An article examined the government's policy of working with 'third sector' organizations to expand their role in shaping, commissioning, and delivering public services. It asked whether the policy was flawed, contradictory, and risked damaging the attributes of the sector admired by New Labour.
Source: Josie Kelly, 'Reforming public services in the UK: bringing in the third sector', Public Administration, Volume 85 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Dec
The Ministry of Justice began consultation on proposals for strengthening the way it worked with voluntary and community groups.
Source: Third Sector Strategy: Improving policies and securing better public services through effective partnerships, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Consultation document | MOJ press release
Date: 2007-Dec
The government published a commissioning strategy for welfare-to-work services which included a much greater focus on results-based payments to specialist providers from the private and voluntary sectors.
Source: DWP Commissioning Strategy: Interim Report, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | DWP press release | Acevo press release | CBI press release | REC press release | Liberal Democrats press release | FT report | Personnel Today report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Nov
An article examined the relationship between Labour's economic policy and the 'third sector'. Future policies should strive to maintain and develop the distinctive capabilities of third-sector organizations, and the balance between economic, social, and environmental objectives.
Source: Helen Haugh and Michael Kitson, 'The third way and the third sector: New Labour's economic policy and the social economy', Cambridge Journal of Economics, Volume 31 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Nov
A report said that challenges remained for government departments if the stated goal of greater third sector involvement in public services provision were to be achieved. The commissioning environment needed to ensure that third sector organizations of all sizes had the opportunity to fairly compete for contracts.
Source: Mavis McDonald, Mike Shaw and Roy Ayliffe, Independent Inquiry into DWP Pathways to Work Contracting, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (0845 345 8481)
Links: ACEVO press release
Date: 2007-Nov
A report said that the number of people employed in voluntary organizations had risen by 26 per cent, to 611,000, between 1996 and 2005.
Source: UK Voluntary Sector Workforce Almanac 2007, National Council for Voluntary Organisations (0800 279 8798) and UK Workforce Hub
Links: NCVO press release | FT report
Date: 2007-Oct
A discussion paper said that a strong voluntary and community sector could contribute to creative place-shaping, helping to create neighbourhoods in which people wished to stay.
Source: Peter Molyneux, This Is Somewhere I Want To Stay: The voluntary sector's contribution to place-shaping, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: Discussion paper
Date: 2007-Oct
The government published the results of its review of the future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration. It announced new commitments to boost the sector and its partnership with government. In future it would support a wider range of activities by the third sector, particularly community action and campaigning; it would focus more on investing in the long-term future of the third sector's work, and on improving local partnerships.
Source: The Future Role of the Third Sector in Social and Economic Regeneration: Final Report, Cm 7189, HM Treasury and Cabinet Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | HMT press release | NCVO press release | IOF press release | CSV press release | NCF press release | NAVCA press release | Guardian report | FT report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report examined the kind of behaviours and skills needed by the third sector to get the best results in public service planning, commissioning, and delivery. The sector?s ability to thrive as a public service provider would depend on the quality of leadership in the public and third sectors, not just policy interventions from above.
Source: The Future of Commissioning: Leadership challenges, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (0845 345 8481) and Futurebuilders England
Links: Futurebuilders press release
Date: 2007-Jul
An audit report said that local councils and voluntary organizations were starting to realize government ambitions to expand the role of the sector in delivering public services: but those ambitions demanded a great deal from commissioners and service providers, who faced a number of barriers to working together effectively.
Source: Hearts and Minds: Commissioning from the voluntary sector, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report | Audit Commission press release | Futurebuilders press release | NCVO press release
Date: 2007-Jul
A report examined the distinctive values of the voluntary and community sector, and assessed whether the government?s service delivery agenda had impacted on the sector?s independence. Government needed to focus on the long-term outcomes of VCS organizations? work, rather than on hitting short-term numerical targets, in order to achieve its aims and objectives for the sector. VCS groups need to become better at measuring their own effectiveness.
Source: Barry Knight and Sue Robson, The Value and Independence of the Voluntary and Community Sector, Centre for Research and Innovation in Social Policy and Practice (0191 232 6942)
Date: 2007-Jul
A report identified the essential characteristics of successful support for local voluntary and community organizations.
Source: Rob Macmillan with Elaine Batty, Rosalind Goudie, Gareth Morgan and Sarah Pearson, Building Effective Local VCS Infrastructure: The characteristics of successful support for the local voluntary and community sector, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (0114 278 6636)
Links: Report | NAVCA press release
Date: 2007-Jul
A report examined the national policy context within which the local voluntary and community sector worked, and gave examples of work going on in local areas across England to address these policy issues. Although the VCS might well have the potential to deliver local public services, this was not generally the purpose for which these organizations existed or the impetus for their future development.
Source: Sally Cooke, The Future Role of the Local Voluntary and Community Sector, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (0114 278 6636)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jul
An audit report said that local authorities should work more collaboratively with voluntary and community organizations to help them improve the delivery of public services.
Source: Local Area Agreements and the Third Sector: Public Service Delivery, National Audit Office (020 7798 7400)
Links: Report | NAO press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A report said that although the voluntary sector played an important role in the delivery of public services, it might not always be the best solution for consumers. Private providers scored top marks in domiciliary care for older people, and there was little difference between the voluntary and public sector in housing.
Source: Alison Hopkins, Delivering Public Services: Service users' experiences of the third sector, National Consumer Council (020 7730 3469)
Links: Report | NCC press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A report examined the role of faith-based organizations in voluntary action in rural areas.
Source: Jemma Grieve, V?ronique Jochum, Belinda Pratten and Claire Steel, Faith in the Community: The contribution of faith-based organisations to rural voluntary action, National Council for Voluntary Organisations (0800 279 8798)
Links: Report | Summary | NCVO press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A discussion paper set out proposals for improving the government's engagement with the third sector.
Source: Third Sector Strategy for Communities and Local Government, Department for Communities and Local Government (web publication only)
Links: Discussion paper
Date: 2007-Jun
A report said that the promotion of happiness was the voluntary sector's 'unique selling point', and that the government should recognize its contribution to the nation's well-being.
Source: Nick Aldridge, Wellbeing, Happiness and Third Sector Leadership, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (0845 345 8481)
Links: Report | ACEVO press release
Date: 2007-Jun
The government published a strategy and action plan setting out the role which third sector organizations could play across the business of the Department for Education and Skills.
Source: Third Sector Strategy and Action Plan, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Strategy
Date: 2007-Jun
A report made recommendations designed to provide a secure legal basis for campaigning activities by voluntary bodies.
Source: (Untitled) Report of Advisory Group on Campaigning and the Voluntary Sector, Bates Wells & Braithwaite (020 7551 7777)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-May
A report examined the role of organizations campaigning for progressive social change. It made a series of recommendations intended to support campaigning organizations in raising awareness and responding to pressing and unmet needs.
Source: Paul Hilder with Julie Caulier-Grice and Kate Lalor, Contentious Citizens: Civil society?s role in campaigning for social change, Young Foundation (020 8980 6263)
Links: Report | Summary | Young Foundation press release
Date: 2007-May
A report examined the effects of the government?s model for public service reform on the community and voluntary sector. The government was in danger of missing an historic opportunity to take advantage of the expertise of the third sector to make lasting improvements to public service provision: large-scale use of the sector would require government to integrate, not fragment, the provision of public services.
Source: Steve Davies, Third Sector Provision of Local Government and Health Services, Unison (0845 355 0845)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
A report said that children's services provided by local voluntary and community sector organizations were being cut, with preventative services being the hardest hit. Vital VCS services were being taken in house by local public bodies, and existing commissioning practice was discouraging voluntary and community organizations from applying.
Source: Jason Leman, Frontline Hopscotch: VCS engagement in delivering change for children and young people - a jumpy start or a step back?, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (0114 278 6636)
Links: Report | NAVCA press release
Date: 2007-Apr
A report examined the benefits of greater third sector involvement in the provision of employment services.
Source: The Case for Change: Third sector provision of employment services, Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (0845 345 8481)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Mar
The government announced that the Big Lottery Fund would manage a new £30 million programme (Community Assets Fund) to enable community-led third sector organizations to own and run under-used public buildings.
Source: Press release 30 March 2007, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Cabinet Office press release
Date: 2007-Mar
Researchers examined the potential contribution that 'third sector' organizations could make to the delivery of health and social care. The potential and scale of ambition among existing third sector providers was significant: half of them felt that there were services that they would be better able to deliver than existing providers.
Source: IFF Research Ltd, Third Sector Market Mapping, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report | NHS press release | IMHAP press release
Date: 2007-Feb
A report examined how children's trusts could create the best environment for voluntary and community organizations to work in partnerships with them.
Source: Talking Trusts: Recommendations for children's trusts working with voluntary and community organisations, National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (020 7253 1010) and others
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Feb
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on a strategic plan for promoting the development of the voluntary and community sector in Wales.
Source: Empowering Active Citizens to Contribute to Wales: A strategic action plan for the voluntary sector scheme, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2007-Jan