The Road to the CompactThe 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 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.

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%

What is NCVO?The National Council for Voluntary Organisations:

Some Basic Facts about NCVO

• Established in 1919

• England wide remit

• 4900+ member organisations

• c. 120 staff

• c. £5million ( €7.27million) annual turnover

How is NCVO Financed?

Earned Income31%

Government - Core Grant

19%

CAF18%

Project Grants and Fundraised

Income21%

Membership Subs10%

Investment Income

1%

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

The Road to a

Compact

T he R oo ts o f Cu rren t Re fo rm s

Futurebuilders Change U p

"Cross C utting Review"Public Serv ice Delivery

The Compact

Guidesta r

Charity Law Reform

1996 The Deakin C ommission on the F uture of the Voluntary SectorIts Conculsions S parked 3 Major Changes

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

5 Compact Codes of Practice

• Funding• Consultation• Volunteering• Black and Minority Ethnic groups• Community organisations

+ Local Compacts

The Compact: Process and Timescale

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

Strengths of the CompactStrengths 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

Weaknesses of the CompactWeaknesses 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

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

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

Improvements to the Compact

Giving The Compact TEETH !!

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

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”.)

“COMPACT PlusStrengthening Partnerships”

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

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

Road Towards a European Concordat

• NCVO Proposal for a Compact-style agreement for the EU Institutions and NGOs.

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.

[…]

..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.

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

Labai dėkui !

Some Useful Websites

www.ncvo-vol.org.ukwww.ncvo-vol.org.uk/compactadvocacywww.charity-commission.gov.uk

www.thecompact.org.uk

www.scvo.org.uk

www.wcva.org.uk

www.nicva.org