Public Libraries are ideally positioned as a channel to secure and deliver commissioned services. With their local presence, access to skilled staff, links to community organisations, professional accountability and most of all use and access by all parts of society, there is a huge range of opportunity for library services seeking to bid for and win commissioned services. These services could range from offering mental health support to residents or providing advice and assistance to small business owners to skills training for job seekers.
By delivering these services, libraries further develop networks of support for residents and members, as well as bringing more people into branches who are then exposed to the libraries' core offers.
This workshop seeks to shed light on not only the processes around procurement, with advice on how best to approach these, but also the ways that library services can engage with commissioners outside the procurement process. In this way we will explore how libraries can influence and shape how services are commissioned.
We are joined by a number of speakers including:
- Kathy Evans - CEO of Children England - the national voice of Children's Charities. Kathy has written and researched extensively on the commissioning of children's services and will be able to talk about the challenges of the commissioning system as well as advice for library services who feel they can provide beneficial services into the commissioning system.
- Representatives from both local authority commissioning teams and library services who have been able to secure and deliver commissioned services.
The webinar is targeted at Heads of Service and those with commercial / business development responsibility within their library service.
Future Funding is funded by Arts Council England
