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The 4th Commandment of Payment by Results: Thou shall not covet milestones
The introduction of milestones exacerbates the problems of complexity highlighted above, requiring even more time and resources from commissioners and providers and even more onerous data collection systems. But even worse is the fact that as soon as you have indicators, people start focusing on them, instead of the intended outcomes.
Which takes us straight back to the culture of micro-management by targets which PbR is trying hard to leave behind.
Don’t write off probation in the rehabilitation revolution
There have been better times to be a probation officer. It’s not the easiest job in the world at the best of times and, like every other public service, probation trusts have had to implement year-on-year financial cuts for the last few years. But 2013 is the toughest year yet. 70% of probation’s work is being outsourced and a wide range of large private and voluntary sector organisations are seeking to take over the work. Recently the MoJ has acknowledged that probation trusts could spin out public service mutuals and bid for their “own” work.
Promote your event with social media. Step 3: Consolidate
This is the third in a mini-series on how to use social media to extend the reach of your event and take people with you on a journey of discovery about the work your organisation does. There are plenty of opportunities to consolidate learning and engage new supporters after your event.
The 3rd Commandment of Payment by Results: Thy metrics shall be simple
Complexity is almost always the enemy of effective PbR because it inevitably results in unintended consequences. Concern about possible unintended consequences results in worries about gaming the system which, equally inevitably, results in additional measures being taken to address these concerns which involves further complexity which…, well, you get the picture. In this post, I want to make the case for simple, robust measures to assess how effective PbR schemes are in meeting their outcomes.
The 2nd Commandment of payment by results: Thy outcomes shall be few
Most payment by results pilot schemes are targeted at entrenched social problems. These problems – troubled families, long term unemployment, re-offending and drug dependency – are complex by nature. They require a coordinated response which addresses a wide range of issues. PbR funded interventions are a natural commissioning approach to tackle complex problems. However, PbR schemes quickly run into trouble when the outcomes themselves become complex.
Complexity and transparency: Thoughts on the MoJ Straw Man Payment Mechanism
It’s great to be able to engage in the development of the MoJ’s proposed payment mechanism. However, the first thing that struck me was its complexity. Clearly a great effort has been made to design a mechanism that creates the right incentives to develop innovative ways to reduce reoffending. Will it be sufficiently transparent to stimulate the wide range of providers needed achieve real innovation or does it favour those with the deepest pockets, who can afford to do the detailed analysis necessary to truly understand the risks inherent in such rehabilitation contracts?
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