More presentations from the NCVO Annual conference: http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/networking-discussions/blogs/20591

1. Workshop PM3
Hot issues in
politics & policy

2. Hot issues in politics and policy
Nick Wilson Young, Strategic Foresight.
You said you want:
• Public services
• Funding and cuts
• Charity Law and regulation
• Localism
• How the Compact will frame the
relationship with government

3. Hot issues in politics and policy
• Lots to cover & over 100 people
• Timing
• Stick to big, cross-cutting issues
• Not local or sub-sector
• Range of expertise in the room
• Questions & discussion at the end

4. In fours
What are your hot policy
issues?

5. Public Services
James Allen,
NCVO Head of
Partnerships & Public
Services

6. Public services: policy changes
• Changing landscape
– OPSWP
– Commissioning
– Fiscal constraints driving change?
• Challenges
– Payment by results
– Lack of market management
– Unmanaged competition
– Structural barriers: public sector, size of
contracts

7. OPSWP
• Competition and choice. Accountability?
• Social value
• Structural changes to the public sector:
mutuals/spin outs/collaborations
• ‘Consumer’ choice and empowerment

8. Commissioning: change is
needed
• ‘Open commissioning’
• Bureaucracy – PQQs
• Commissioner training
• Extension of PBR
• Localism

9. Case study: Work Programme
• Significant reform programme
• Prime contractor model
• Challenges:
• Contract size
• PbR and risk
• (Lack of?) role for the VCS including
referrals
• Structural/contractual issues

10. Funding & Cuts
Karl Wilding,
NCVO Head of Policy,
Research & Foresight

11. Context: where does funding come
from?
• The public
• philanthropic resources: static
• Government resources
• Peak funding: 2007/08
• Shift from grants to contracts
• Lottery distributors
• Likely to increase (more playing; Olympics over)
• Private sector resources
• Trusts and Foundations

12. Philanthropic resources
• What role for philanthropy?
• Giving White Paper 2011
• Create a culture of giving time and money
• Identify game changers/opportunities to scale up
• Stimulate behaviour change: nudge
• Create tax incentives that stimulate giving
• Modernise Gift Aid administration
• Love giving, hate fundraising?
• Foundations: pressure on payout?

13. Government resources
• What role for government resources?
• Giving, shopping and investing
• Focus ltd resources on the frontline
• Interest in service delivery, not advocacy/representation
• Contracts
• payment by results
• Prime/sub-contractor model
• Sector blind
• Impact measurement problem not yet cracked
• What about grants?

14. Social investment
• What is it?
• What role for social investment?
• Building the market
• Getting the sector ‘investment ready’
• Reforming the fiscal environment
• Reforming the regulatory environment
• A minority sport?
• New money, or replacing old money?
• Investors: becoming ‘investee ready’

15. Charity Law
& Regulation
Elizabeth Chamberlain,
NCVO Policy Officer

16. Why is charity law important?
• Public trust and confidence
• Independence of charities
• Transparency and accountability

18. • A new Charities Act 2011 arrives…
• … and the Review of the Charities Act
2006 is underway

19. Charities Act 2006 Review
Why is the review taking place?
•Section 73 Charities Act 2006 - review after
5 years
•Review must look at impact of the Act on
public trust in charities and willingness to
volunteer

20. Lord Hodgson’s Charities Act Review
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/charities
NCVO Charity Law Review Advisory Group
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/ncvo-charity-law-revi

21. • April 2012 - Deadline for “responses”
• June/July 2012 - Report to be laid before
Parliament
• Leading to ….. Charities Act 2015?

22. Localism
Charlotte Stuffins,
NCVO Policy

23. Localism
“A ground-breaking shift in power to
councils and communities, overturning
decades of central government control”.
Rt Hon. Eric Pickles MP
Secretary of State for
Communities and Local
Government

24. Localism is part of the Big Society
agenda and inherent in several public
policy areas
Localism Act (Nov 2011)
• Right to Buy
• Community Assets
• Neighbourhood Planning
• General Power of
Competence

25. What are some of the key issues for NCVO?
• Limitations of the spending cuts
• Ensuring equality and fairness
• Ongoing role of central government
Why these issues?
We have consulted
NCVO members to
shape our policy

26. What is NCVO doing?
• Responding to government consultations
• Researching good and practice
• Policy work on rights and regulations
• Researching implications for national
organisations
Want to know more?
NCVO’s lines on these
issues (and more) will be
published on our website
in the coming months

27. The Compact
Adam Pickering,
Compact Voice
Engagement Officer

28. The Compact
• Mutually agreed
principles which set out
the relationship between
the public and voluntary
and community sectors
• Principles such as 12
consultation periods and
3 months notice to
changes to funding are
well known
• Supported by Public Law

29. "One of the other elements we’ve been able to agree very rapidly in our
coalition agreement is support for co-ops, for mutuals, for charities, for
social enterprises – making sure that the Compact you’ve got already
with government … really means something. And one of the early bits
of work, I think, is to refresh and renew that Compact.“
David Cameron, Big Society launch event 2010
“This government believes that the Compact still has a vital part to play
in fostering better partnership working between the Government and
civil society organisations. This is why we have included the Civil
Society Compact as a cross departmental agenda item in departmental
business plans for 2012-13 which will be published in the spring.”
Nick Hurd, in response to NAO report on the Compact

30. What is the current status of the
Compact?
• New accountability measures
• 203 active local Compacts
• Strengthened locally by Best Value Statutory
Guidance
• National Audit Office have made
recommendations for implementation by central
government
• One of No 10’s 6 cross-departmental priorities

31. “Authorities should be responsive to the benefits and needs
of voluntary and community sector organisations of all sizes
(honouring the commitments set out in Local Compacts)”
Best Value Statutory Guidance
Department for Communities and Local Government
“I would encourage all NHS organisations in England to
have signed up to a local Compact and use this to guide
local arrangements for partnership working.”
Andrew Lansley – Secretary of State for Health

32. Why is it particularly relevant
now?
The Compact can help improve partnerships
and reduce risks for both sectors involved
in:
•Decentralisation
•Reduced funding
•Market competition
•Public service design and delivery
•New emerging policy priorities

33. Compact Voice
• Membership organisation
• Provides training and support for
Compacts both locally and nationally
• Shares examples of good practice
• In 2012:
• Comprehensive membership survey
• Working with government
departments on their business plans
Email:
• Developing briefings and publications compact@compactvoice.org.uk
on key policy topics
Website:
• Challenging instances of Compact www.compactvoice.org.uk
non-compliance both locally and Twitter:
nationally @compactvoice

34. In the same fours
What can you add?

35. Thank you