At the Strategy Unit, our purpose is simple: help NHS organisations make better decisions.

We are therefore delighted to be leading the development of the Strategic Commissioning Intelligence Centre (SCIC), a key part of NHS England’s wider Strategic Commissioning Development Programme, which aims to support ICBs in their roles as strategic commissioners. 

The SCIC has been established to strengthen analytical capability across Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and support the use of evidence, analytics, modelling and evaluation in strategic commissioning. Its focus is not simply on producing more analysis, but on helping systems use intelligence more effectively to improve population outcomes, prioritise resources and make better strategic decisions.

You can access resources from the strategic commissioning development programme by joining the Commissioning Academy workspace on NHS Futures here https://future.nhs.uk/TheCommissioningAcademy .

What is the SCIC?

The SCIC is being developed as a distributed centre of excellence for strategic analytics and decision support. Working in partnership with ICBs, NHS England and other analytical organisations, it will provide practical support, shared learning opportunities and a growing national infrastructure for strategic commissioning intelligence.

We are at the beginning of this programme of work and are taking a co-development approach, shaping the offer with ICBs so that it reflects the real challenges and opportunities facing intelligence functions across the NHS.

Why this matters

Strategic commissioning increasingly depends on the ability to combine data, analytical insight, modelling, evaluation and strategic decisions. The NHS has a wealth of analytical expertise, but capability, infrastructure and opportunities for shared learning vary across organisations.

The SCIC aims to help address this by:

  • building enduring analytical capability across ICBs;
  • strengthening relationships between analysts and decision-makers;
  • developing shared approaches and language;
  • improving evidence-informed decision making;
  • supporting better prioritisation and resource allocation; and
  • creating sustainable analytical infrastructure across the NHS

What will the SCIC provide?

The SCIC will offer a range of support for analysts, intelligence teams and decision-makers. The elements described below represent the initial areas of focus as the SCIC begins to take shape. They are not intended to be a comprehensive or fixed description of the programme, which will continue to evolve through ongoing collaboration with ICBs and partners.

As we work with ICBs over time, these core components will be refined, expanded and adapted to reflect emerging needs, opportunities and learning from across the system.

A programme of structured development opportunities, including training on Reproducible Analytical Pipelines and Simulation Modelling. This will support analysts to develop and strengthen practical skills, confidence and capability needed to support strategic commissioning.

Delivery of workshops focused on decision quality. Bringing together participants from across systems to explore different approaches, share experiences and develop thinking around how intelligence can contribute to stronger strategic commissioning decisions and strengthen the relationship between analysts and decision makers. 

Expert seminar series, co-developed with ICBs, that will bring together different perspectives, explore emerging thinking and create opportunities for discussion around some of the challenges facing health and care. These sessions will also include guidance, methods and other practical resources to support consistent, high-quality analytical work.

The National Analyst Network will provide opportunities for analysts from across the country to come together, share learning and help strengthen strategic commissioning in practice. 

Alongside this, an Analytical Leadership Group that brings together ICB  Intelligence Function leads to discuss common challenges and share strategic perspectives will be developed. 

  • A programme of structured development opportunities, including training on Reproducible Analytical Pipelines and Simulation Modelling. This will support analysts to develop and strengthen practical skills, confidence and capability needed to support strategic commissioning.

  • Delivery of workshops focused on decision quality. Bringing together participants from across systems to explore different approaches, share experiences and develop thinking around how intelligence can contribute to stronger strategic commissioning decisions and strengthen the relationship between analysts and decision makers. 

  • Expert seminar series, co-developed with ICBs, that will bring together different perspectives, explore emerging thinking and create opportunities for discussion around some of the challenges facing health and care. These sessions will also include guidance, methods and other practical resources to support consistent, high-quality analytical work.

  • The National Analyst Network will provide opportunities for analysts from across the country to come together, share learning and help strengthen strategic commissioning in practice. 

    Alongside this, an Analytical Leadership Group that brings together ICB  Intelligence Function leads to discuss common challenges and share strategic perspectives will be developed. 

The National Analyst Network (NAN)

One visible part of the SCIC is the National Analyst Network, which is being developed from the existing popular Midlands Analyst Network.

The network will provide regular online Huddles, expert speakers, practical discussions and peer learning opportunities, while creating a wider national community of analysts and intelligence colleagues supporting planning, commissioning, population health, transformation and improvement.

The ambition is not simply to run events, but to create a connected analytical community with ongoing opportunities to collaborate and learn from one another.

Interested in joining the network?

Register here

Learning opportunities for analysts

The SCIC will support a range of analytical development activities, including expert seminar series and practical capability-building programmes.

More detailed information about training programmes and participation opportunities is being shared directly with ICB intelligence teams and analysts through the programme. These include RAP and Simulation modelling Accelerator training programmes for for ICB analysts and ReModel: A simulation special interest group for NHS Analysts.

And the current areas of focus for the expert seminar series include topics such as:

  • evaluation and strategic commissioning;
  • causal inference and regression to the mean;
  • technical and ethical choices in analysis;
  • allocative efficiency;
  • decommissioning;
  • numbers needed to treat; and
  • the economics of prevention.

Supporting the use of evidence, not just its production

Our experience consistently shows that improving analytical capability is only part of the challenge. High-quality analysis has greatest impact when leaders and commissioners are confident in interpreting and using evidence in strategic decisions.

For that reason, the SCIC includes a strong focus on the relationship between analysts and decision-makers, helping organisations build a culture in which evidence is routinely used to inform prioritisation, commissioning and transformation decisions.

 

Working with ICBs

A key early priority for the SCIC is to engage with ICBs to understand their intelligence functions, including:

  • organisational positioning;
  • analytical disciplines and workforce;
  • professional leadership arrangements;
  • relationships with commissioning teams; and
  • priorities for future development.

The findings will help shape future support and ensure the programme remains responsive to local needs.

An introduction to the SCIC

The SCIC was formally introduced at a national online launch event bringing together colleagues from NHS England, ICBs and partner organisations.

Speakers included Rachel McIlroy (NHS England), Hannah Iqbal (Thames Valley ICB), Jake Abbas (Humber and North Yorkshire ICB) and Clare Humble (Strategy Unit), with the session chaired by Fraser Battye.

The event explored why intelligence is becoming increasingly central to strategic commissioning and outlined the support that will be available through the SCIC.

If you are interested in finding out more about the SCIC please contact strategy.unit@nhs.net