Job Description (JD)
PS Band 4
Directorate: Probation Service
Job Description: Commissioning and
Partnerships Officer
Document Ref.
PS-JES-0091 Commissioning & Partnerships Officer
Document Type
Management
Version
2.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
13 December 2023
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Asurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
PS-JES-0091 Commissioning & Partnerships Officer v2.0
Job Description
Job Title
Commissioning & Partnerships Officer
Directorate
Probation Service
Band
4
Overview of the
The purpose of the Commissioning and Partnerships team is to
job
work closely with operational and contract managers within the
region, commercial colleagues, policy leads, external partners/
commissioners, providers and service users to identify service
needs, review existing services, build partnerships, develop
knowledge and build expertise within the business, design new
services, source providers and then monitor the effectiveness of
commissioned services to promote innovative and strategic
solutions and deliver quality, value for money services that meet
service user needs and reduces reoffending.
The Commissioning and Partnerships Officer will develop and
implement commissioning plans and products and be responsible
for delivering commissioning and partnership activity. They will
lead on secretariat, planning and research activities to deliver
commissioning and/or recommissioning of services across the
region.
They will be line managed by a Commissioning and Partnerships
Manager, who will lead on the delivery across the full range of
services.
Summary
The post holder will produce and implement specific
commissioning plans that support regional commissioning
strategy.
They will be responsible for developing reports and briefings for
senior managers, regional leads and local/regional partners to
support the monitoring and reporting of regional commissioning
strategy and specific commissioning plans.
They will support operational staff and managers to deliver their
responsibilities across the full range of services. This may
include offering consultancy and advice, delivering local training
and briefings.
They will support the Commissioning and Partnerships Manager
in undertaking budget and financial monitoring for commissioning
projects.
They will deputise for the Commissioning and Partnership
Manager and HoCI when requested.
PS-JES-0091 Commissioning & Partnerships Officer v2.0
Responsibilities, The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities &
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
• Collate and provide quantitative and qualitative analysis of
needs and demand data to support Commissioning and
Partnerships Managers and the wider Community
Integration Team, including conducting focus groups with
staff and service users.
• Drafting and amending service specifications for new and
existing services and support the development of a
portfolio of evidence-based service specifications. This will
include the development and creation of Memorandums of
Understanding (MOU) and Board reports.
• Responsible for developing regional and local area
reporting systems to monitor effectiveness of existing
commissioning arrangements and availability of local
services to inform development of services, reviews and
planning.
• Manage regional involvement in grants and procurement
processes, including organising market warming and
engagement, producing key grant and procurement
documents and evaluation of bids.
• Providing secretariat support to regional, cross-regional
and multi-agency governance or project groups and
boards with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Responsible for organising and facilitating stakeholder and
engagement events and meetings and producing timely
minutes and actions.
• Responsible for establishing productive and effective
relationships with relevant internal and external
stakeholders at a local, regional and national level in line
with designated area to support commissioning activity.
• Develop, maintain and update regional partnership
contacts and agreements and ensure these are linked to
business planning for the region, as well as updating
relevant documents for contacts within the partnership
portfolio.
• To undertake, lead and manage specific project work as
instructed by the Commissioning and Partnerships
Manager and/or Head of Community Integration.
• Attend meetings and represent the Commissioning and
Partnerships Manager when necessary, demonstrating an
understanding of the Probation Service, Region and
subject matters at all times.
• Promote a culture of innovation and continuous
improvement whilst undertaking reviews and making
recommendations as necessary.
• Implement and manage full commissioning processes
including commissioning cycle, internal and external
stakeholders’ involvement, continually checking progress
of different stages of work being completed and being
vigilant on timescales. Raising concerns to
Commissioning and Partnerships Manager in advance of
deadlines.
PS-JES-0091 Commissioning & Partnerships Officer v2.0
• Support on the work with MOJ Commercial, Sourcing and
Procurement to develop strategies for the commissioning
of services.
• Undertake research, market warming, market
engagement, negotiation.
• Creating service specifications, developing technical
questions for competitions, designing payment
mechanisms and ensuring service enablers such as TUPE
and information sharing are considered.
• Undertake bid evaluations and moderation sessions.
• Provide contract mobilisation support.
• Accountable for ensuring all Commissioning and
Partnerships activity includes and conforms to equalities
regulations, policies and processes. This will include
ensuring the equality analysis is completed and reviewed
for inclusion in the Regional Commissioning Plan.
• Support on developing and supporting partner
organisations with their on-boarding onto the Dynamic
Framework.
• Work with Regional leads and PDU colleagues to develop
the engagement of People on Probation to ensure that
commissioned services align to the EPOP agenda,
embedding the voice of People on Probation in the
development of services.
• Support on the Contract Management of commissioned
and co-commissioned contracts where required, including
all standard contract management activities.
• Inputting into inspections, working with OSAG and HMIP
inspectors and implementing actions plans.
• Work with Commissioning and Partnership Officers and
Managers nationally to ensure alignment of commissioned
services on a pan-regional basis, and that best value and
practice are achieved.
• Taking the lead role and being accountable for the
initiation of data sharing agreements, DPIAs, DAs and all
other information sharing agreements.
• Engage with and co-ordinate between providers and
Information Assurance Lead for the completion of the
DPIA.
• Undertake budget and financial monitoring of all
commissioned and co-commissioned contracts.
• Support on the induction and training of new and existing
staff.
• Owning the process for the Cyber Security to ensure
completion in advance of services being launched to the
operation team, including leading external partners and
working alongside internal colleagues.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is
at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is
expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of
a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments
may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme
and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.
PS-JES-0091 Commissioning & Partnerships Officer v2.0
An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence
through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales)
Welsh.
Civil Service Success Profile Criteria
Behaviours
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
Strengths
(Note: we recommend you choose 4 to 8 strengths locally -
select from the list of Civil Service strength definitions on the
intranet.
Ability
Experience
• Experience of commissioning and/or recommissioning
services, including assessing need, reviewing services and
developing service specifications.
• Awareness of procurement and grants within the public sector
context.
• Experienced in the field of partnership working.
• Awareness of community safety, criminal justice, social care,
housing or health care setting.
• Good oral and written communications skills.
• Experience of undertaking research and formulating options,
along with problem solving abilities.
• Experience of project management.
Desirable
• Proven experience of working in a community safety, criminal
justice, social care, housing or health care setting.
• Good understanding of services to offenders delivered in the
community or through-the-gate (upon release from prison).
Technical
PS-JES-0091 Commissioning & Partnerships Officer v2.0
Minimum
Please do not alter this box
Eligibility
• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks
prior to taking up post.
• All external candidates are subject to 6 months’
probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if
they have not already served a probationary period within
HMPPS.
• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member
of a group or organisation which HMPPS consider to be
racist.
Hours of Work
Leave Blank
(Unsocial Hours) To be used by the JES Team only
Allowances
PS-JES-0091 Commissioning & Partnerships Officer v2.0