Working with the Third Sector

Posted by Richard Corden, Chief Executive, Commission for the Compact on February 23rd, 2010

Just before Christmas, we published the refreshed national Compact – the partnership working agreement between the government and the third sector. It sets out commitments on both sides to improve the way in which the public and third sectors work together.

We called it a “refresh” because we wanted to emphasise that we were preserving what was sound and enduring from the original 1998 Compact. At the same time, we were bringing the agreement up to date with changes that have occurred in recent years in law, policy and practice, and in the general state of government/third sector relations.

The Compact is a national agreement but, of course, many of the best Compacts are local. Almost all local areas have their own Compacts governing the third sector’s relationship with local government, strategic health authorities, primary care trusts, police and other local public sector bodies. The national Compact does not apply directly to local public bodies but provides a template for Local Compacts which are negotiated and agreed at local level. We hope that people working in existing Local Compacts will look at the refreshed national agreement to see whether there is anything in it which could with advantage be imported into their Local Compact.

We all know that the next spending review is going to be an exceptionally tight one for local authorities – everyone will be asked to do the same, or more, with less. Relationships with the local third sector will be very important in achieving this. Whilst working with the third sector should never be seen as a “cheap” option, a good relationship can save time and effort, and help local authorities to provide services to people and in places they might not otherwise easily reach.

Local Compacts are key to this. They give guidance on service commissioning and budget discussions, and on consulting and involving the third sector in policy decisions. They can help advance equality in partnership with specialist third sector organisations.

At the Commission for the Compact, we are currently carrying out research into the social and economic benefits which accrue from using the Compact and how the Compact can help local authorities achieve area-based targets. We will be producing publications to help guide local authorities in these areas, including a toolkit allowing local authorities to calculate the economic and social benefits of applying the principles in their Local Compact. See www.thecompact.org.uk

Too often Local Compacts, having been signed with a fanfare, are put on the top shelf and left there. We want them to be used by public and third sector bodies to improve, by working together, the services, facilities and opportunities offered to local people.

To download a copy of the refreshed Compact, please visit:
www.thecompact.org.uk
For hard copies, please call:
0121 237 5905


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