If you want to turbocharge your commissioning capabilities, then you should steal shamelessly and share generously. Know-how and resources developed with taxpayer funds rightfully belongs in the public domain where everyone can benefit.
While the natural reflex for some will be to put the ‘intellectual property’ stamp on innovation and resources developed by their organisation, these tendencies should be resisted. With initiatives like the federally funded Primary Health Networks their success and ultimate survival depends on a record of achievement across all 31 PHNs. The performance of PHNs will be judged collectively and history shows that the Commonwealth will readily rethink how it supports primary care from time to time.
No doubt arrangements already exist whereby some PHNs, through formal or informal arrangements, look to share their resources and expertise with their counterparts. Personal professional networks are also proving useful. The annual PHN Innovations Showcase is also an excellent opportunity to diffuse innovation and build relationships across PHNs.
However, given the level of challenge that PHNs are finding in meeting the commissioning timelines set by funders it is perhaps timely to think about developing a national online PHN resource ‘clearing house’.
PHNs shouldn’t have to ‘reinvent the wheel’. Rather, we need to be collectively oiling the commissioning wheels so we can move faster in addressing the un-met needs of our communities. After all, we can’t promote collaboration across our provider networks unless we are prepared to do the same ourselves.
Conversation starters:
What do you think?
Would a national online ‘resource clearing house’ help your teams commission better and faster?
Who should develop and maintain this ‘clearing house’?
How might it be funded?
In your view, how important is it that all PHNs succeed across the country?
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