Crosscommissioning

Crosscommissioning is the arrangement by which two or more public bodies jointly plan, fund, and procure services for a defined population. It aligns governance, budget, and commissioning decisions across organisational boundaries to address shared needs and to improve coherence between different parts of the public sector, such as health, social care, education, and housing.

It typically involves pooled funding or formal agreements that enable joint service specifications, outcomes frameworks, and performance monitoring. Governance arrangements may include joint commissioning boards, pooled budgets, and legally defined mechanisms such as Section 75 agreements in some jurisdictions. The process often begins with joint strategic needs assessments and continues through procurement, contract management, and continuous improvement.

Crosscommissioning is commonly used in health and social care to integrate services for older people, people with long-term conditions, or vulnerable groups, but it is also applied to education, early years, and public health initiatives. It can be practiced at local or regional levels and may involve public sector bodies, in some cases coupled with private or third-sector providers.

Potential benefits include improved care continuity, more user-centered services, better alignment of incentives, and cost efficiencies through pooled resources. Challenges include complex governance, legal and contractual constraints, data-sharing and information governance, differing stakeholder priorities, and risk management around budgets and performance targets.