Establishing Demand
Good commissioning is about focusing a service around the needs of the user. To do this effectively, local authorities (LAs) need to establish what the likely demand for services is going to be; in other words, undertake a needs analysis.
While a strong grasp of relevant data, from a wide variety of sources, is required to plan strategically, establishing demand is about much more than objective data. As a strategic commissioner of school places and services, LAs need to understand the needs and aspirations of different groups of children and their parents. This helps to ensure that plans are based on actual need, and that any changes are more likely to be well received.
Resources
A range of complementary resources, including full versions of the
Pathfinders' project reports, are available in the following
subject-areas:
- Using data
- Parental engagement
- Pupil and community engagement
Establishing Demand is the first stage of four in the Schools Commissioning Cycle (as explained in the guide). Resources for the other three stages are available on the Planning, Implementationand Support and Challenge pages.
This page was last updated on 30 July 2008
