactly and its relationship with other functions such as procurement. The importance of commissioning is predicted to grow as the public sector buys more services and provides fewer itself. As organisations strive to modernise and innovate, it is becoming more and more important for every manager, public service professional and politician to understand and adopt a commissioning approach.

Changing structures combined with reduced budgets have created new challenges for commissioners involved in improving and redesigning services – and involved many others in commissioning for the first time. Meanwhile, providers are grappling with the challenge of adapting to this new commissioning landscape. This conference will feature examples of high-quality commissioning in practice, offering those who commission public services the confidence and know-how to design different ways to deliver services, to shape and manage new markets and build more effective and more efficient ways of delivering services for local people.