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6. Recommendations
The following recommendations relate to the conclusions and aspects we think can make a difference. They do not relate directly to each conclusion, rather, they are a response to perceptions of the key issues. Many of these areas, and the conclusions, require further discussion and input from SFR partners. Broader consultation with the voluntary sector will also ensure buy-in to any future action.
6.1 Short-term
These suggestions relate to aspects that could be implemented over a short-term period. They are not described in order of importance.
6.1.1 One-stop shop
There is a range of support services provided nationally and locally. CVS have a Core Activities Framework that applies to all CVS across Scotland. One aspect of this framework is 'providing support services' to the voluntary sector. This focuses on the organisation's direct delivery of support in a local area. We recommend the development of 32 (same boundaries as local authorities) one-stop shops for support to voluntary organisations. The development of a one-stop shop has a natural 'house' in CVS. The change required would be an enhanced focus on amassing knowledge of other support available in the area; a task already undertaken by some CVS. This will encourage further joint working, rather than merely information sharing, and will ensure that those who provide services make themselves known to the local CVS.
6.1.2 Quality assurance
There is an ongoing need for continued development and promotion of quality support services. Support recipients and referring organisations need to have some assurance of quality. There are a number of possibilities:
- Development of Quality Marks
There have been a few suggestions of a 'kitemark' to guarantee quality in support provision. There are a number of quality assurance systems in existence. A study of the evidence of legal information and advice services identified a number of quality standards. 21 One example is the Quality Mark underpinning the Community Legal Service and Criminal Defence Service in England and Wales 22 covering 'information', 'general help' and 'specialist help'. Further work needs to be done to assess which type of 'kitemark' (either existing or a new development) would be best suited to this kind of area.
- Development of an eBay-style rating system.
eBay users reputation is created via feedback from buyers and sellers. eBay describes this system,
"Through positive, negative, and neutral ratings and comments, each eBay member has a Feedback score. All sellers display this score in the Seller Information box of the item listing page. eBay Feedback fosters trust between people by acting as both an incentive to do the right thing and as a mark of distinction for those who conduct transactions with respect, honesty, and fairness"23
Such a system could be developed for support services; building on the one-stop shop model. Users and providers/referrers of support services will be encouraged to report on their experience. This could include:
- Description of the service they accessed
- Associated costs
- Positive features
- Areas for improvement
- Value for money score
6.1.3 Focus on capacity of Management Committee/Board members
The importance of good governance underpins all aspects of organisational development. The development of effective Boards and Trustees is required to maximise the contribution of voluntary organisations. There are a number of initiatives that are already underway that support this development. For example:
- SCVO have developed a good governance programme. 24 This programme provides information for trustees and committees on all facets of running an organisation, access to publications, and access to training courses, seminars and conferences as well as links to other organisations.
- The Big Lottery Fund have developed a programme, worth £257 million, for investing in communities: 'Dynamic, Inclusive Communities' 25. This programme is designed to support the voluntary sector to support other voluntary organisations better.
It will be important to ensure these initiatives and others like them, co-ordinate efforts and maximise the value from these important schemes. The uptake and value of courses and initiatives should be measured to ensure that lessons are learned and future funding can be targeted appropriately.
6.1.4 HR and legal advice
A very practical suggestion to improve support is provision of legal and employment advice in an accessible format. 'Accessible' refers to the instant availability of support and the costs associated with it. We recommend the establishment of a legal advice and employment helpline for the voluntary sector. This helpline will provide basic advice and support and will be unlikely to support detailed legal/ HR issues. It will also not displace valued support already provided by organisations such as ACAS. We suggest that SCVO take a lead in pulling together a group to consider how best to do this.
6.1.5 Role of Enterprise Companies
Any discussion of future support to the voluntary sector must involve both the Scottish Enterprise Network and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. They have a valuable role to play in supporting organisations that want to become more 'business-minded' and should be viewed as a key organisation to support such voluntary organisations. This will require joint working with local and national generic support services to ensure services are complementary and identify areas where joint working will add value to the sector.
We recommend that the SFR group explore this aspect and outline an appropriate way forward. These discussions must also involve Communities Scotland in its role in supporting the social economy. Once these aspects are clear, local intermediaries, perhaps the suggested one-stop shops, must be informed of services available and both sides encouraged to make stronger local links.
6.1.6 Procurement
The lack of understanding of many voluntary organisations of how to tender for contracts must be addressed. This includes improved understanding of how to cost services and if full cost recovery is a viable option for individual organisations.
We recommend that CoSLA (and possibly health board procurement specialists) and SCVO organise a series of seminars to inform organisations of how to link into procurement systems. This face-to-face method, as opposed to 'how to' guides, will encourage sharing of practice between voluntary organisations and develop informal networks for future support.
6.1.7 European Structural Funds ( ESF)
ESF programmes in Scotland will change radically from 2007 onwards, with a different focus, different financing mechanisms and significantly reduced funding. This represents an enormous challenge to the voluntary sector in both the short and longer term. The VIU needs to work with SCVO and other support agencies to help the voluntary sector identify its longer-term position in relation to ESF and to help it overcome the transitional problems that will become apparent over the first few years of the new programme, where some voluntary organisations will need to phase themselves out of ESF.
6.2 Longer-term
6.2.1 Choice and markets
A fundamental issue to be considered is the extent to which the Executive wishes to create a market amongst support agencies in which voluntary organisations can choose who they wish to go to (and pay) for services. The implication would be that intermediaries who fail to meet the demands of the sector (either locally or thematically) would be allowed to fail and that successful intermediaries would expand to take their place.
This could be done through a contracting process similar to that employed in the Business Gateway where, over time, a smaller number of providers have survived and expanded in each round with overall improvements across Scotland.
An alternative would be to insist that in each area of Scotland the support services meet a quality threshold and to remove funds from those who fail to meet those standards and to give those funds to organisations that do.
6.2.2. CVS development
It is critical that developments to the support infrastructure for voluntary organisations build on what already exists. The variety in type and quality of support provided by the CVS network means that voluntary organisations in Scotland receive highly variable levels of support. The introduction of the Charities Aid Foundation ( CAF) goes someway to provide some commonality of support with room for flexibility depending on local context.
As with the review of CVS network 26 we recommend that the network consider developing a more streamlined national structure to replicate local authorities. The existence of more than 32 organisations contributes to the view of the support structure as 'cluttered' and national information dissemination is difficult due to lack of one-route in. However, this could be achieved by the development of one-stop shop for each area; creating a 'hub' for the authority-area. We recognise the rural issues that effect service delivery and recommend one organisation, not just one base.
We also recommend that the focus on shared resources remains within the CVS network; focussing on how specialist support can be shared and resourced across a few CVS areas, e.g. specialist ICT/website support, an HR specialist, etc. This will strengthen the network more than sharing backroom functions with Volunteer Centres.
6.2.3 Culture Shift
Throughout this review there was a lack of resounding conviction for the need for support to be prioritised over other concerns, i.e. service delivery. In relation to support needs the sector is not really clear on what it wants and how to access this.
There needs to be a proactive approach to instilling energy around the areas of this review. Voluntary organisations must be encouraged to view issues such as workforce and organisational development as critical to their success.
We recommend that funding bodies include many of these aspects as a condition of grant; allowing organisations to include costs for such development and requiring reports on the effectiveness of this investment.
We also recommend that support providers continue to offer opportunities for voluntary organisations to access support in this area. Maintaining a focus on the need for a positive approach to these areas will support staff and volunteers to have ongoing access to these opportunities, rather than being seen as an add-on. Any work with Boards must ensure they recognise their responsibility to encourage workforce and organisational development.
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