Indus Delta becomes part of the Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion

On February 15th, the Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion took over responsibility for the content and management of the Indus Delta website and discussion forum.

Over the last two years, Indus Delta has become established as the most reliable site for up-to-date information and dialogue aimed at practitioners in the welfare-to-work sector. More than 2,500 users rely on Indus Delta as a trusted source for policy news, reliable analysis and good market intelligence. It has also carved out a niche as the place to openly debate the rapidly changing welfare-to-work environment.

Inclusion is taking-over the website at a critical moment in the development of welfare-to-work services. The last five years have witnessed a slow evolution in the delivery landscape but the pace of change has accelerated and the procurement of Flexible New Deal has marked a decisive stage in the Government’s contracting model.

The DWP’s Commissioning Strategy published in February 2008 described the defining features of a new contractual landscape. It argued that "in the past, our contracts have been too small and we’ve told providers how to do their jobs". Instead the DWP says it is now creating a system "where we free providers from direct control and reward them for their success getting people into a sustainable job."

Their aim is to establish "a stable core of reliable providers". Bringing-in new entrants and encouraging competition between providers are two of the main dynamics behind the new system. DWP says that "as the market matures" the future will consist of fewer, larger contracts covering a wide range of publicly funded services including jointly commissioned skills services.

As a result, the newly emerging market consists of private companies, not-for-profits and public sector delivery organisations. This market is led by prime contractors many of whom operate a business model based on subcontracting a significant volume of their contracted work. So this market will only work effectively by having maximum transparency in performance, the scoping of new services and awarding of contracts.

That’s where Indus Delta plays a key role - as an independent platform for knowledge transfer, debate and dialogue. In moving the website to Inclusion, the Indus Delta team is guaranteeing the service a long-term future with an organisation that has been a fiercely independent voice in the welfare to work field for the past 25 years. And the website will be underpinned by the considerable research, information and analytical resources of the country’s leading researchers and think tank in this field.

The site’s Editor-at-Large is Paul Convery. Paul is widely known in the industry as an independent researcher and policy consultant specialising in labour market and welfare to work strategy and programmes. He was one of the founders of the Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion. During the 1990s he was a Director of the Unemployment Unit and the Training and Employment Network. Paul has spent much of the last decade providing analysis of the policy environment, demographics, economic and labour market to many local authorities, the DWP, LSC and regional development agencies. Inclusion is delighted to have him on board.

Daniel Johnston says: "I've enjoyed building what has become the main site for welfare to work in the UK, and I'm confident that Inclusion is the best choice to take Indus Delta forward and maintain its ethos of accessibility and openness."

Dave Simmonds, Chief Executive of Inclusion says: "Regular users of the site can be assured that the Indus Delta style will not change but we also hope to add new functions and services. It will remain an authoritative source and a place for fair and open debate. It will strive at all times to be balanced. We’ll continue to tell it the way we see it, and we want you to do the same."