Compact refresh

On 16 December 2009, the refreshed national Compact document was launched. Developed following months of consultation, the new Compact is leaner, more focussed and reflects the changing operating environment for the partnership between government and the voluntary sector.

Download the Compact and Introductory Guide below. You can also order free hard copies, available from 12 January 2010, from the Commission for the Compact - 0121 237 5905 or info@thecompact.org.uk.

Refreshed Compact front cover thumbnail                    Refreshed Compact intro front cover thumbnail

The Compact (PDF 364KB) Introduction (PDF 282KB)

At a glance - changes in the new Compact

Here's a quick summary of some of the changes to the Compact document, noting some commitments have remained the same, such as 12-week consultation periods, 3 year funding and 3 month notice periods at the end of funding.

Firstly it is now just one document: shorter and more accessible. Secondly the ‘Achieving Equality’ section broadens out many undertakings to cover the whole equality sector, which in the previous Compact and Codes related only to the BME sector.

New commitments for Government:
• working towards a single safety check for volunteers who are volunteering for more than one cause (19.7)
• funding agreements to ensure that all sub-contractors which work with the voluntary sector have to follow Compact commitments (6.3)
• applying Compact commitments when distributing European funding (6.4)
• making payments within 10 days of invoices being received (11.2)
• ensuring that all third sector organisations have equal opportunities to access government funding programmes. This includes access to funds to build capacity (19.3)

New commitments for the voluntary sector:
• being clear on who they represent and how their views have been gathered (4.3)
• applying Compact principles when sub-contracting to other voluntary organisations (15.4)
• giving early notice to funders of significant changes in management, financial or other risks (17.4)

While we welcome these new commitments, the principles from the original still form the heart of the document. Implementation of the original commitments has been good in places and poor in others, so they must now all be championed and embedded in our ways of working. If this occurs, we can look forward to partnership working between the sector and government which will truly transform the lives of people and communities for the better.

Statement from the voluntary sector

Read a statement of support for the new Compact, which is endorsed by the chief executives of NCVO, Volunteering England, NAVCA, Directory of Social Change and ACEVO.

Statement of Support from five leading sector organisations (PDF 193KB)

Quotes from the voluntary sector

“The new, slimmer document offers improved guidance on partnership working, as well as protection for smaller voluntary groups coming into a tighter budgetary environment.”  Wolverhampton Compact Partners

“I welcome the renewed commitment at a national level of the Compact principles and ethos. The challenge for all sectors is to ensure that the renewed commitments made at a national level are reflected and carried forward at local level for the benefit of all Lambeth citizens.”

Conrad Hollingsworth, Chair of the Lambeth Compact Steering Group

"The new National Compact was a joy to read. What impressed me most was that it is written in plain English so that anyone unfamiliar with the jargon that is often used in such documents, can read it.. It covers all aspects of the Compact but does not get bogged down in specific details. It is a document that we will be able to use locally with a small extra publication which tells how this is implemented locally. Any volunteer from a small group can now read this and understand what is meant by the local compact."

Sarah Wilson, Wimbledon Guild of Social Welfare

“With pressure on public finance and increased competition for funding, so establishing and sustaining partnership between public and community and voluntary sector organisations becomes more challenging. In this context the refreshed Compact is vital. A useful tool, the refreshed Compact is easier to understand and simple to use. It provides a sharper focus, explaining how public and third sector organisations can work together more effectively, creating better outcomes for communities. Recommended.”

Andy Turner – Church Urban Fund

"It's vital that we refresh local Compacts all over England and reassert their importance. In some areas they have been signed by the council and the PCT but the promises made have then been forgotten. In other areas they have framed the local sector's involvement in the Local Strategic Partnership and the Local Area Agreement and helped to drive improvements in consultation and funding practices. We must use the new Compact to bring relationships in the worst areas up to the level of the best."

Kevin Curley - NAVCA

“The refreshed Compact contains a range of commitments which will benefit volunteer-involving organisations and we welcome the launch of the document. With Compact commitments now applying to European funding and to sub-contractors, a broader spectrum of volunteering projects will now be covered by the Compact."

Alan Strickland, Senior Policy & Information Manager - Volunteering England
 
The refreshed Compact is clearer, more effective and had the support of the majority of consultation responses. With so many different perspectives across sectors there have been inevitable challenges getting to launch stage and some  improtant issues still need addressing through implementation. Effective use of  the Compact by both the third and public sectors will be vital in  the coming period and success will depend on both commitment and resource. Refreshed Compact, renewed commitment, real opportunity - lets grasp it.

Simon Blake, National Director - Brook