What makes a good commissioner?

'Animateurs' and animation: what makes a good commissioning manager?

J Health Serv Res Policy 2012 Jan;17(1):11-7.

• Qualitative case studies in four PCTs, focusing on staff engaged in the commissioning of hospital services through both formal and informal observation and in-depth interviews conducted with managers and GPs.
• This research suggests that managers of the new commissioning organizations will require a deep and contextualized understanding of the NHS and that it is important that organizational processes do not inhibit managerial behaviour. 

 For the full background to this research see:

• Management practice in primary care organisations: the roles and behaviours of middle managers and GPs
  J Checkland, Stephen Harrison, Anna Coleman
  National Primary Care Research and Development Centre, University of Manchester, June 2011