GovWire

This is the second of three planned reports within a longitudinal evaluation of the Kirklees Better Outcomes Partnership (KBOP). KBOP seeks to improve accommodation, employment, stability and wellbeing outcomes for vulnerable adults who are in need of support to live independently.

KBOP is part-funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) under the Life Chances Fund (LCF). The LCF was launched in 2016 to tackle entrenched social issues across England through locally-led social impact bonds (SIBs) - also known as social outcomes partnerships. The LCF contributes to SIB projects through payments-by-results contracts. These contracts involve social investors and are locally commissioned.

DCMS is working in partnership with the Government Outcomes Lab (GO Lab) to evaluate the LCF and the use of SIBs in local commissioning. KBOP was selected for specific longitudinal study because it was preceded by a similar service provided under bilateral fee-for-service arrangements between the Council and the same providers. Analysis of this changed contractual arrangement may help to isolate the effect of the SIB model on service delivery. The analysis is based on a range of primary data collection methods involving 38 in-depth interviews and documentary analysis, including contract terms of the fee-for-service contract and the SIB

This second interim report examines four hypotheses developed in the first interim evaluation of the KBOP SIB. These suggested that the SIB mechanism might lead to enhanced:

• practice of market stewardship
• performance management
• collaboration
• flexibility and personalisation of the service

The report also reviews KBOPs contractual framework and governance processes, and concludes with a series of key learnings from the process evaluation.