Towards World Class Commissioning Competency

The paper considers the overarching objectives of the UK healthcare system, and the ways in which commissioning was originally intended to contribute to the achievement of these objectives. It also reviews a number of existing frameworks describing the activities of commissioners and the competencies required to perform these tasks effectively. From this, fourteen domains of competency for world class commissioning are identified. It is suggested that many of the skills required for effective commissioning are already present within the NHS, although they could be more effectively mobilised. Others are well developed and clearly articulated in other sectors, but need to be more rapidly incorporated into the healthcare commissioning workforce. A third category of competencies (in particular those associated with upstream interventions on the demandside of the healthcare system) is still in the process of being defined as commissioning itself evolves. Developing these competencies will require innovation and creativity, risktaking, and learning from doing.