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2. The Action Plan

The action plan consists of the following objectives:

1. Opening markets to an enterprising third sector

• The public sector market: working with purchasers to recognise the benefits of contracting with an enterprising third sector including their contribution to delivering national outcomes
• The public sector market: working with the third sector to make organisations better able to compete for and win contracts
• Developing social-to-social business
• Encouraging collaboration with the private sector

2. Investing more intelligently

• Direct investment in an enterprising third sector
• Measuring social return
• Collaboration between funders and development of new funds
• Finance training for the third sector

3. Promoting social entrepreneurship

• Providing funding to support social entrepreneurs
• Promoting social entrepreneurship in schools and colleges

4. Investing in skills, learning and leadership across the third sector

• Funding for skills
• Developing the learning infrastructure
• Improving governance

5. Providing support for business growth

• Creating an effective supply of business development support
• Mentoring for an enterprising third sector

6. Raising the profile of enterprise in the third sector

• Supporting third sector infrastructure
• Awards
• International exchange and learning

7. Developing the evidence base

• Demonstrating the value of the third sector
• Increasing our knowledge of the third sector in Scotland

Objective 1: Opening markets to an enterprising third sector

We will help open all markets for the third sector, within public, private and social sectors. We will assist the third sector to develop the skills needed to access markets effectively, whilst also working with the public sector to ensure that the third sector are given the opportunity to bid for contracts.

In order to make public sector markets more accessible to the third sector, we will develop a network of third sector champions of senior officials and elected members who will ensure that the benefits of working with the sector are recognised through all levels of their organisation. Of great importance here is the ability of the third sector to contribute to meeting national objectives. Additionally, we will work within the Public Service Reform agenda to ensure that procurement professionals recognise the potential of community benefit clauses and the benefits that third sector bodies can bring to the design of services.

There is a role for the third sector in helping to ensure that services are reaching the most vulnerable and in ensuring that we maximise the opportunities for the most disadvantaged in Scotland. The third sector is in a unique position to reach and engage with individuals facing a wide range of challenges including long term unemployment, mental health difficulties, physical disability and homelessness. The third sector is able to help individuals to address and overcome the multiple challenges they face. We want to ensure that the third sector is given the opportunity to bid for those contracts, particularly where it can transform people's lives.

We will do this in the context of the European procurement regulations and the requirement for best value. For the public sector, this means purchasing services intelligently, which includes involving the third sector in service design, assessing bids on quality and using community benefit clauses where appropriate. For the third sector it means improving their ability to identify markets and opportunities and to clearly demonstrate where they can, and do, make a difference.

In order to support the third sector, we will provide training on writing tenders. We will also invest in the skills and knowledge of those working in the sector to ensure that organisations have the skills necessary to successfully tender for contracts and are able to demonstrate their achievements, engage with purchasers, develop new services and market themselves effectively.

We will also provide assistance for the third sector in growing markets with both social and private sectors as well as with the general public. This action plan will help Scotland's enterprising third sector access the full range of markets - including the general public as well as the third, private and public sectors - to which it delivers services.

Actions:

The public sector market: working with purchasers to recognise the benefits of contracting with an enterprising third sector including their contribution to delivering national outcomes

Action 1.1: Training for procurement officers

Working with the Scottish Procurement Directorate we will ensure that public sector purchasers have appropriate training in the use of community benefit clauses, the benefits of market engagement involving all sectors in designing services, the use of supported employment contracts, and the need to ensure that, where appropriate, third sector organisations are given an opportunity to bid for contracts. In addition, we will ensure that the guidance on social issues in procurement, originally issued in October 2007, is reviewed and updated as appropriate.

Action 1.2: Increasing procurement officers' knowledge of third sector providers

It is important that public sector purchasers know about which third sector organisations are providing services in their area, so that, where appropriate, they can alert organisations to tendering opportunities. We will work with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations ( SCVO) on the Social Economy and Enterprise Database for Scotland ( SEEDS) as well as the Supplier Development Programme to ensure that public sector purchasers are able to discover which services are offered by the third sector in their area.

Our aim will be to develop a single portal where public sector purchasers can gain the information that they need on which organisations are operating in their area. We will work with purchasers to ensure that they are using the portal and with enterprising third sector organisations to register all those that have the capacity and capability to effectively compete for and deliver contracts.

Action 1.3: Public-Social-Partnerships

Following the successful pilots through the European funded EQUAL Social Economy Scotland programme we will fund a public-social-partnership support programme to help develop successful consortia of third sector organisations and partnerships with the public sector. This support programme will work closely with Local Social Economy Partnerships to identify and develop public-social-partnerships.

Action 1.4: Measuring public sector spend with the social economy

We will work with the Scottish Procurement Directorate to measure the spend of public bodies with the third sector. We will publish reports, ideally on a quarterly basis, and use these to identify the sectors in which spend is increasing or decreasing with the third sector, enabling us to take action where appropriate.

Action 1.5: Third Sector Champions network

We will work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA); the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives ( SOLACE); the Improvement Service and Health Boards to establish a network of third sector champions across the public sector, linking with the volunteering champions network being established by the Health Boards and the existing third sector officials group in the Scottish Government. Third sector champions will be at a senior level in their organisations and will be responsible for ensuring that the benefits of working with the third sector are recognised and that the third sector is given an opportunity to both help design services and to bid for service provision contracts.

Action 1.6: Ensure that opportunities for third sector organisations and volunteering at the Commonwealth Games 2014 are explored

We will work across the Scottish Government and with Glasgow City Council to ensure that the opportunities are fully explored to ensure that contracts to provide services related to the Commonwealth Games:

• allow for consultation with the third sector on the design of contracts
• include, where appropriate, the use of community benefit clauses
• ensure that third sector organisations are given the opportunity to bid where appropriate

The public sector market: working with the third sector to make organisations better able to compete for and win contracts

Action 1.7: Use of the Public Contracts Portal for Scotland

We will work with third sector intermediary organisations to ensure that all third sector organisations that are looking for contracting opportunities are aware of the new public contracts portal for Scotland. This will be launched in 2008.

Action 1.8: Tender writing training for the third sector

We will build on materials written with the EQUAL Social Economy Scotland programme (including Collaborative commissioning and Tendering for public sector contracts) to develop training on bidding for and winning contracts with the public sector. Courses will be free for third sector organisations wishing to bid for public sector contracts.

Action 1.9: 'Meet the buyer' events

We will facilitate local 'meet the buyer' events across Scotland, which will bring public sector purchasers into contact with service deliverers from across the third sector. This will help purchasers understand which organisations are delivering services in their area and offer the third sector an insight into the requirements of public service purchasers.

Developing social-to-social business

Action 1.10: Social Enterprise trade fairs

We will continue to support the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition to hold S2S, Scotland's annual social enterprise trade fair. This event encourages trading between social enterprises as well as greater co-operation between organisations. We will also support local events that promote inter-trading between third sector organisations that could link with the local 'meet the buyer' events (action 1.9), as well as other activities that encourage wider networking and collaboration.

Action 1.11: Social Enterprise Networks

We will continue to support the Senscot Social Enterprise Networks, ensuring that they operate as a forum to encourage learning and collaboration amongst social enterprises. The potential outcomes from increased networking include the formation of consortia as well as the wider benefits of learning from the practical experience of others.

Action 1.12: Collaborative working between third sector organisations

We will ensure the criteria of the Scottish Investment Fund and the Third Sector Enterprise Fund are supportive to the development of collaborative ventures where this enhances the capability and capacity of the sector.

Encouraging collaboration with the private sector

Action 1.13: Networking events for private and third sector organisations and business champions

We will sponsor a series of events that will bring private and social businesses together. These events will be coordinated with other activity in this area and will provide private businesses with a greater understanding of the third sector, particularly social enterprise. They will provide opportunities for collaboration between the sectors. As part of this work, we will establish a network of private sector champions to promote social enterprise with a range of business contacts. We will expect collaboration between these champions and the future third sector leaders identified in action 4.2.

Objective 2: Investing more intelligently

In order that the third sector can develop sustainable income streams we recognise that we need to ensure access to the right financial tools and advice to help support that growth. Therefore alongside the £30 million Scottish Investment Fund there will be the Third Sector Enterprise Fund. The purpose of this fund will be to help organisations move towards financial sustainability by developing earned income through an enterprise business model. This will include investing in developing the skills of the organisation's workforce, and will also feed in to the Social Entrepreneurs Fund (action 3.1).

In operating these funds we will collaborate with other funders, in particular those offering loan finance. We will match in the maximum amount of repayable funding, be it loan or another financial product. The experience gained of negotiating for and repaying loans will be of additional benefit to those organisations we fund. Organisations operating in an enterprising way should be able to demonstrate that they are developing sustainable funding streams.

We will also coordinate with other funders, for example the Government's Wider Role Fund for Registered Social Landlords, to encourage sustainability. We will ensure that reporting, whilst necessary, particularly where public money is involved, is kept to a minimum, by looking into ways in which several funders' needs can be met by a single report. We will work with Evaluation Support Scotland and others to move towards a more strategic approach for monitoring and evaluation. Furthermore, we will develop a new accounting model, building on work on social auditing and Social Return on Investment ( SROI) carried out through the EQUAL programme to develop an independently auditable method of demonstrating social and environmental value.

We will work with financial providers to increase the range of products and advice available - a healthy supply of financial products should find a ready market in a more financially aware third sector. We will also work with third sector organisations to ensure that they recognise the value of loan funding and that they are developing the business and financial skills to grow sustainably and utilise loans and other products.

Actions:

Direct investment in an enterprising third sector

Action 2.1: Scottish Investment Fund

We will establish the £30 million Scottish Investment Fund. The fund will support enterprise in the third sector through strategic investment in individual organisations in combination with both integral business support and management development. The funding will be provided through a mix of repayable and non-repayable investment. Assessment for this fund will be based on an organisation's business plan. Substantial investments will be available to those organisations that can demonstrate that they can operate in an effective, enterprising and financially sustainable way. Over the three years of this action plan, we expect to invest in some 60-80 organisations.

Action 2.2: Third Sector Enterprise Fund

This will provide funding for third sector organisations that want to operate in an enterprising way. Assessment for this funding will be through an application process that will include assessment of a business plan demonstrating that an investment will help the organisation become financially sustainable. Grants of up to £100,000 will be available, but the expectation will be that in many cases this will be used to lever in loans or other investments.

Through the Third Sector Enterprise Fund we will make available funding to provide specialist support for third sector organisations developing their business ideas. This can include human resources, marketing, legal or building advice. We also want organisations to be able to access specialist financial advice, where the business might need restructuring.

Action 2.3: Measuring social return

We will support the development of a measure combining the qualitative social impact measurement of social auditing with the quantitative assessment of social return provided by Social Return on Investment. This will provide independently audited output data on social and environmental benefits for the information of purchasers, funders and beneficiaries. The major benefits of such a measure will be:

• an independently verified assessment of an organisation's social and environmental outcomes
• a reduction in the amount of monitoring that an organisation needs to carry out
• Collaboration between funders and development of new funds

Action 2.4: Develop closer relationship with other funders

In order to keep red tape and bureaucracy to a minimum for the third sector, we will endeavour to ensure that we work in a coordinated manner with regulators and those funders supporting enterprise and financial sustainability within the third sector. This will include established funders such as the Big Lottery as well as new initiatives including Inspiring Scotland and any distributer emerging from the consultation on Dormant Bank Accounts. We will continue to work with all levels of Scotland's Funders' Forum, building on work such as the recently published Turning the Tables report.

Action 2.5: Encourage the development of new funds for enterprising activity

We will work with providers of loan finance including Social Investment Scotland and the commercial banks to encourage greater investment in an enterprising third sector and to ensure that a suite of opportunities are available to the sector. These should include products such as patient capital, where repayment 'holidays' can be granted to the loan recipient, and equity-type funding, where the investor takes a greater interest in the enterprise. We will use the leverage provided by our direct funding (though the Scottish Investment Fund and the Third Sector Enterprise Fund) to maximise the amount of loan funding taken by individual organisations.

Action 2.6: Building evaluation and learning into policy-making processes

We will work with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator ( OSCR), Evaluation Support Scotland and other third sector partners to ensure we make our own evaluation and monitoring processes (for example around the Investment Fund and the Third Sector Enterprise Fund) valuable, relevant and proportionate and ensure we avoid duplication.

We will run learning events to bring together different sectors to share evaluation successes and build a shared understanding of what works.

We will work to better communicate the new 'outcome-focused' agenda in public services within the third sector. Along with Evaluation Support Scotland, we will work with other funders to share and actively promote best practice in commissioning external evaluations including how to measure the 'hard to measure'.

Action 2.7: Finance training for the third sector

We will put in place a three-year contract for providing training in finance and financial management for senior staff and board members of third sector organisations. This will build on the successful pilot held early in 2008.

We will also investigate methods for improving and coordinating widespread access to finance training, to ensure that the sector is aware of suitable providers.

Objective 3: Promoting social entrepreneurship

We recognise that in order to increase the number of enterprising organisations in the third sector, we need to encourage and develop our social entrepreneurs - people who identify business solutions to social problems. We want our young people to start thinking about social enterprise.

We will work with primary and secondary schools to ensure that our young people understand the social enterprise business model and are able to see the benefits of using a business approach to address social or environmental problems. As well as working with school children, we will help ensure that business students in higher and further education are introduced to social enterprise.

Heightened awareness of the social enterprise business model is a key theme of this action plan, as is investing in those organisations that show the greatest potential to grow sustainably whilst delivering on their social and environmental objectives. We will therefore provide start-up funding for the best social entrepreneurs. This funding will be attached to access to business support and training, in order to give our new social entrepreneurs the best chance of success.

Business development support for social entrepreneurs will be available through First Port, as described in Objective 5 below. We recognise that in order to create the successful social enterprises of the future we must invest in the young people and the social entrepreneurs of today.

Actions:

Providing funding to support social entrepreneurs

Action 3.1: Social Entrepreneurs fund

We will provide funding through First Port for social entrepreneurs to establish new social enterprises. This funding will enable individuals with good business ideas to get new organisations off the ground. It will also ensure that they get the right support to help them establish their organisations, generating income and maximising social and environmental benefit.

Promoting social entrepreneurship in schools and colleges

Action 3.2: Working with primary and secondary schools

Curriculum for Excellence will support all children and young people in developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work. Working through Determined to Succeed we will build on current approaches to social entrepreneurship to give all pupils an understanding of the social enterprise business model, how it can be used to provide social or environmental benefit and practical experience in developing their own social enterprise.

Action 3.3: Qualifications at Levels 4 and 5 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework ( SCQF)

We will work with the Scottish Qualifications Authority ( SQA) and other partnership agencies towards scoping the feasibility of developing a qualification on social enterprise at levels 4 or 5 of the SCQF (equivalent to the existing Standard Grade and Intermediate 1 levels) within the National Qualifications framework by 2010.

Action 3.4: Promoting social entrepreneurship in further and higher education

We will work with those universities and further education colleges that provide business education to promote modules on social enterprise. Where work experience is provided through placements, we will work to promote the placement of students with social enterprises.

Objective 4: Investing in skills, learning and leadership in the third sector

The third sector is important to the delivery of our strategy for sustainable economic growth. Given the third sector's social and economic contribution, we believe there will be a cost to Scotland in failing to invest in the skills of the third sector workforce to deliver on these aims and ambitions.

We will build on the publication of Skills for Scotland: A Lifelong Skill Strategy (2007), the development of the new skills body Skills Development Scotland and the move to single outcome agreements with local authorities. We will investigate what more we can do to create stronger links between the third sector, government and learning agencies. We will work with the third sector to influence and mainstream the third sector within the skills system in Scotland.

Investment is needed to maximise the sector's potential to deliver for Scotland. Our aim is to enable the sector to demonstrate its value, effectively marketing and communicating with partners, writing robust business plans, managing its finances, developing new markets and delivering first class services.

We will support the promotion and development of those skills needed both to run effective organisations and to deliver excellent services. We will fund development of all skills that will help an organisation develop its financial sustainability. This could include training in public relations, marketing, business planning, finance or human resources.

We also recognise the importance of leadership in building strong, sustainable organisations. Through a partnership with the Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations ( ACOSVO), Learning Link and the Social Enterprise Academy we are investigating what more we can do to support our third sector leaders. We will also move to invest directly (via the Social Enterprise Academy) in the leadership skills of the most talented individuals working in the sector, to help them develop as the future leaders of an enterprising third sector in Scotland.

Actions:

Action 4.1: Funding for skills

The Third Sector Enterprise Fund will aim to provide those working in and running enterprising third sector organisations with the right skills to ensure that their organisations can grow sustainably. This funding will be available for board members and trustees as well as staff.

Developing the learning infrastructure

Action 4.2: Partnership with the Social Enterprise Academy

We will enter into a partnership with the Social Enterprise Academy. Through this partnership the Social Enterprise Academy will:

• provide learning bursaries focussing on leadership
• ensure that those organisations receiving investment through the Scottish Investment Fund are assessed for their training needs and provided with targeted learning
• hold an annual residential summer school for 25 leading social entrepreneurs
• coordinate a learning set of future leaders of social enterprise (including those who have attended the summer school), ensuring that they benefit from mentoring, coaching and peer support
• work with Determined to Succeed to raise awareness of social enterprise in schools (as outlined in Objective 3.2)
• provide leadership development for the sustainable communities programme in the Highlands and Islands, with match funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and from Europe

Action 4.3: Partnership with SCVO

We will, in partnership with SCVO, facilitate the third sector's input into the wider policy agenda for skills and workforce development in Scotland. SCVO will:

• prepare the third sector to participate in the skills and workforce development agenda in Scotland
• facilitate the contribution of the wider sector through its support of the third sector's Scottish Advisory Committee on skills, taking forward specific work to align it with the new skills environment in Scotland
• engage with the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils and other key Scottish learning and skills partners, including Skills Development Scotland, to work in partnership with the third sector
• work with Government, skills agencies and local authorities to promote clear and joined up messages about skills and the third sector, linking back to the third sector's potential contribution to sustainable economic growth
• work with key stakeholders to help ensure that the skills system is responsive to the needs of third sector employers, helping to develop an appropriately skilled workforce

Improving Governance

Action 4.4: Board development

Enterprising third sector organisations that are delivering services and generating income need to have the appropriate range of skills at board level. We will make skills funding available to board members of third sector organisations through the Third Sector Enterprise Fund. In addition, board members will be able to access the finance training in action 2.7.

We will work with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator ( OSCR) to ensure that charity trustees are aware of their responsibilities and have the appropriate skills and experience to provide effective governance.

Action 4.5: Building enterprising boards

We will fund a high profile campaign to attract people from mainstream businesses onto the boards of enterprising third sector organisations. This programme will also match potential board members with appropriate organisations.

Objective 5: Providing support for business growth

Access to good business development support is vital to ensure the growth of a sustainable third sector. We want to ensure that this support is available to all organisations within the sector to enable them to grow and/or develop a higher quality product or service.

Our aim is to ensure that joined-up, accessible support is available to those third sector organisations that operate in an enterprising way. Some of that support will be supplied by mainstream providers of business development support. There is an important role here for the local authorities, through Business Gateway and their local economic development function.

Social enterprises with growth potential, or those of significance to the regional or national economy, will be referred to Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise ( HIE). Success will be gauged by organisations effectively competing for, and winning, business as a result of improved advice and support.

As well as ensuring that we are providing accessible business support at all stages of an organisation's development, we will ensure that we are encouraging the cross-fertilisation of ideas between the third and private sectors. We will do this through the actions in Objective 1, aimed at increasing collaboration between the sectors. In order to bring experienced business skills directly into the third sector, we will provide mentoring opportunities and encourage people with business skills and direct experience, onto the boards of enterprising third sector organisations.

Businesses and individuals learn a great deal from their peers. We therefore want to increase and better coordinate access for enterprising third sector organisations to opportunities for mentoring and coaching, with individuals from the private sector as well as the third sector.

Actions:

Creating an effective supply of business development support

Action 5.1: Local support and infrastructure services

We currently support Councils for Voluntary Service ( CVS), Volunteer Centres ( VCs), Local Social Economy Partnerships ( LSEPs) and Social Enterprise Networks to work with organisations at a local level. This is a time of change, and we will work with public bodies, the third sector and local infrastructure networks as they adapt to a stronger local focus, helping them to identify, and refer to appropriate support where necessary, those third sector organisations that show early enterprise potential.

Action 5.2: First Port

We will fund First Port to be the first port of call for emerging social entrepreneurs in Scotland. They will provide the following services:

• web resources: www.firstport.org.uk will be the platform for all information of interest to social entrepreneurs. It will include tools and templates aimed at helping entrepreneurs develop effective businesses, and an online directory to help source appropriate support
• information: provision of individually tailored advice for social entrepreneurs
• the Exchange: enabling social entrepreneurs to work with experienced practitioners and professionals who can help develop their business idea

Action 5.3: Support for equalities groups

We want to ensure that, where appropriate, equalities led third sector organisations are able to develop effectively as enterprises. We will therefore build on existing work to ensure specialist development advice and training is available, as well as ensuring that connections with other appropriate sources of business development support are made. We will work with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC) to look at ways of joining up support for enterprising third sector organisations.

Action 5.4: Specialised Enterprise Development Support

In lowland Scotland, the contract to provide a specialised service was awarded to the Aspire to Enterprise consortium in January 2008. This contract provides in-depth one-to-one support for emerging and aspiring social enterprises in order that they can develop sufficient business maturity so that they can engage effectively with Business Gateway. Assuming the contract is working well, it will be extended until the end of March 2011.

In the Highlands and Islands, we will initially provide match funding with Highlands and Islands Enterprise ( HIE) to fund the Highlands and Islands Social Enterprise Zone ( HISEZ) to provide specialised support to social enterprises until October 2008. During 2008 we will tender for the contract to provide this service, which will commence in October.

Action 5.5: Business Gateway

We will work with COSLA to ensure that access to Business Gateway services provides established and aspiring social enterprises with access to services tailored for businesses, helping to build the skills and knowledge within the business that it needs in order to grow. Engagement with one-to-many events run by Business Gateway will also provide social enterprises with opportunities to network and learn from mainstream businesses.

Action 5.6: Support for social enterprises from Scottish Enterprise and HIE

Those social enterprises that are identified by the Business Gateway as demonstrating high growth potential will be referred on to Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise ( HIE) for potential account management support. We will monitor the number of social enterprises receiving support at this level.

Mentoring for an enterprising third sector

Action 5.7: Mentoring contract

We will tender for a single contract to coordinate and provide one-to-one coaching from experienced business people to leaders in enterprising third sector organisations. This will ensure that the maximum number of mentors are provided and appropriately matched with those third sector organisations that will benefit most from such advice. This contract will cross-refer to, and work with, the mentoring services provided by Scottish Enterprise.

Objective 6: Raising the profile of enterprise in the third sector

Underpinning all the actions in this plan is the need to raise the profile of an enterprising third sector and of social enterprise as part of this sector. To make Scotland a world leader in developing social enterprises, we need to ensure that potential purchasers, business partners and entrepreneurs are all aware of the model. The need is particularly acute at local level and for local authorities and Community Planning Partners who are in contact with the vast majority of third sector organisations. Other areas in this action plan will ensure that the conditions are right to enable an enterprising third sector to thrive. We will also work to ensure that the model and its benefits are widely recognised and sought.

Actions:

Supporting third sector infrastructure

Action 6.1: Intermediary support

As part of our funding agreements with the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition and the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations ( SCVO) we will work towards the following outcomes:

• to raise awareness of an enterprising third sector and social enterprises
• to champion the cause of the third sector and social enterprise with a wide range of stakeholders
• to provide policy advice to Scottish Ministers

Action 6.2: Awards

We will sponsor high profile awards with the aim of increasing awareness of the social enterprise business model with both the general public and a specialist business audience. This will include developing awards for joint working between the third and public sectors as well as between third and private sectors. We will use the awards to both promote best practice and encourage joint working.

International exchange and learning

Action 6.3: Social Enterprise Business Conference

We will support an annual social enterprise conference to increase awareness of the social enterprise business model. In 2008 this conference will be the inaugural Social Enterprise World Forum in Edinburgh. In 2009 and 2010, Scotland will hold a national social enterprise conference to share best practice and promote learning and awareness.

Action 6.4: International visit programme

We will support an international visit programme to observe and transfer learning to and from other countries. This programme will raise awareness worldwide of the collaboration between government and an enterprising third sector in Scotland. In 2008 the visit programme went to Germany and Italy, in 2009 and 2010 the programme will be linked to the proposed Social Enterprise World Forums in Australia and the USA respectively.

Objective 7: Developing the third sector evidence base

In order for the third sector to reach its full potential as a service deliverer it is important to have an evidence base able to demonstrate how it adds value and provides better quality services. We recognise that this evidence base is currently incomplete and will work with the UK Government, the other devolved administrations and our third sector partners, including SCVO and Evaluation Support Scotland, to improve this situation.

We also need to build on recent work on the national indicator on increasing social economy turnover to give us robust statistics on the shape and size of the social economy in Scotland.

Actions:

Action 7.1: Demonstrating the value of the third sector

We will convene and chair a Third Sector Research Forum of key stakeholders with an interest in the sector to oversee and coordinate a programme of research that will:

• fill gaps on the evidence base on Scotland's enterprising third sector, including developing work on Social Return on Investment (action 2.3)
• enable us to measure the value of the third sector in designing and delivering high quality services
• help develop the third sector's ability to gather and present its own evidence
• help us disseminate information to the third sector which will help improve its effectiveness in service design and delivery

Action 7.2: Increasing our knowledge of the third sector in Scotland

We will develop the indicator on increasing the turnover of the social economy. Alongside this work we will aim to improve the range of robust data that we currently collect on the sector, to help indentify trends in the sector's growth and any potential threats to its long term sustainability.

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