The evaluation of Total Purchasing Project (TPP) initiatives in the field of continuing and community care was designed to provide answers to three key questions: to what extent were the TPPs aware of the policy consensus that has emerged in relation to the planning and delivery of continuing and community care services; are the TPPs involved in joint commissioning to develop integrated purchasing and integrated providing arrangements and are these informed by populations based needs assessments?; and is there any evidence that the TPPs are seeking innovative ways to involve and empower users, carers and/or voluntary agencies in their continuing and community care plans? This working paper aims first of all to begin to address these questions using data collected from five case study TPPs which had decided to focus on continuing and community care. It goes on to examine the importance of historical relationships and of control over budgets and contracts as levers for change in continuing and community care at the case study projects. Finally, some of the key issues for future policy development are drawn out in the context of the newly emerging Labour health policy.