Learning from and growing the approach

Understanding what worked and what didn't, and using this to shape the approach to other services

Why this matters

Learning from an initial experiment with formal-relational contracting is crucial to informing future iterations of the service, and may help to support colleagues dealing with similar challenges to adopt a formal-relational approach.

What can go wrong

It is important to ensure learning is captured and shared to ensure other services don't need to reinvent the wheel. However, it can be challenging to identify and separate the effects of the partnership approach from the broader service, and to understand how elements which worked in one context might translate into another. Transplanting or scaling the approach without careful reflection may lead to unintended results.

Good practice and useful resources

The content in this section is all about how to learn from and build upon a formal-relational approach, identifying how lessons may be incorporated into new public service partnerships.

• How to evaluate the "how"
• Capturing and sharing learning
• Using evidence to inform policy