Two new official reports focus on the need to develop “a level playing field between public, private and third sector providers”.

The Office for National Statistics has published a progress report on the Quality Measurement Framework Project to design better quality and outcomes measures for public services, a need identified in the Public Service Industry Review published the week before.

Third Sector magazine highlights the finding that councils chose the same suppliers for adult social care contracts because it was too difficult to be fair to different bidders - http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/832013/. The ONS Interim report.

‘Understanding the Public Services Industry: How Big, How Good, Where Next?’ written by economist DeAnne Julius for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, is downloadable here.

A new Research Bulletin, ‘Monitoring volunteers: a guide to collecting and using data’, has been published by the Institute for Volunteering Research.

It aims to provide guidance to both volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) and volunteer development agencies (VDAs), based on findings from a four-month research project. In pdf, 168KB.

A pilot survey for the Office of the Third Sector of sector satisfaction with local authorities found only 22 per cent rated the support given by them as ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’, reports Charity Finance.

This is a pilot for the much larger survey which will attempt to measure for the government how local authorities perform against the national indicator 7 - “creating an environment for a thriving third sector” (see last week’s newsletter).

Read more at http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2088.

The new Third Sector Research Centre, funded by the Office of the Third Sector, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Barrow Cadbury Trust, will be led by Birmingham University in partnership with the University of Southampton.

Two capacity building clusters are to be based at the University of Middlesex and the University of Lincoln. Research subjects will include how good charities are at delivering public services (see news item above).

OTS news item at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/080709_birmingham.aspx, or see Third Sector news item at http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/829778/ (registration required).

Anyone currently working in the voluntary sector in the policy field, or wishing to develop the policy functions of their organisation, are invited to complete a ten minute survey which will guide the work of the NCVO Policy Skills Development Programme.

The survey aims to capture information on:
- How policy work is understood and carried out by organisations and individuals across the sector,
- Individual learning needs of policy workers,
- Broader challenges to effective policy work.

Closing date 31st July, http://www.ncvo-consult.org.uk/survey.asp?s=01220217234165148.

– A consultation paper has been issued on the “third sector’s strategic voice” within the Communities and Local Government Department, the Third Sector Partnership Board, covering its future role and remit, membership and way of working. Respond by 30th September, download from
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/thirdsectorconsultation.

– There is a consultation paper on The Empowerment Fund - proposals to provide support for existing national third sector organisations operating across England to help local communities turn key proposals into practical action on the ground. Views needed by 30th September, http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/empowermentfund.

– Closely related is a Ministry of Justice proposed framework for greater citizen engagement, using innovative methods such as citizens’ summits and juries to inform national policy-making. The discussion paper also contains proposals for strengthening the process for petitioning the House of Commons. To 31st October, http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/citizen-engagement.htm.

A debate has been kicked off on whether the Compact, the agreement between government and the voluntary sector, should be supported by statutory powers.

Minister for the Third Sector Phil Hope has asked the Compact Commissioner Sir Bert Massie to lead this - see his initial comments and the Office for Third Sector news item at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/080707_compact_review.aspx.

Comments should be sent by email to: debate@thecompact.org.uk

Pioneering research, mapping the size and scope of the children and young people’s voluntary and community sector carried out for umbrella bodies NCVCCO and NCVYS, reckons that one in three of the total voluntary sector workforce is employed in this area. However, the limitations of the data available is also highlighted, particularly with regard to smaller organisations.

The research, by a team from University of Hull, is part of Speaking Out, a partnership between the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations and the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services. Download the summary or full version of ‘Every Organisation Matters’ at http://www.ncvcco.org/index.php?page=635.

The Public Administration Select Committee of the House of Commons has published the “first ever” select committee report on the third sector, ‘Public Services and the Third Sector: Rhetoric and Reality’.

The three points highlighted by the committee are
- No compelling evidence to support Government claim that sector provides public services in distinctive ways.
- Report also notes gap between rhetoric of “transformation of services” and reality that sector’s involvement still on small scale.
- Committee suggests “intelligent commissioning” the key to discovering if sector has something truly distinctive to offer.

The committee chair discusses this in Society Guardian at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/09/voluntarysector.policy, and Charity Finance has a good round-up at http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2086. PASC press notice or read the report (web or pdf versions - PASC Eleventh Report) via http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmpubadm.htm.

Infrastructure body NAVCA has welcomed the report, but says that “in parts their thinking appears a little behind the time”, http://www.navca.org.uk/news/pasc.htm. More reaction still to come, no doubt.

A new report ‘Our Creative Talent’ from the Culture Department looks at the size, make-up and impact of formally organised voluntary and amateur arts groups. There are nearly 50,000 groups across the country with a total of 5.9 million members.

The document (after a little delay) is available online, via  http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/5234.aspx, or read news item at http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/5235.aspx.

A research study for the Commission for the Compact is looking at how eight central government departments are observing their commitments to respect the right of third sector organisations to campaign and exercise their independence. Interim findings was to be presented at the Sector Independence Day event in London on Friday (4th July). Compact news item.

See the Compact Voice site for information on the “Its Our Shout” campaign around voluntary organisations taking responsibility for upholding their independence, http://www.compactvoice.org.uk.

A thriving third sector has been recognised as a high priority for nearly two thirds of top tier local authorities in England. In drawing up a shortlist of 35 ‘National Indicators’ on which they will be measured (out of the set of 198), 62 per cent chose to include one or both of the two third sector indicators: NI6 - participation in regular volunteering; or NI7 - creating an environment for a thriving third sector. Society Guardian has a short item at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/02/voluntarysector.localgovernment, or see the Office of Third Sector news item. The latter quotes the chief executive of Acevo (the chief execs body) saying “The take up of these indicators is far better than I expected.”

You can find out what local priorities in your area have been negotiated with government at the Local Priorities site, http://www.localpriorities.communities.gov.uk/. See Podnosh blog for a few comments on how helpful this is, or could be.