NCIA was pleased to see a strong attack on the effects of market-led commissioning models, but thinks the panel needs to be less cautious on the change that is needed on two key issues: funding and commissioning mechanisms, and the need for voluntary organisations to combine to fight off the threats to their autonomy.
NCIA … Continue reading
Compact Voice continues its happy-clappy approach to the disaster that is the Compact in welcoming the National Audit Office report on its (non) implementation in central government. “We are delighted that the Compact is supported by government departments and that the NAO have found good examples of it being applied” says Compact Voice’s Simon Blake, … Continue reading
For nearly two decades we have been told that ‘partnership’ is the way forward, bringing us all together in ‘one big happy family’. But is partnership working really a confidence trick, confirming and exploiting unequal power relationships? Here Professor Jonathan Davies of De Montfort University outlines the arguments and trails his recent book which locates … Continue reading
On 22 November, in his final address to a NAVCA conference, Kevin Curley asserted his belief that the work of infrastructure organisations should not be values neutral. He said: “I was dismayed when Turning Point and Catch 22 – two great national charities – formed a consortium with Serco to build and run two new … Continue reading
The In Defence of Youth Work campaign has published ‘This is Youth Work’, a collection of case studies about youth work practice, as part of its attempts to highlight key characteristics of the work that are being undermined. The report says that youth work should be ‘founded on a voluntary engagement with young people in … Continue reading
Sarah Lamb, trustee of Adur Voluntary Action and a lifelong volunteer, explains why the Transforming Local Infrastructure scheme won’t work
The beauty of the voluntary sector has been, and still is in many instances, precisely the fact that the solutions it finds, the ways it relates to the people it serves and the people it … Continue reading
John Seddon reflects on how a systems thinking method has improved public services but is now under threat from cuts, commissioning and ‘big society’ as the government fails to move beyond central control and large-scale initiatives.
David Cameron described the ‘big society’ as a ‘culture change’, where people are free and powerful enough to help … Continue reading
Following the riots in the UK this week, many people in the voluntary and community sector are asking where we go from here. If you feel the need of thoughtful questions, messages of solidarity and some analysis of how we are thinking and talking about the riots, see the discussion ‘Wasn’t it inevitable’ on the … Continue reading
Colleagues at Adur Voluntary Action set out what’s wrong with the Transforming Local Infrastructure scheme and ask key questions to help us find an alternative.
The UK Office for Civil Society’s Transforming Local Infrastructure scheme offers £50m to fund local support organisations to merge, collaborate and share services such as IT. The funding is short … Continue reading
Penny Waterhouse finds a connection with the struggle for democracy in Burma.
I was listening to Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader of Burma, about the struggles in her country to be self-determining. And although Burma’s situation is very different to mine, here’s what she said which rang bells with me:
– being … Continue reading