Third Sector Action Plan Annex

Third Sector Annex

Scottish Government Policy

The Scottish Government's ' Enterprising Third Sector Action Plan' published in June 2008 sets out how the Scottish Government will create the conditions in which an enterprising third sector can thrive. One objective for the Action Plan is to open markets for an enterprising third sector - a key market being with the public sector. Within this work there are three main aims within the Action Plan:

· Ensuring that the third sector (as a representative of service users) is given the opportunity to help plan services.

· Maximising social benefit through including Community Benefit clauses in contracts where appropriate.

· Ensuring that contracts are advertised in such a way that third sector organisations are aware of the opportunities - this will include using the Public Contracts Scotland portal.

Factors to Be Considered in Creating Sustainable Specifications/Targets

When commissioning services it is important that service users and their representative groups (which will frequently be part of the third sector) are consulted in order that people-centred services can be designed.
An understanding of Social Return on Investment can help service commissioners understand how social benefit can be maximised through service delivery.
Once the service has been fully scoped following consultation consideration needs to be given to how social benefit can be maximised through the contract. This can be achieved through Community Benefit clauses (e.g. targeted recruitment and training), as well as taking on board wider social issues such as equality and diversity.
Consideration should be given as to whether social benefit could be maximised through designing and piloting a service through a public-social partnership

Further Information

Community Benefits Guidance and Report

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/1265/0056632.pdf

Public Contracts Scotland

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/

Enterprising Third Sector Action Plan

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/15300/Actionplan

Social Care Procurement: Advertising and Competition

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/116601/0065310.pdf

Social Return on Investment

http://www.sroiproject.org.uk/

Public-social-partnerships