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The Agreement requires that the Trust must investigate thoroughly the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s compliance with Clauses 54 – 56 and consider whether any aspect of the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s arrangements for complying with them ought to be modified. Amongst other things, the Trust is required to look at:

a) whether an appropriately wide range and diversity of programmes has been made through the WoCC; and

b) whether the geographical location and size of external producers who made bids to make programmes through the WoCC suggests that the process of competition has been fair and transparent.

This is the third review of the WoCC. The first was a necessarily detailed investigation into the newly embedded systems and processes behind the WoCC. The second review was a more mature process of review and recommendation.

Our review for 2012 will focus on compliance and with progress made against the Trust’s recommendations from the second review, requiring a simpler approach from the Trust. Unlike the previous two reviews which have engaged external consultants, the analysis for this review will be coordinated and conducted by the Trust.

The review will broadly assess: (i) fulfilment of the requirements of the WoCC in practice; (ii) progress against recommendations from the previous review; and (iii) whether there are any new areas for the Trust to consider.

The review will not examine issues such as whether the WoCC should exist or whether the proportion of television hours currently allocated to ´óÏó´«Ã½ in-house producers or the independent sector as set out in the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s Framework Agreement should be changed.

More specifically, our review will focus on the following areas:

1. Has the relevant proportion of network television programming been the subject of competition as envisaged under the WoCC arrangements?

a and in particular, has an appropriately wide range and diversity of programmes been made through the WoCC?

2. Has the process of competition been fair and transparent?

a does the geographical location and size of producers who made bids to make programmes through the WoCC suggest that the process of competition has been fair and transparent?

b have sufficient levels of information/ engagement been provided with regards to commissioning opportunities?

3. What outcomes have the arrangements led to in terms of content commissioned in-house versus externally?

a have commissioning decisions being made on the basis of the best ideas winning?

4. Have previous Trust actions and recommendations been implemented?

5. Have the arrangements worked well in practice? Have there been any complaints?

The review will gather data and evidence from stakeholders within and outside the ´óÏó´«Ã½.

The Trust will publish its findings.

The main data sources for the review will be:

• A period of public consultation
• Operational data supplied by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Executive
• Publicly available data concerning the ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s TV commissioning processes including complaint handling arrangements
• Stakeholder research to be conducted by the Trust. Categories of stakeholder to be surveyed will include:

  - Commissioning staff

- In-house production staff

- Qualifying independent producers

- Non-qualifying independent producers

- Representative trade and professional bodies

- Relevant regulatory bodies.

The data and evidence submitted by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Executive, drawn from the stakeholder research and other sources will be analysed and considered by the Trust before it publishes its final report. On the basis of its findings, the Trust may decide that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ should make changes to its commissioning arrangements.

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We are currently holding a period of public consultation between 20 September and 7 November 2012. If you would like to contribute your views on the broad questions outlined above or are interested in taking part in a stakeholder interview then please email us at wocc2012@bbc.co.uk or write to us at:

WoCC 2012,

´óÏó´«Ã½ Trust,

180 Great Portland Street,

London,

W1W 5QZ