government policy and initiatives

Department of Health: world class commissioning programme

> www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Commissioning

Aims to transform the way health and care services are commissioned by delivering a more strategic and long-term approach to commissioning services, with a clear focus on delivering improved health outcomes. It focuses on vision, competence, assurance systems, support and delivery. Substantial information including details of the new model contract to be introduced in 2009 is on the web site.

Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG)

> www.communities.gov.uk

Sets policy on local government, housing, urban regeneration and has responsibility for all race equality and community cohesion related issues in England. The White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities sets out how partnerships with the third sector and the commissioning will develop in England. The Public Services Action Plan published by the Office of the Third Sector (December 2007) sets out progress. Communities in Control: Real People, Real Power, White Paper (July 2008) looks at how power and decision making can be devolved. It addresses seven key issues which are treated from the perspective of individual citizens: being active in your community; access to information; having an influence; challenge; redress; standing for office; and ownership and control.

Office of the Third Sector

> www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector

As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities. It is responsible for:

• Working with government departments and public authorities to reduce the barriers to the delivery of public services by the third sector
• Supporting partnership working
• Publication and implementation of the government's action plan on third sector public service delivery
• Local Government: Local Area Agreements (LAAs)
• Funding and procurement issues

The National Performance Programme

The National Performance Programme is the new National Support Service for performance management. Led by the Charities Evaluation Services.
> www.ces-vol.org.uk
To subscribe to our e-newsletter and have it delivered directly to your inbox
e-mail> performance.management@ces-vol.org.uk with 'subscribe' in the subject line.

Their report Accountability and learning: developing monitoring and evaluation in the third sector is the largest ever research study exploring monitoring and evaluation demands and practice in the third sector.
> To read the full report download the pdf

Capturing the experiences of more than 700 voluntary and community organisations, and over 100 funders and commissioners, the study finds accountability expectations have grown enormously during the past 20 years.

Key findings include:

• Despite an increase in the resources and training available, many organisations still struggle with the basics of monitoring and evaluation
• Reporting cycles, with their short timescales, often lead organisations to focus on monitoring outputs at the cost of gathering information about longer-term achievements
• In order to procure funding, organisations have frequently agreed a level of impact with their funders that cannot be realised or measured feasibly

The Sustainable Communities Act

The Act aims to promote the sustainability of local communities. It provides a channel for local people to ask central government to take such action. It is also a new way for local authorities to ask central government to take action which they believe would better enable them to improve the economic, social or environmental well-being of their area. This could include a proposal to transfer the functions of one public body along with its funding.

New “Local Spending Reports” will provide quick and easy access to information about where public money is spent. This will enable local authorities, their partners and communities to take better informed decisions about the priorities they choose to pursue.

The Act requires local authorities to consult and try to reach agreement with local people via a panel of representatives before they make a proposal. Aspects are similar to the new ‘duty to involve’ which applies to best value authorities, introduced in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

On receiving the short-list the Secretary of State must decide which of the proposals should be implemented. She must also publish a statement of the action she proposes to take to be known as an ”action plan“.
> For more information download the pdf

Manifesto for Change: Government Response

The Government has published its response to ‘Manifesto for Change’, the report of the Commission on the future of volunteering. The response includes the announcement of a £4m investment in new training programmes for volunteers and volunteer managers, and £2m to create a new access to volunteering fund for disabled people. The Government’s response can be found at:
> www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/thirdsector
and Volunteering England's comment on the response
> www.digbig.com/4wnwh or > www.volunteering.org.uk

New plans herald the demise of the Learning & Skills Council (LSC)

Proposals will see the transfer of £7 billion to local authorities to help colleges and sixth forms deliver the reforms needed to raise the education and training leaving age to 18. Local authorities who are already responsible for schools, will now take on offering all young people in their area a full menu of choices – diplomas and apprenticeships alongside GCSEs and A levels.

£4 billion a year will go to a new Skills Funding Agency to provide training and skills for adults, with the aim of delivering a system that is responsive and demand-led, meeting the training needs of both employers and individuals. The Agency will manage the creation and management of a new England-wide adult advancement and careers service, which will work together with Jobcentre Plus to boost continuous learning and skills improvement, and guide people to the right training to meet their needs and help change their lives. LSC should go by 2010.
> www.dcsf.gov.uk

Giving more people a say in local spending – Participatory budgeting: a draft national strategy

This consultation seeks views on a draft participatory budgeting strategy to give people in every local authority area a greater say on how public money is spent by 2012. This is seen as a major part of the government’s drive to spread power away from the centre and enable people to influence decision making. More information visit
> www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/participatorybudgeting

Charity Commission Guidance CC37

> www.charitycommission.gov.uk
This introduction to public service delivery is primarily aimed at smaller charities and those charities considering delivering public services for the first time. We hope it will also be useful to those charities that are already delivering public services. It gives an overview of the legal and good practice issues that charities need to consider. Some of the key questions the guidance looks at are:

• What are public services?
• Can charities deliver public services?
• Can charities use their own funds to pay for or contribute to services that public authorities normally provide or fund?
• What are the legal requirements that charities must comply with?
• What recommended good practice should charities consider?
• What risks should charities be aware of?
• What sources of help and advice are available?

Future Builders

> www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk
The Tender Fund offers interest-free three year loans of between £3,000 and £50,000 to third sector organisations who need relatively small sums of money to help them tender successfully for specific public service delivery contracts.

There is no application form for this fund. If you want to enquire about a Tender Fund investment you can call our enquiry line on 0191 261 5200 or
e-mail> info@futurebuilders-england.org.uk