Jane Wilson – Director CS3

WHY A CONSORTIUM?

Culture First identified need to support the culture and sport sector to operate in the new marketplaces.Challenges for sector in competing for contracts:

Scale and scope of contractsProcurement process

Understanding requirementsCashflow

WHY A CONSORTIUM ? – opportunities

Scale - future opportunities throughLarger strategic commissionsPipeliningNeighbourhood budgetsPersonal budgets

Hub – contract management infrastructureBack office supportCo-ordinating bidsPerformance managementSingle contracting route for commissioners

WHY A CONSORTIUM ? – opportunities

Frontline – service development focused on meeting the needs of commissioners through:

Thematic groupsOutcome focused services

Capacity Associate membershipTraining and networkingExtending the supply chain to micro providers

Highly visible presence for the sector

VISION

“We believe that together we can learn more, progress faster and deliver better. We therefore commit to collaborating for the benefit of those we serve. The result will be thriving communities in which people are better able to achieve their potential through culture and sport.”

Developed by the founder members, who were drawn from the sector through an open call

GOAL

“To safeguard and grow high quality culture and sports provision across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, through working with commissioners to co-design services, creating a single point of contracting, and by tendering competitively for public service contracts via a range of channels.”

OPERATING MODEL – ‘HUB AND SPOKES’

THE HUB

MarketingNegotiation

ProspectingTender writing

Contract managementResource allocation

Quality improvementOrganisational capacity building

Service design

Low cost, very lean central administrationDrawing on member skills and capacity

BENEFIT TO COMMISSIONERS

Single point of contracting:

•Reduced transaction costs•framework for working with specialist providers

Immediate and long term returns:

•high quality delivery •Investment in local capacity, skills, and relationships

MEMBERSHIP

3 Categories – Full, Associate, Affiliate

Full and associate membership status open to voluntary sector organisations and social enterprises

Affiliate status available to public and private bodies

Only full and associate members have the right to participate in governance

Organisations need to demonstrate they meet key eligibility criteria

Universal criteria for membership

• Provision of culture and sports activities/services

• Area of operation• Commitment to consortium working• Commitment to sharing expertise All consortium members, full, associate or affiliate, will need to

demonstrate that they meet all of these universal criteria

Contract readiness criteria 

• Financial health• Quality systems• Appropriate policies• Suitable governance• Technical capacity

Members need to meet agreed criteria in order to become full members and therefore be able to take part in consortium delivery

In operation

Libraries Development Initiative

Arts Council England fund Opportunity identified by membersBid developed through hub Submitted by Cambridgeshire County Council

- Practical example of community budgeting

Arts Alive in Fenland

CS3 facilitated sessions with friends groups in four Fenland libraries to create clear statements of what they wanted to achieve CS3 members responded to the statementsMember ‘offers’ were collated into a menu and taken back to the Friends GroupsFriends Groups made choices and successful organisations were contracted to deliverDelivery took place from January to end of March this year.

Arts Alive in Fenland - evaluation

Enabled a diverse range of high quality arts activities in librariesCost effective bidding and selection processFully involved the Friends GroupsMet the goals of the librariesLed to additional positive outcomes

Grant rather than contract BUT used similar processes

Commissioning Process

Contract management and payment carried out via the hub, with operational activity directly between the community group and the CS3 member

HOW TO JOIN

 

Read through the Membership Prospectus

Complete and submit the Application for Membership form

Await notification of approval

Contact information

Websitewww.cs3.org.uk

Emailinfo@cs3.org.uk