Diversity of preferred bidders for Flexible New Deal is good for innovation
29.05.09
The diverse mix of preferred bidders for the first round of Flexible New Deal contracts will bring innovation, said ERSA (the Employment Related Services Association) which represents independent providers of welfare-to-work services.
Amanda McIntyre, Director of ERSA, said:
“DWP has appointed a diverse mix of organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors, combining existing providers with new entrants to the UK welfare-to-work market. This should bring new approaches towards supporting people into work, so long as providers are given the freedom to innovate.
“The promise of more flexible and personalised support for jobseekers must guide the preparations that can now get underway for implementing Flexible New Deal.
“The FND model is intended to free providers from the standardisation and rigid processes of past welfare-to-work programmes, so they can offer their customers what suits them best. The Government will need to resist any temptation to build in prescriptive constraints.
“Prime contractors will need to secure the innovation of smaller providers with specialist skills or local knowledge as they finalise their subcontracting arrangements.
“Flexible New Deal needs to take advantage of the full range of expertise within the provider community. This was always an ambition of FND but it takes on even greater importance in the context of current labour market conditions.
“Of course the unsuccessful bidders for round one FND will be disappointed, but their focus will now be on the many other bidding opportunities arising from the replacement of various legacy programmes with more flexible and personalised welfare-to-work support. They will value thorough feedback from DWP on their FND proposals, so they can learn the lessons for future bids.”