The National Audit Office announces practical guidance to help Government reduce the burden of monitoring and reporting on third sector organisations it funds.

See the National Audit Office announcement at: http://www.nao.org.uk/guidance_and_good_practice/good_practice/third_sector/intelligent_monitoring.aspx

The devolved governments have been inviting third sector organisations (or at least their representatives) to meetings to discuss weathering the economic storm and other issues.

The Scottish Cabinet met third sector organisations earlier this month to “discuss working together to ensure that Scotland is well equipped to make a strong economic recovery”, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/06/09145545, while Senscot reproduces notes from perhaps a more focused meeting in April, http://www.senscot.net/view_art.php?viewid=8233.

Northern Ireland’s All Party Group on the Voluntary and Community Sector met recently to discuss finance issues such as late payments, delays in making funding decisions, multiple audit and 100% vouching. The group’s next meeting in September will focus on how other devolved administrations engage with civil society. http://www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/190609-all-party-group.

The Office of the Third Sector is to lead work across government to further the third sector’s involvement in the delivery of public services through a new committee of the Cabinet. With eight government departments invited, it will scrutinise their procurement procedures and take action on any identified barriers to sector involvement in public service delivery.

See OTS news release and Third Sector has further explanation on the committee at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/914799/.

The Euclid Network (of European third sector leaders) has published a report summarising learning points from a three week study visit looking at civil society in six countries of the Western Balkans.

Download (pdf, 591KB) via news item at http://www.euclidnetwork.eu/pubb/news_ext.php?id=204.

The Voluntary Sector Studies Network has announced the launch of a new journal, Voluntary Sector Review, to be published by The Policy Press. The primary focus is third sector research, policy and practice in the UK, but with an international flavour.

The first issue will be out in March 2010, with three issues a year. More at http://www.vssn.org.uk/news/news070609.htm.

The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies has a new report on the voluntary sector’s involvement in the criminal justice system, ‘Partners or Prisoners? Voluntary sector independence in the world of commissioning and contestability’, drawing together the themes from a debate on the challenges in maintaining financial and organisational independence.

See http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/partnersorprisoners.html or download pdf, 84kb, from http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/opus1646/Partners_or_prisoners_report.pdf.

Chief executives body ACEVO has launched a Personalisation Commission to look at the various reforms underway to personalise public sector services (e.g. individual budgets) and implications and possibilities for the sector.

More in ACEVO news item.

This item seems familiar, but the report has a recent date stamp. From the Baring Foundation’s current programme helping voluntary organisations to maintain their independence from government: ‘The First Principle of Voluntary Action: essays on the independence of the voluntary sector from government in Canada, England, Germany, Northern Ireland, Scotland, United States of America and Wales’.

The essays confirm that independence is fundamental to the principle and practice of voluntary action, and explore the many ways in which this can be threatened. Download in pdf, 817KB, from http://www.baringfoundation.org.uk/FirstPrincipleofVA.pdf.

(Source: Compact E-Policy Watch)

The sixth in a series of Future Focus pocket guides from NCVO on major trends provides an overview of how the UK population is changing and how this will affect the voluntary and community sector.

It can be downloaded or ordered via - http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/publication.asp?id=14056

The Charity Tax Group is conducting surveys to find out:
– whether voluntary organisations are being prevented from sharing services because of irrecoverable VAT issues. Deadline 19th June, http://www.ctrg.org.uk/consultations?id=30, and
– whether organisations are being affected by changes to water charges which mean that community buildings will be charged at the same rate as commercial premises. Deadline 26th June, http://www.ctrg.org.uk/consultations?id=32.
(Source: NCVO Public Policy Update)

The Future of Membership project, run jointly by NCVO and Royal Society of Arts, is doing research into what membership means and what motivates people to become members. As part of this it is looking for membership organisations to take part in a series of focus groups in July.

The sessions will take no longer than two hours, at NCVO in London and reasonable travel costs will be reimbursed. http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/research/index.asp?id=14234

The Commission for the Compact has published a Think Piece looking at changes that are expected to take place during the economic downturn, and possible effects on the relationship between the public and voluntary sectors which might occur. It identifies possible pressure points in the relationship where ensuring effective implementation of the Compact between the sectors could become all the more important.

Download ‘The impact of the recession on Compact implementation‘, pdf 1MB, or see Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/910493/ (registration required).