Workshop PM3

Hot issues in politics & policy

Hot issues in politics and policyNick 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

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

In fours

What are your hot policy issues?

Public Services

James Allen, NCVO Head of

Partnerships & Public Services

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

OPSWP• Competition and choice. Accountability?

• Social value

• Structural changes to the public sector: mutuals/spin outs/collaborations

• ‘Consumer’ choice and empowerment

Commissioning: change is needed

• ‘Open commissioning’

• Bureaucracy – PQQs

• Commissioner training

• Extension of PBR

• Localism

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

Funding & Cuts

Karl Wilding, NCVO Head of Policy, Research & Foresight

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

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?

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?

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’

Charity Law& Regulation

Elizabeth Chamberlain, NCVO Policy Officer

Why is charity law important?

• Public trust and confidence

• Independence of charities

• Transparency and accountability

• A new Charities Act 2011 arrives…

• … and the Review of the Charities Act 2006 is underway

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

Lord Hodgson’s Charities Act Review

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/charities-act-review

NCVO Charity Law Review Advisory Group

http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/ncvo-charity-law-review-advisory-group

• April 2012 - Deadline for “responses”

• June/July 2012 - Report to be laid before Parliament

• Leading to ….. Charities Act 2015?

Localism

Charlotte Stuffins, NCVO Policy

Localism“A ground-breaking shift in power to

councils and communities, overturning decades of central government control”.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Rt Hon. Eric Pickles MP

Localism Act (Nov 2011)• Right to Buy• Community Assets• Neighbourhood Planning• General Power of

Competence

Localism is part of the Big Society agenda and inherent in several public policy areas

What are some of the key issues for NCVO?• Limitations of the spending cuts• Ensuring equality and fairness• Ongoing role of central government

We have consulted NCVO members to shape our policy

Why these issues?

Want to know more?

NCVO’s lines on these issues (and more) will be published on our website in the coming months

What is NCVO doing? • Responding to government consultations• Researching good and practice • Policy work on rights and regulations• Researching implications for national organisations

The Compact

Adam Pickering,Compact Voice

Engagement Officer

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

"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

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

“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

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

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• Developing briefings and publications

on key policy topics• Challenging instances of Compact

non-compliance both locally and nationally

Email: compact@compactvoice.org.uk

Website: www.compactvoice.org.uk

Twitter: @compactvoice

In the same fours

What can you add?

Thank you