The government’s outsourcing watchdog will launch a pilot scheme to monitor how well charities and housing associations perform on government contracts.

The Office of Government Commerce will test the project, which was an idea of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations,

on two or three such bodies in the autumn. It is likely to be rolled out more widely if successful.

Stephen Bubb, chief executive of the ACEVO, said the three organisations piloting the scheme were likely to come from the health, housing and education sectors.

Performance will be assessed on contracts that are not monitored by the main funder.

That could mean, for example, that Housing Corporation-funded developments will not be scrutinised but Neighbourhood Renewal Fund work will, because it is not formally inspected by its sponsor, the ODPM.

Bubb said: “I think the sector is incredibly efficient but we can always learn and there has always been a traditional reluctance in the sector to measure performance.”

He also welcomed last week’s Gershon review of public sector efficiency, which accepted all his suggestions to improve charity funding.

He had called for long-term funding for charities to replace the single-year agreements now used. This would increase financial stability.

Source

Housing Today