Use your Compact
What can the Compact do for you?What can the Compact do for you?
The Compact is the agreement - a document and way of working - between the government and independent voluntary organisations to improve their relationship for mutual advantage. It’s delivered those who use it: better relations, improved funding processes, clear consultation standards, and enforceable rights. It’s a compass to good practice in working with government and local public body partners. So don't wait until things go wrong before using it. Take it to meetings, use it as a partnership tool and draw on it to improve funding relationships.
Challenging bad practice diplomatically works best. If a government department or statutory body hasn’t followed Compact principles in how it does business, just asking them whether they are being Compact-compliant can make things right.
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Fair funding and good consultation
The Compact means fair and effective funding and commissioning processes, and for the sector to be involved in designing services. Funding should be allocated on a full cost recovery basis, for three or more years, with proportionate monitoring, a fair balance of risk and three months' notice and reasons given when funding ends.
The Compact also sets standards for government to conduct proper consultations which are clearly defined, open and meaningful, and allow at least twelve weeks for responses and giving feedback.
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Strengthening Independence
The Compact safeguards the sector's independence, including its right within the law to campaign and challenge Government policy and the right to manage its own affairs without undue interference. If the sector doesn't defend its own independence nobody else will.
Independence issues affect all areas of the relationship and it is crucial that we use the Compact to assert our independence. An independent sector is vital for a healthy society but we often need to do more to ensure funding and relationships do not compromise our mission and values.
It's crucial that the Sector's voice is heard through fearless but responsible campaigning. Groups should also challenge attempts by funders to appoint themselves to Trustee boards or impose restrictive funding conditions and monitoring procedures.
Local Compacts
All councils in England are committed to having a Local Compact to improve their relationship with the sector and other local public bodies for mutual advantage and community gain. All areas are covered by a Local Compact. Whilst some Compacts are proving successful, others are not being implemented, mostly because these have not been resourced.
Positive examples include East Sussex, where the Compact has made a difference because the local strategic partnership scrutinizes its progress, a communications group works to disseminate relevant messages to those working on the frontline and tailored training gives practical examples of how to use it. In Birmingham, the council developed its new commissioning strategy by involving the local voluntary sector from the beginning, and this has resulted in a more strategic and successful approach that many other bodies are looking to replicate.
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What should I do next?
Read more tips about maximising your Local Compact.
Join more than 1300 other members of the Compact Voice network by signing up to our online forum.
For help or questions about joining contact Dugald McNaughtan.
If you want help using or implementing your Compact, contact Paul Barasi.
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