2012 Annual Report
On the
Concordat
between the
Voluntary & Community Sector
and the
Northern Ireland Government
June 2012
Contents
Page
Joint Forum Chair Foreword3
Executive Summary5
- Introduction6
- Key Issues Impacting on the Voluntary and
Community Sector7
- Concordat Action Teams – Updates10
Structural Reform11
Outcome-Focused Approach to Funding13
Influence and Examine the Impact of Government Policy15
Bureaucracy16
- Public Accounts Committee – Update17
Recommendation 318
Recommendation 519
Recommendation 1120
Annexes
Annex A 21
Joint Government/Voluntary and Community
Sector Forum – Terms of Reference
Annex B29
Public Sector Group – Terms of Reference
Annex C36
Voluntary and Community Sector Group –
Terms of Reference
Joint Forum Chair Foreword
On behalf of the Joint Government/Voluntary and Community Sector Forum, we are pleased to present the first annual report on the Concordat between the Voluntary and Community Sector and the Northern Ireland Government.
Good working relationships between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector have long been recognised as being vital to the public interest and recent years have witnessed increasing numbers of voluntary and community sector organisations playing an active part in delivering on key agendas in terms of service delivery and the regeneration of disadvantaged communities.
The new structure of engagement under the Concordat, with the Sector working with Government as a social partner, has commenced. Teams of Government and Voluntary and Community Sector representatives have taken forward a range of commitments listed in the Concordat and we consider that significant progress has been made.
Implementation of the Concordat has also been assisted by the publication of the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report ‘Creating Effective Partnerships between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector in September’ 2010 and of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report ‘Creating Effective Partnerships between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector January 2012’ which clearly recognise the importance of establishing and implementing a formal process of engagement between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector. One of the key challenges facing the Joint Forum as it developed structures which would enable the Concordat to become real and relevant to all partners, was taking this forward in a cost effective and achievable manner. We believe that this Annual Report fully complies with the spirit and letter of the Concordat in that it provides a full and frank report of progress against commitments made by all partners identifies key issues for future action and embodies the spirit of partnership working enshrined within the Concordat in its shared principles and values.
Catherine McCallumMichael Hughes
Joint Forum ChairJoint Forum Chair
Voluntary & Community UnitVoluntary Sector Panel
Executive Summary
- The Concordat has been many years in development, and seeks to put a solid policy framework in place which fosters a positive and productive partnership between the voluntary and statutory sectors to deliver improved services for the Northern Ireland communities.
- The Concordat agreement identified twelve commitments that would be taken forward and of these twelve, four were prioritised by the Joint Forum as those that should be advanced first. A number of these addressed issues of process that needed to be resolved in order to progress other commitments which focused on policy issues of concern to government and the voluntary and community sector.
- Good progress has been made on the commitments being taken forward. The work carried out to date on commitments such as impact of policy development, outcome-focused funding and bureaucracy, has clearly identified the complexity and inter-relationship of these issues and a recognition by all those involved that resolution and effective outcome would require a great deal of collaboration and new and imaginative thinking.
1 Introduction
1.1 This document is the first report from the Joint Government / Voluntary and Community Sector Forum (Joint Forum) on the Concordat between the Voluntary and Community Sector and the Northern Ireland Government.
1.2 The Concordat contains an undertaking that the Minister for Social Development will formally present a yearly report from the Joint Forum to the NI Executive and Assembly. This is the first report covering the first six months of operation of the Concordat, September 2011 – March 2012.
1.3 While the Concordat represents the shared vision of Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector, custodianship and responsibility for the implementation of the Commitment Programme lies with the Joint Forum. This group is responsible for ensuring that the shared values and principles of the Concordat are translated into tangible outcomes and positive progress in this social partner relationship.
1.4 It was never the intention of the Concordat to offer quick-fix solutions but rather that it would provide the framework for a long-term process that would develop and mature over a number of years. Where matters can be addressed with speed, however, it is the intention of the Joint Forum to ensure that this happens. The report highlights where issues can and have been resolved; where there are complexities which require the input of external stakeholders; and where the matter is beyond the scope of individual Commitment Action Teams or the Joint Forum to address.
2 Key issues impacting on the Voluntary and Community Sector
2.1 The Concordat is an acknowledgement of the significant role played by the Sector and its contribution to Society and the agreement, shared values and principles and the Commitment Programme set out in the Concordat reflect and recognise the inter-dependency that exists between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector.
2.2 The Concordat has strengthened the social partnership role of the Sector by placing it on an equal footing with public sector bodies and has provided a mechanism for concerns to be raised at the highest level of Government through the yearly report to the NI Executive and Assembly. Many of these concerns and issues have already been identified and listed in the Commitment Programme. This mechanism also allows new issues to be incorporated and addressed as they arise.
A Civic Voice
2.3 The role of the Voluntary and Community Sector as part of the civic voice of Northern Ireland is a crucial part of our democracy and should be recognised and valued as such. Voluntary and community organisations value partnership with Government but they also reserve the right to offer critical review, articulate need and highlight ineffective policies and/or services. For their part, voluntary and community organisations recognise that this also leaves them open to critical review from Government. This is a sign of mutually respectful, healthy relationships.
2.4 Therefore Government departments and their agencies should not use their powerful position as a funder of service provision to limit any critical or contradictory opinions that may arise from voluntary and community organisations. It is important to voluntary and community organisations that the protection afforded to them in the Concordat to carry out their dual roles as the deliverers of services and as advocates is recognised and implemented across Government and its agencies.
Access for Influence
2.5 As advocates for communities, families and people, Northern Ireland’s voluntary and community organisations offer a unique insight into community need, provide expertise on solutions that really work and have the ability to reach people and places not readily accessible by Government. Many voluntary and community organisations can also bring significant resources to any partnership arrangements. Given the serious problems faced by communities and the financial realities faced by the NI Executive, there has never been a more important time for both Government and the Sector to sharpen its focus and maximise its impact. Therefore the Voluntary and Community Sector is keen to foster a more productive relationship with Government, which moves beyond consultation on what are often already decided policies, into a more on-going, dynamic, problem-solving and outcome-focused relationship.
2.6 The Concordat and the Joint Forum offer a unique opportunity to explore what such a relationship might look like and the outcome of this work should have a wider reach across Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector.
Sustaining a healthy Voluntary and Community Sector.
2.7 The impressive number and variety of voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland is something which we should promote and be proud of.
2.8 Our traditions of self-help, volunteering and desire to speak out on behalf of those less able to do so stretch back generations and need to be protected in the coming years.
2.9 Voluntary and community organisations recognise that, where duplication exists, more needs to be done to maximise the use of resources and many have already taken steps to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. However mergers, collaboration and closures driven by funding requirements or the belief that fewer equates with more effective are not good for the Sector or the people it works with.
2.10 Voluntary and community organisations are keen to explore new and innovative ways of generating income. Voluntary and community organisations are interested in working with Government to explore concepts such as social impact bonds, venture capital investment, access to loans, asset transfer, development trusts and increased philanthropy.
2.11 Many social enterprises in Northern Ireland are market leaders in their field and there is no doubt that moving into the social economy is a viable option for some organisations considering their sustainability. However it is not an easy move and requires considerable support. Crucially, the social enterprise model is not applicable or appropriate to all organisations and cannot be seen as the answer to the sustainability question for the Sector as a whole.
3 Concordat Action Teams (CAT) - Updates
Introduction
3.1 The Commitments Programme within the Concordat document is a set of specific activities each helping to ensure the effective delivery of significant elements of the Concordat. In order to successfully deliver upon these commitments, it was decided to allocate responsibility to dedicated project teams.
3.2 Formal Commitment Action Teams (CATs) were established and each was allocated a Concordat commitment as prioritised by the Joint Forum. Each team comprises Government and Voluntary and Community Sector representatives, headed by a chairperson and appropriate administrative support.
3.3 Each CAT has produced a terms of reference which has been agreed and endorsed by the Joint Forum. Each team reports formally on their progress at each Joint Forum meeting. The work of each CAT is managed using project control methodology, which ensures that objectives are properly specified, outputs are identified and progress is made within an agreed, specified timeframe.
3.4 The following paragraphs provide an update on progress by the various teams.
Structural Reform
3.5 The Structural Reform CAT was tasked with reviewing the existing remit of the Joint Forum and, where appropriate, to recommending new responsibilities for the Joint Forum to enable it to fully implement the Concordat.
Objectives and Position Report
3.6 Objective 1:
To formally present to the NI Executive and Assembly a yearly report from the Joint Forum through the DSD Minister on issues impacting on the Voluntary and Community Sector.
3.7 This Concordat commitment has been achieved by the publication of this Annual Report.
3.8 Objective 2:
To review the terms of reference and membership of the Joint Forum, which includes the Voluntary and Community Sector Panel and the Inter-Departmental Group to document this new agreement and emerging public sector structures and responsibilities.
Terms of Reference
3.9 A review of the terms of reference and membership of the Joint Forum was considered necessary to reinforce its status and to develop a clear understanding among current and new members of their responsibilities.
3.10 A new proposed terms of reference, which clearly sets out the Forum’s role and responsibilities, was designed by the CAT and presented to the Joint Forum at its January 2012 meeting. The terms of reference was agreed by the Joint Forum and is now in operation. This terms of reference is included at Annex A to this report.
Membership
3.11 To better reflect wider public sector representation on the Joint Forum the existing Inter-Departmental Group, whose membership comprised representatives of Central Government departments, has been renamed as the Public Sector Group (PSG). This change was necessary to fully demonstrate the fuller engagement of the wider public sector through local government representation and the intention to widen this further to include representation from health and education public sector bodies. New Terms of Reference for the PSG has been agreed and is included at Annex B to this report.
3.12 For the Voluntary and Community Sector, the key issue was representation at meetings and the necessary dissemination of information. New, revised terms of reference has been agreed for this Group, which has been renamed Voluntary and Community Sector Group (VCG) and is included at Annex C to this report.
3.13 Objective 3:
To explore and develop processes whereby Concordat non-compliance can be addressed.
3.14 This commitment will be taken forward over the next year. It is envisaged that this will result in an agreed process which identifies non-compliance, together with an agreed procedure on how acknowledged breaches of compliance may be addressed.
3.15 It is also expected that upon implementation, the use of regular surveys will be used to provide regular feedback from all stakeholders on compliance with the Concordat and general views on its impact.
Outcome-focused Approach to Funding
3.16 This CAT has examined existing good practice in developing outcome-focused frameworks. The team is also considering a collaborative project with the Building Change Trust[1] to identify and implement an outcome-focused approach across the public and voluntary and community sectors in Northern Ireland.
Objectives and Position Report
3.17 Objective 1:
To identify good practice models of outcome-related investment in the community/voluntary sector from statutory, charitable and philanthropic sources.
This CAT has had discussions with Building Change Trust on how investment could be applied strategically across NI with potential funding for pilot projects.
3.18 Objective 2:
Identify best practice policy/legislation impacting positively on outcome-related investment within other jurisdictions.
This CAT has reviewed reports from the Scottish Parliament on how outcome-related investment policies have been implemented successfully and any related learning from the process.
3.19 Objective 3:
Develop definitions which clearly distinguish the key differences in meaning and practice relating to outputs and outcomes.
CAT members have discussed the need for shared understanding of definitions between statutory sector and voluntary and community sector with the recommendation of developing a training course to be delivered to both sectors.
3.20 Objective 4:
Produce appropriate guidance material on how outcome-focused investment in the Community/Voluntary Sector is built into the various methods through which the Government Sector seeks applications, assesses, makes awards, monitors and evaluates related financial support.
This work is on-going and will be developed in parallel with the training course
3.21 Objective 5:
Produce appropriate guidance material on how the Community and Voluntary Sector is expected to evidence outcomes delivered as a consequence of investment in the Sector by Government.
3.22 This work is on-going and will be developed in parallel with the training course. An interim report produced by this CAT in January 2012 contains a number of recommendations for consideration. A final report is planned for completion by October 2012.
3.23 Further work is under consideration with Building Change Trust to identify impact measurement tools for use by both Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector in NI. The team is also considering the potential for working with key partners to identify and commission a number of initial projects.
Influence and Examine the Impact of Government Policy
This work is still at a very early stage.
Objectives and Position Report:
3.24 Objective:
To provide opportunities for the Voluntary and Community Sector to influence and examine the impact of Government policy.
3.25 This CAT has determined that this objective can best be achieved by the compilation of a policy booklet which sets out the principles and characteristics of good and bad policy making, clarifies the legal requirements and explains any associated jargon.
3.26 Underpinning this will be a proposal that relevant stakeholders will be involved at an early stage of policy development.
Bureaucracy
3.27 Following publication of the Concordat and the NIAO and PAC reports, it was agreed by the Joint Forum that a further Commitment Action Team should be established to focus on the level of bureaucracy surrounding the funding relationship between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector.
3.28 This area of work was added to the Concordat commitments in September 2011 and it was accepted that any solution to this very complex issue would require the involvement of personnel from the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) and the NI Audit Office (NIAO) at a very senior level.
3.29 Following the publication of the PAC report in January 2012, a project team was established to take forward the PAC recommendations on bureaucracy. Progress is being made on a number of issues. Due to the complex nature of bureaucracy, external stakeholders from Department of Finance and Personnel, NIAO and DSD Internal Audit are represented on the Steering Group, Project Board and Project Team.
Objectives and Position Update
3.30 Objective:
To identify improvements that can be made in public sector funding to the Voluntary and Community sector, which will deliver greater proportionality of administration, reduce duplication of effort or deliver better value for money.