In UK government, commissioners perform the vital task of ensuring that health and social care services meet the needs of the people who use them. Essential for everyone involved in the planning and delivery of these services, this book comprehensively explores what commissioning is, its past, and its future. A wide range of leading contributors from fields including health care, social care, and local government takes readers through the key stages of the commissioning cycle and addresses such interrelated themes as the economics of commissioning, user involvement, and commissioning in an era of personalization.

Dr Alison Talbot-Smith, an experienced doctor and researcher, and Professor Allyson M. Pollock, one of the UKs leading authorities on the NHS, give a lucid and incisive account of the new NHS – which has emerged from a far-reaching programme of market-oriented changes. Providing an authoritative and accessible overview of the new NHS, the book describes: the structures and functions of the new organizations in each of the devolved countries the funding of NHS services, education, training and research and resource allocation the regulation of the new NHS systems and workforce the relationships between the NHS, the Department of Health, local authorities and regulatory bodies, and between the NHS and the private sector the future implications of current policies. This is an indispensable resource for those working in healthcare today as clinicians, academics, researchers and managers. It will also be essential reading for academics, students, and researchers in related fields, as well as the general public.

As governments search for the best ways to restyle their services, the E-Government field continues to attract interest from public administrators, politicians, academics, and citizens. As a result, new topics such as e-procurement have become core factors in public sector development by providing way to better serve citizens and businesses in our digital economy. E-Procurement Management for Successful Electronic Government Systemsenhances the understanding and collaboration in e-government and the role of information technologies in supporting the development of improved services for citizens. By analyzing recent developments in theory and practices as well as providing fresh ideas and research, this reference source aims to bridge the gap between academia, industry, and government.

Through the emerging lens of social enterprise, this book examines how the global construction industry can engage more effectively with the communities in which it builds, addressing disadvantage and environmental degradation to leave a positive legacy for future generations. Combining insights from leading research and real-life case studies of social enterprise in the construction sector, the result is a practical framework which will help social enterprises, clients, consultants and construction firms work collectively to build a thriving social enterprise sector. Readers of this timely book will learn to embrace social enterprise and an important new sector in the global construction industry. They will learn to see community involvement as an opportunity rather than a risk, and fully understand the broader role they can play in building a fairer and more sustainable society.