National 'compact' between public and voluntary sectors needs local boost
"You don’t stand a chance of getting this money unless you can
demonstrate that you are working in partnership with the health
authority, the voluntary sector, the community itself."
Interview with a local authority policy officer
The new national ‘compact’ on joint working between government and the voluntary and community sectors needs to be replicated through closer and more equal partnerships at local level before it can succeed, according to a feasibility study, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
The research finds that there is widespread interest in developing ‘local compacts’ in response to national agreements launched by the Government in November. Many local authorities already have policies and joint working arrangements in place with voluntary and community organisations that could provide the basis for a compact. This reflects the growing emphasis that central government initiatives such as Health Action Zones, the Single Regeneration Budget, New Deal for Communities and Sure Start place on partnership as a condition of funding.
Local agreements have been introduced most systematically by councils in Scotland and Wales – largely because of initiatives taken three years ago at the time of local government reorganisation. Policies governing relations with the voluntary and community sectors tend to be far less common among ‘quangos’, such as health authorities, Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) and Local Enterprise Councils (LECs), than among elected authorities.
The researchers, from the University of Brighton and the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside, suggest that existing agreements tend to leave local authority funders ‘in the driving seat’ because they are heavily focused on funding and service delivery arrangements. They conclude that there is still some way to go in achieving the joint ownership and genuine partnership required for a compact agreement.
Looking at key ingredients needed for local compacts, the report argues that the following need to be in place:
- Effective ‘champions’ within authorities to drive the agreement forward;
- Commitment to joint working from officers and members supported by education and awareness training;
- Good communications within the authority and within the voluntary and community sectors to ensure that smaller groups can be part of the compact as well as established organisations;
- A history of dialogue between the different sectors - and enough time to develop a stronger understanding of each other’s organisation and activities.
Gary Craig, co author of the study, said: "The development of national policy guidance for compacts provides an important context for the development of local compacts. These will need to reflect key elements of the national framework. However, our research suggests that local compacts will also need to reflect local conditions and be established through better local relationships, rather than simply following a national formula."
He added: "Ultimately, it is not the proliferation of compacts that is important. It is clarity of roles and relationships between different sectors and the depth and quality of mutual understanding on which they are founded."
