Scottish Third Sector Research Forum

30 May 2013, Robertson House.

Present

Patty Lozano- Casal (Evaluation Support Scotland)

Joanna McLaughlin (Robertson Trust)

Steven Marwick (Evaluation Support Scotland)

Andy Dey (ACOSVO)

Mark Meiklejohn (Scottish Government)

David Cruickshank (Scottish Government)

Lorna Hunter (VHS)

Jonathan Coburn (Social Value Lab)

Mike Woolvin (SRUC)

Ruchir Shah (SCVO)

Sandy Watson (Scottish Enterprise)

Louise Meikleham (OSCR)

Apologies

Anne MacDonald

Kiera Oliver (replacing Carole Brown)

Ilse MacKinnon

Kathleen Doyle

Prof Stephen Osborne

Duncan Thorp

Fiona Dill

Miller, Gillian [On behalf of Carolyn Sawers]

DR Artur Steinerowski

Claire Stevens

Kevin MacDonald

Minutes & Matters arising

The minutes of the previous meeting (24 January 2013) were approved with minor corrections to the attendance list.

Matters arising were dealt with over the course of the meeting.

Update on the evidence framework.

Jo and Patty had updated The Strategic Evidence Framework to reflect views from the previous meeting. The new draft broadened the range of priority areas to give greater weight to the third sector and broader public sector, clarified that the forum was politically neutral, included some new issues and clarified the responsibilities and roles of the forum and individual members. The new draft is attached.

There followed a workshop where members split into two groups and worked to consider and plot the priorities identified onto a framework. This work will help identify the issues the forum will focus on in the coming year.

The following comments were made:

That there were a large number of topics which were marked high priority for both SG and Third Sector. Examples given were, Public Sector Reform, Change Funds, Economic Policy, community planning, procurement, relationships.

Ruchir suggested a way forward might be to identify gateway topics that impact broadly. The group noted that many areas are interconnected and noted that as well as identifying specific areas to be taken forward, the forum may also have a role in identifying work already complete or in progress, and in integrating and bringing together various themes. It was noted that some work around integration was already underway for example, in SG and Big Lottery.

It was also noted that the work of the forum would be likely to have more impact if timed to support work at crucial periods. The forum should therefore set its priorities within a timeline.

Next Steps

A short life working group will use the findings to identify policy priorities and develop a logic model with suggestions for possible roles for the forum (undertaking research, gathering or disseminating research). The group would hope to report by end August and it will then be for the forum as a whole to finally decide on priorities and projects for the short and medium term. Patty and Jo will sit on the group with other members TBC.

On the topic of integrating research the group agreed that the way forward was to engage with current work in this area.

Updates

Members updates are attached.

Workshops

There were two workshops:

Third Sector Investment & Funding led by Sandy.

Partnership working and collaboration across the third sector and public sector led by Patty.

Third sector investment and funding:

Sandy summarised: Investment, always a key issue for the entire third sector, this issue is likely to become even more critical as available public funding falls further. One example sports clubs/organisations - most, if not all of Scotlands thousands of sports clubs/organizations are dependent to some extent on public sector funding. As this funding reduces, what are the realistic options here? Further change towards the social enterprise model could work for some in the sector, but it is not a model that can work for all.

Some third sector orgs are looking to fairly new and untested ideas, such as crowd funding and private social investment. Is there work for the forum in assessing the effectiveness and sustainability of these methods?

Is there an issue with third sector orgs being investment ready? Could third sector organisations learn from private sector?

Some evidence indicates that there is a reluctance amongst third sector orgs to take up debt finance investment (loans). Is there work here to identify the barriers and, if appropriate, how these could be overcome? (For example, third sector operators suggest some form of public sector guarantee process).

Partnership working is seen as a way to raise awareness of benefits of the third sector and more closely align work with the priorities of funders and at the same time to generate greater added value and perhaps create a better investment proposition and improved sustainability. What can be done to improve the process?

Need to recognise that some third sector orgs will always need public funding.

Sandy undertook to contact specialists he is aware of with a view to them presenting to or participating in future meetings.

The proposal for a Scottish Community Bank is currently being explored by third sector/social enterprise organisations. Can the Research Forum contribute to that work?

Partnership working:

Patty summarised the key themes developed during the workshop:

Partnership working is always, to some extent, a change of culture.

Partners with a shared sense of mission enables good partnership working

Power balance can be a barrier funders used to getting their way may not be getting the full benefits of partnership working. Solution: build trust and cultural change

Partners having different timescales might hinder partnership working

Personal relationships are important (and building a partnership can take a long time e.g. build trust and respect).

Important to get timing right beginning partnership early in the process rather than when key decisions have already been made.

Role for forum might include:

Pulling together learning from existing partnership projects ,sharing information and good practice - evidence gap: what successful partnership looks like.

Partnership works best when people are willing and not forced to collaborate.

Look at our own partnership working Is our partnership right? (e.g. does forum need more academics?)

Can true partnership actually happen? Short term partnership can happen between people whereas in the long term that partnership may be institutional, rather than personal, given that people move posts and links may be lost.

AOB

Mikes proposal for the forum to act as advisor was dropped as the knowledge exchange programme is not going ahead. Noted that it may be worth having the discussion around whether this could be a role for the forum in tandem with suggestions to increase membership of academics and/or bring academics to contribute to Forums discussions, when appropriate, to benefit from their knowledge and experience in a given area.

Agreed that the Health and Social Care Alliance should be invited to join the forum.

ACTIONS:

Sandy will contact specialists he is aware of with a view to arranging participation or presentation with the forum.

Patty and Jo will write up and circulate the results of the workshop (priority areas)

Working group to be set up Patty, Jo and others to be agreed.

Group reports by end August

Patty will invite Health and Social Care Alliance to join the Forum.

Research Updates TSRF meeting on 30 May 2013

1. Scottish Enterprise

Key issues for social enterprise/ third sector

Key issues for social enterprise/third sector are:

Business support

Investment / funding

Engagement in public services design and delivery

Scaling/growth/sustainability of third sector/social enterprise organisations

Partnership/collaboration (among 3S org's and across public/private/third sector)

Scottish Enterprise propose Investment/ funding as a potential area of interest for the Research Forum.

The following article was in a recent Guardian social enterprise forum:

http://socialenterprise.guardian.co.uk/social-enterprise-network/2013/mar/06/social-enterprise-funding-eu-2014?CMP=

It highlights the growing emphasis on this on the EU/EC agenda and the need for countries that are interested in supporting development of their social economy/social enterprise/social innovation to take an interest in and influence development of policy if they are to benefit from future structure fund provision.

Research Forum to consider: Forming an invest sub-group to take a look at this. SG needs to be involved.

Submitted by Sandy Watson (Sandy.Watson@scotent.co.uk)

1. Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)

Capturing the Impact of Welfare Reform Mapping

SCVO has just completed a key piece of research into the impact of welfare reform on third sector organisations. The report is based on evidence from over 400 people working in the third sector, and pulls together results from a survey, focus groups and interviews. It complements a number of other pieces of research which have looked at the impact of welfare reform on benefit recipient groups, but looks specifically at the impact that the reforms will have on a wide range of third sector organisations: advice organisations such as CABs, and organis