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T he Road to the Compact The English Experience

T he Road to the Compact The English Experience. Nolan Quigley, NCVO European and International Officer Nolan.Quigley@ncvo-vol.org.uk. The NGO Sector in the UK: Setting the context. Long Tradition of Charity – Roots in Religious Upheavals in 16 th Century

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T he Road to the Compact The English Experience

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  1. The Road to the CompactThe English Experience Nolan Quigley, NCVO European and International Officer Nolan.Quigley@ncvo-vol.org.uk

  2. The NGO Sector in the UK: Setting the context • Long Tradition of Charity – Roots in Religious Upheavals in 16th Century • Public support for charity remains strong – New ways to give money are developing. • Influence over government policy is growing. Strong Campaigning tradition. • Increasingly delivering public services – creating some challenges for the independence of the sector.

  3. Some Key Figures • 500 000 voluntary organisations (169,000 “charity” status) • Total income of £26.3 billion (€39.3b) ( 38% from government sources.) • Operating expenditure of £20.4 billion ( €30.5b); • Net assets of £70.1 billion (€102b); • 608,000 paid employees; • Over 3 million volunteers, 1 million trustees • 27% of the population volunteers every month • A contribution of £7.2 billion ( €10.5b) to UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) • Average monthly donation per person was £12.93 (€18.80) • Average proportion of the population giving in any one month was 67.3%

  4. What is NCVO? The National Council for Voluntary Organisations:

  5. Some Basic Facts about NCVO • Established in 1919 • England wide remit • 4900+ member organisations • c. 120 staff • c. £5million ( €7.27million) annual turnover

  6. How is NCVO Financed?

  7. What NCVO does • Conferences, seminars, regional events • Networks and forums • Newsletters and publications • Website briefings • Helpdesk • Pilots and new ways of working • Campaigning, advocacy and lobbying • EU and international work

  8. The Road to a Compact

  9. A brief background to the Compact • An agreement between government and the NGO sector • The national Compact was launched in 1998 • The Compact has 5 codes of practice • They give NGOs enforceable rights like 12 week consultation periods and full cost recovery. • Government formally recognises NGO independence and right to campaign without risking its funding • It has improved the relations between NGOs and national government and with local public bodies • 3 in 4 areas have a Local Compact

  10. Funding Consultation Volunteering Black and Minority Ethnic groups Community organisations + Local Compacts 5 Compact Codes of Practice

  11. Voluntary sector September 1997 - conference of umbrella bodies establishes Compact Working Group October 1997 - 1st draft memorandum November 1997 - 5 month consultation with sector December 1997 - engagement with Government Government November 1997 - Home Office took the lead Early 1998 - Ministerial Working Group established December 1997 Engagement with voluntary and community sector February 1998 - cross Governmental consultation The Compact: Process and Timescale

  12. Strengths of the Compact • Independence of voluntary sector • Not legally binding (changing culture) • Compact as set of rights (and responsibilities) • Annual meeting with ministers • Some senior backing within Government

  13. Weaknesses of the Compact • Not legally binding • Competing policies/attitudes in government • Little cost if not implemented • Limited use by voluntary organisations – not a “usable” document • The solution? Compact Advocacy Programme

  14. Key Learning from the Compact Process 1 • Agreement across the voluntary sector as to what it wanted from a relationship with government; • Recognition that both parties could gain from the process - the development of a ‘win win’ situation which in this case was achieved through the identification of shared principles and values; • Acceptance that such a process required support from all concerned and could not be just top down - widespread and open consultation was important

  15. Key Learning from the Compact Process 2 • Sponsorship of the process at a high level in government; • Understanding of the limitations that both sides faced; • Ensuring that the outcomes could be measurable; • Each piece of research carried out revealed a clear need for Compacts to be closely monitored and scrutinised in order to ensure Compacts were being implemented • The establishment of a full two-way relationship, with obligations on the sector as well as on government

  16. Improvements to the Compact

  17. Giving The Compact TEETH !!

  18. NCVO’s Compact Advocacy Programme • Run by the sector for the sector - acts as the voice of sector • Supporting organisations in using the Compact to improve their relationship with local and central government • Barings Foundation and Big Lottery Funding • Outcomes included, over turning funding decisions, extending consultation periods, assurances of better future working. • Department for Culture Media and Sport departmental review

  19. Compact Advocacy Programme Examples of Successes: • £17 million (€25m) secured for NGO sector after Department of Health ( Health Ministry) threatened to make cuts in National Health Service (NHS) budget which would impact on NGOs delivering vital services. • Department for International Development consultation on Conflict White Paper extended to full 12 weeks. ( From 6 weeks) • Volunteers on Public Benefits provided with lunch ( A scheme organised by the State argued that lunch should be paid by “volunteers”.)

  20. “COMPACT PlusStrengthening Partnerships”

  21. Where did Compact + come from? • March 2005- Home Office ( Interior Ministry) launched consultation on their own proposals including : a Commissioner to enforce Compact compliance; a small set of funding focused commitments; an accreditation scheme

  22. Where are we now? • John Stoker appointed as Compact Commissioner to champion the Compact. • New Compact Office in Birmingham • NCVO’s Compact Advocacy work continues

  23. Road Towards a European Concordat • NCVO Proposal for a Compact-style agreement for the EU Institutions and NGOs.

  24. Why do we need a Concordat ? • A complex relationship between civil society and the European Commission • Not just consultation, not just funding. • No all-encompassing memorandum of understanding exists. • Different expectations of the relationship. • Lack of faith in the Minimum Standards of Consultation. […]

  25. ..why do we need a Concordat? • Many non-Brussels based NGOs feel excluded from consultations and structures. • Different attitudes in different parts of the European Commission to dialogue and communication with civil society.

  26. Some Key Principles & Undertakings • Independence to campaign irrespective of funding. • Consultation on all policy over 12 weeks minimum period. • Communication rules to be put in place(regarding letters emails etc) • Strong scrutiny and evaluation: European Parliament to play a role. • Transparency and Accountability of the Civil society organisations

  27. Labai dėkui !

  28. Some Useful Websites www.ncvo-vol.org.uk www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/compactadvocacy www.charity-commission.gov.uk www.thecompact.org.uk www.scvo.org.uk www.wcva.org.uk www.nicva.org

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