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Sarah Wood has been appointed as Director of the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning. The programme, stemming from the Office's public services action plan, will build the skills of commissioners from the public sector to improve understanding of what the third sector can offer in terms of helping to design, deliver and improve public services.
Sarah brings extensive local government experience as well as an understanding of third sector issues through her membership of the Futurebuilders Advisory Panel and other trusteeships and board positions. She has held several posts at senior level in local government, and until mid-2006 was Director of Policy for the Local Government Association. More recently, she has been the interim Director of Resources for the Border and Immigration Agency.
The programme was announced as part of a package of measures designed to remove the barriers to third sector involvement in public service delivery, set out in the Office of the Third Sector’s public services action plan, Partnership in Public Services.
The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) was appointed by the OTS to deliver the two-year programme, which will work with 2,000 commissioners from across the public sector – including staff in Jobcentre Plus, primary care trusts, the National Offender Management Service and local councils. It will operate in conjunction with existing training and support for commissioners. It will also:
In addition, it will offer awareness and skills training for both elected members and officers, and take steps to improve the sector's bidding capacity, particularly among smaller organisations.
More information about the appointment and the programme can be found at: IDeA [External website]