About the job

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Overview of the job       

The purpose of the Commissioning and Partnerships team is to 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 People on Probations needs, increase performance on sentence delivery, reduce reoffending and help to protect the public.

The Commissioning and Partnerships Manager will contribute to creating and setting strategy. They will lead the development, management and implementation of commissioning across the full range of services or need areas, managing activities across the full commissioning cycle to deliver the regional priorities working closely with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

They will report into the Senior Commissioning and Partnership Manager and line manage Commissioning and Partnerships Officer(s) and any additional staff where applicable.

Summary            

The post holder will lead on reviewing, managing and delivering commissioning and/or recommissioning of services or projects both from within their region and nationally utilising various funding streams.

They will act as the expert in relation to the commissioning of outcomes for need areas within their region, providing professional advice and recommendations to support the delivery of the regional strategy and ensuring alignment with national strategies.

They will lead on the development and implementation of partnership arrangements with key stakeholders, nationally, regionally and locally, in relation to the full range of commissioned and co-commissioned projects, partnerships and services within their region.

They will lead on raising the profile of the Commissioning Team within the region and nationally to inform future commissioning and to support the implementation of services commissioned.

They will be the regional lead on developing the legal frameworks (including MOUs, DPIAs and ISAs) required to set up and manage partnership agreements and commissioned and co-commissioned contracts where required, in conjunction with commercial and legal colleagues.

They will oversee the financial arrangements around commissioned and co-commissioned services, ensuring new services demonstrated VFM (Value for Money) and are within budget.

They will deputise for the Head of Community Integration at regional and national meetings and with internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities, Activities & Duties         

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Demonstrating leadership and innovation, assisting the Head of Community Integration and Senior Commissioning and Partnership Manager in providing guidance and direction for the implementation of the regional commissioning strategy and input to national strategies.
• Production and implementation of service/need specific commissioning plans across the full range of services as part of short, medium and long-term regional commissioning strategy.
• Managing service needs for specific commissioning plans to align with regional, national and wider community safety and criminal justice priorities.
• Implementing commissioning plans across the full range of services which meet the diverse needs of People on Probation, are financially robust, offer value-for-money, incorporates innovative approaches and builds on best practice.
• Assisting the HoCI with the management of the devolved commissioning budget for the region and managing resources effectively for commissioning projects.
• Leading and managing teams to deliver the agreed commissioning strategy, priorities and objectives for the region. This will include recruitment, induction and training of staff. Taking lead role and being accountable for supporting PDU (Probation Delivery Unit) Heads and other operational leads to deliver their commissioning, national framework and partnerships responsibilities across the full range of services. This may include offering consultancy and advice, developing training plans for teams/region, delivering local and regional training and briefings.
• Lead on and work with regional and national Performance and Quality leads and other specialist research teams to demonstrate a clear evidence base to inform review of services, recommendations, planning and delivery of new services.
• Demonstrate the understanding and the effectiveness of current Probation Service and wider service deliver across the full range of services, identifying best practice for commissioning future services.
• Responsible for leading and managing the development of a portfolio of evidence-based service specifications and the development, writing and implementation of any new service specifications required, engaging with People on Probation, operational leads and other stakeholders both internally and externally as appropriate.
• Be the regional lead on the work with MoJ Commercial, Sourcing and Procurement to develop strategies for the commissioning of specific services. This will include research, market warming, market engagement, negotiation, designing payment mechanisms, creating a specification, developing technical questions for competitions and ensuring service enablers such as TUPE and Information Sharing is considered.
• Be the regional lead working with MOJ Commercial in bid evaluation and moderation. This will include the evaluation of bids for both regional and national contracts.
• Lead on the mobilisation of regional and national commissioned and co-commissioned non-CRS contracts where required.
• Supporting Contract Management teams with mobilisation of CRS (Commissioned Rehabilitative Services) contracts as required by the HoCI.
• Responsible for establishing and leading cross-regional and multi-agency project groups to support development of services including at a national level. Provide a leading role and strategic direction to establish productive and effective relationships with relevant internal and external stakeholders at a local, regional and national level in line with the full range of services to support commissioning activity.
• Responsible for proactively identifying, following up and negotiating opportunities for joint-working or co- commissioning services by working with a variety of external stakeholders, such as PCCs, police, local authorities, DWP, NHS and voluntary sector organisations, to maximise the potential investment in services.
• Responsible for ensuring all Commissioning and Partnerships activity includes and conforms to equalities regulations, policies and processes. This will include ensuring the equality analysis is reviewed and completed for inclusion in the Regional Commissioning Plan.
• To evaluate bids for services commissioned by other regional bodies such as OPCCs (Office for Police and Crime Commissioner) and Local Authorities as requested.
• Lead on identifying, 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 (Engaging People on Probation) agenda, embedding the voice of People on Probation in the development of services.
• Inputting into inspections, working with OSAG and HMIP inspectors and implementing action plans.
• Assist in the Contract Management of non-CRS commissioned and co-commissioned contracts where required.
• Work with Commissioning and Partnerships Managers nationally to ensure alignment of commissioned services on a pan-regional basis and that best value and practice are achieved.

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.

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

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,583, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £11,814 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.