[WiLT] CapacityBuilders proposals re National Support Services

[WiL Admin]

Joined Up? Engaging regional and local support providers with the
national support services

On 22 January, representatives from the lead bodies of the nine
National Support Services (NSS) workstreams gathered in Birmingham to
engage with regional and local ChangeUp consortium and Improving Reach
grant recipients.

Summaries of proposals going forward to business planning stage

Contents
1. Campaigning and Advocacy Workstream
2. Equalities and Diversity Workstream
3. Income Generation Workstream
4. Leadership and Governance Workstream
5. Marketing and Communications Workstream
6. Modernising Volunteering Workstream
7. Performance Management Workstream
8. Collaboration Workstream
9. Responding to Social Change Workstream


1. Campaigning & Advocacy Workstream

Outcome of workstream: More sector support providers are delivering
high quality support relevant to the needs of diverse frontline
organisations to be effective in influencing the local, regional and
national public policy environment

Lead body: NCVO
Lead contact: Chris Stalker, chris.stalker at ncvo-vol.org.uk
Partners: bassac, BOND, DSC, Media Trust, NAVCA, People and Planet,
Roehampton University, Scarman Trust, Westminster Explained, British
Institute of Human Rights

Key needs identified
a) Identifying models of change
b) Creativity and innovation for impact
c) Greater organisational coherence
d) Assessing impact
e) Greater representation and accountability

Priority outcomes
a) Create a step change in the way that Support Providers enable Third
Sector Organisations (TSOs) to understand and influence the decision
making processes that affect their beneficiaries.
b) More Support Providers able to inspire and support creative and
innovative campaigns led by TSOs.
c) A significantly greater number of Support Providers will have the
knowledge, skills and credibility to enable TSOs to conceive, manage
and integrate campaigning and advocacy within wider organisational
plans.
d) Third Sector Support Providers will understand the aims and
objectives of campaigning and be able to build the capacity of others,
particularly at regional, local and community levels.
e) Support Providers will fully appreciate the issues of independence,
legitimacy, accountability and credibility within campaigning and
advocacy and be able to support TSOs operating at regional, local and
community levels

Targeting includes: BME, LGBT, Women's and Disability sectors.
National Support Services Capacitybuilders


2. Equalities & Diversity Workstream

Outcome of workstream: More sector support providers are delivering
high quality support relevant to the needs of diverse frontline
organisations to contribute to reducing inequalities in society and
reflect communities organisations are working in.

Lead body: Women's Resource Centre
Lead contact: Vivienne Hayes Vivienne at wrc.org.uk
Partners: Consortium of LGBT Organisations, Voice 4 Change, NAVCA,
HEAR, Equalities South West

Key needs identified
a) There is a need for co-ordination of equality, diversity and human
rights (EDHR) work by support providers across the regions.
b) Some areas have little or no equalities support providers or
equality work being done by generalist support providers.
c) Generalist support providers need to improve their knowledge and
practice on EDHR issues.
d) Within the VCS, including its support providers, there is poor
awareness and understanding of developments at a national level with
regards to the human rights and equalities landscape, eg the new
equality Commission

Priority Outcomes
a) Increased cross-strand collaboration between equalities support
providers and a stronger voice on equalities and diversity in ChangeUp
in each region
b) Increased partnership working, joint initiatives and collaboration
between equalities and generalist support providers to improve support
for frontline organisations.
c) Generalist support providers, other NSS workstreams and
Capacitybuilders will have increased knowledge and understanding of
key EDHR issues so they reflect the diverse communities they serve in
both their capacity building and voice work.
d) Generalist support providers will be competent and confident in
supporting general and equalities frontline organisations on issues of
EDHR, including representing the needs of
marginalised/discriminated-against sectors to local/regional decision
makers.
e) Needs of third sector organisations are represented in key EDHR
policy debates and developments including 'single group funding' and
community cohesion funding guidance

Targeting: Equalities subsectors alongside 'generic' third sector
National Support Services Capacitybuilders


3. Income Generation Workstream

Outcome of workstream: More sector support providers are delivering
high quality support relevant to the needs of diverse frontline
organisations to develop and manage diverse income streams and assets.

Lead body: ACEVO
Lead contact: Peter Kyle, peter.kyle at acevo.org.uk
Partners: DTA, Community Matters, IOF, CFDG, Social Enterprise London,
Voice4Change England

Key needs identified:
a) To stimulate a culture change in the support offered to front-line
organizations so that the full spectrum of income generating
opportunities is understood and organizations are supported in
becoming more sustainable and independent.
b) Expertise which exists in different infrastructure organisations
needs to be better shared across the whole third sector.
c) Front-line organisations need high quality support in order to
appreciate the long-term benefit of trading.
d) Full cost recovery has been hugely successful but needs extending
to provide a pricing model and skills in commissioning and procurement
need to be developed.
e) The Quirk review has offered the opportunity for a radical
transformation of the relationship between state and community.
Infrastructure organizations need support in acquiring and managing
assets.

Priority outcomes:
a) Joining up infrastructure, to achieve our vision of front line
organisations receiving holistic and strategic support in income
generation
b) Supporting trading: Front line organisations understand how to
trade successfully, the implications for their organisations of doing
so and how income from trading can form part of a diverse income mix.
c) Understanding Costs: Front line organisations have the resources
and support to fully understand their cost structure and the value of
the services they provide, improved skills in negotiation and bid
writing.
d) Using assets: Front line organisations have the resources and
support to successfully acquire, manage and utilise community assets
as a basis to be more enterprising and further diversify their income
streams.
e) Capturing alternative income streams: Front-line organisations are
aware of the full funding spectrum

Targeting includes: BME sector and support organisations
National Support Services Capacitybuilders


4. Leadership & Governance Workstream

Outcome of workstream: More sector support providers are delivering
high quality support relevant to the needs of diverse frontline
organisations to build the skills of employees, volunteers and
trustees in exerting leadership and effective governance with
organisations and across communities

Lead body: NCVO
Lead contact: Anne Moynihan anne.moynihan at ncvo-vol.org.uk
Partners: ACEVO and Community Sector Coalition

Key needs identified:
a) Greater supply of board members and for boards to become more
representative of the communities they serve
b) Leadership and governance skills development for employees,
volunteers and board members of Third Sector Organisations (TSOs)
c) Support providers need to review and develop their own governance
and leadership practice in order that they can be models of best
practice
d) Governance, especially in smaller community organisations and
enterprises, needs to be proportionate so that it is facilitative
rather than constraining
e) To maximise the contribution that TSOs make to building sustainable
and cohesive communities there needs to be meaningful and effective
partnership working across sectors - third/public/private

Priority Outcomes:
a) There will be an increase in the supply of board members for TSOs
and third sector board composition will better reflect the communities
they serve
b) Sector support providers ill be better equipped to enhance the
leadership skills and governance knowledge of TSOs, particularly
smaller community organisations and social enterprises
c) More Support Providers will have reviewed their own governance and
leadership practices and are models of best practice
d) Increased awareness amongst policy makers, funders, infrastructure
and Support Providers of the need for proportionate governance and
regulation
e) TSOs will have increased Learning and Governance capacity as a
result of cross-sector (including sub sectors) skills and learning
exchange.

Targeting includes: BME, faith, rural, arts, sports, neighbourhood
forums, community anchors, local community infrastructure, social
enterprise, education, housing, infrastructure, general local
infrastructure, federated charities (infrastructure) and consultants.

National Support Services Capacitybuilders


5. Marketing and communications workstream

Workstream outcome: More sector support providers are delivering high
quality support relevant to the needs of diverse frontline
organisations to develop effective approaches to marketing and
communications with multiple stakeholders.

Lead body: Media Trust
Lead contact: Martin Nee martinn at mediatrust.org
Partners: NCVO, NAVCA, CEMVO, Community Foundations Network, CASS
Business School, CharityComms, bassac

Key needs identified:
a) Accessible and high quality resources for support organisations
b) Basic Marketing and Communications Skills
c) Strategic approaches to marketing and communications
d) Access to and use of the media industry
e) Digital resources

Priority Outcomes:
a) Support organisations have a better understanding of their own
marketing and communications skills and needs, and of the marketing
and communications skills and needs of the frontline organisations
they support and potentially support.
b) Support-providing organisations are more able to effectively meet
(and confident about meeting) the marketing and communications needs
of the frontline organisations they support and are equipped with the
skills and tools they need to do so.
c) Frontline organisations have a much clearer understanding of where
to go to get relevant, high quality support in the area of marketing
and communications.
d) Frontline organisations understand and act upon the link between
successfully achieving their visions, aims and objectives and
developing and implementing effective marketing and communications
strategies
e) The contribution made by third sector support organisations to
society is more clearly understood by their multiple stakeholders,
including funders, beneficiaries, staff, trustees, volunteers, the
media and the general public.

Targeting includes: equalities-based organisations, community
organisations, rural, arts and learning and skills sectors
National Support Services Capacitybuilders


6. Modernising Volunteering Workstream

Workstream outcome: More sector support providers are delivering high
quality support relevant to the needs of diverse frontline
organisations to harness the potential and contribution of volunteers.

Lead body: Volunteering England
Lead contact: Rob Jackson rob.jackson at volunteeringengland.org
Partners: V, CSV (NNVIA), Red Foundation, Nationwide Foundation

Key needs identified:
a) New forms of volunteer involvement and engagement are needed to
meet the changing demands of people in the 21 century
b) Many barriers to volunteering still exist to people from so called
'hard-to-reach' groups despite much research in this area.
c) Faith-based volunteering has potential to make a wider impact on
the community:
d) Demand from the voluntary and community sector for non-financial
support from companies and their employees.

Priority outcomes:
a) A model for partnership working with faith groups will be
established to help integrate the high levels of volunteering they
generate with the wider community.
b) The actions needed to overcome barriers to volunteering for
hard-to-reach groups (e.g. ex-offenders, disabled people and refugees
and asylum seekers) will be identified, with practice developed to
promote inclusion.
c) New models for volunteer involvement, engagement and management
will be identified and evaluated.
d) Non-financial support (NFS) from private companies will be
unlocked, providing a valuable source of voluntary help to voluntary
and community groups.

Targeting: Faith groups and organisations, so called 'hard-to-reach'
groups (e.g. Refugee/Asylum Seeker organisations, Disability
organisations, Offenders' groups etc.), Voluntary and Community
Sector, Private sector, Public sector


7. Performance Management Workstream

Outcome of workstream: More sector support providers are delivering
high quality support relevant to the needs of diverse frontline
organisations to embed effective performance and business management
in organisations

Lead body: CES
Lead contact: Tim Wilson, Tim at ces-vol.org.uk
Partners: New Philanthropy Capital, New Economics Foundation, Voice 4
Change England, ACEVO and bassac

Key needs identified:
a) Diagnosis: For the sector to achieve even more, Third Sector
Organisations (TSOs) need skilled diagnostic support to identify their
strengths and weaknesses and develop action plans.
b) Informed choice and the right level of support: TSOs need support
to select the most suitable approach from the bewildering range of
performance management tools and approaches available.
c) Planning and evaluating: Many TSOs need help to articulate a clear
purpose, assess their impact and respond to changing environments:
d) Workforce development: TSOs need access to good quality support
with workforce issues
e) Evidencing achievement and cost effectiveness: TSOs need to make a
strong case to potential funders, and funders need information about
good performers who are worthy of support

Priority outcomes:
a) Support providers (both local and specialist) are better able to
provide skilled diagnostic assistance to TSOs
b) Frontline TSOs have increased access to demonstrably effective
infrastructure providers on performance
c) Frontline TSOs have increased access to demonstrably effective
infrastructure providers on performance
d) TSOs are better equipped to recruit, retain, develop and get the
most from their staff and volunteers
e) TSOs are better able to access funding, and funders are better able
to assess the return on investment for the funding they allocate

Targeting includes equalities subsectors


8. Collaboration Workstream

Outcome of workstream: More sector support providers are delivering
high quality support relevant to the needs of diverse frontline
organisations to build mutually beneficial alliances, partnerships and
relationships with other third sector organisations

Lead body: bassac
Lead contact: Ben Hughes ben at bassac.org.uk
Partners: IVAR, Community Foundation Network, ACRE, Charity Evaluation
Service

Key needs identified
a) There is a need to establish a national evidence base that draws
together existing learning and evidence based practice on
collaborative working, collects new research and identifies gaps in
order to develop new practice and methodologies.
b) There is a need to ensure the widespread dissemination and
distribution of tools and methodologies of collaborative working.
c) There is a need for capacity building and infrastructure support
dedicated to collaborative working at community level so that
community based organisations can work more effectively with all
service providers, bring about lasting local change and develop their
own, and their communities, sustainability.
d) There is a need to robustly test existing methodologies and develop
new effective tools and methodologies of collaborative working in
order to build the strength and resources of the community sector by
enabling mutually beneficial alliances, partnerships and relationships
with all relevant partners.
e) There is a need to make the link between robustly evaluated
evidence-based practice and the development of national policy
initiatives designed to support better local service delivery.

Priority Outcomes
f) Information and Research:
- The collection, collation and dissemination of existing good
practice
- The commissioning and dissemination of appropriate new, rigorously
tested, research
g) Strengthening capacity of the sector:
- Embedding capacity across the country through the training of
Community Development Workers, Infrastructure Support Workers and
other Development Workers to build capacity to support organisations
seeking to work collaboratively
- Practical support to organisations seeking to work collaboratively,
supporting clusters to develop their voice and advocacy functions,
look at more effective local procurement and commissioning and smarter
collaboration in order to win service delivery contracts through to
bulk purchasing, joint back office functions, tackling environmental
issues together.
h) Evaluation that supports continuous learning and understanding and
develops better practice

Targeting: All infrastructure organisations working within community
settings, urban and rural locations and Fair Share areas


9. Responding to Social Change

Outcome of workstream: More sector support providers are delivering
high quality support relevant to the needs of diverse frontline
organisations to respond to changes in demography, technology, and
stakeholder expectations

Lead body: NCVO
Lead contact: Megan Griffiths, megan.griffith at ncvo-vol.org.uk
Partners: Centre for Charity Effectiveness, CASS Business School;
Yorkshire & the Humber Regional Forum

Key needs identified
a) To make a case for the need for organisations to respond to social
change
b) Developing the skills of support providers both to respond to
change in their own organisations and to support others to do so
c) To interpret and demystify complex information about social change,
making it accessible and relevant to Third Sector Organisations (TSOs)
d) Developing new understanding of the social change that impacts on
particular sub-sectors within the third sector and helping
organizations within those sectors to respond to social change
e) Helping organizations to plan for change and to make it seem less
threatening, through accessible and practical help and support

Priority Outcomes
a) Production of marketing and other materials to make a case to
support providers that responding to social change is important
b) 'Translating' and 'demystifying' complex information about social
change, making this relevant and accessible to front-line TSOs and
communicating this information through support providers (building on
the existing work of NCVO Third Sector Foresight)
c) Developing practical tools and materials that support providers can
use to
d) understand and address change in their own organizations
e) support front-line organizations to do the same
f) provide accessible and relevant information about social change
which is specific to their context (eg geographically/sub-sectorally)
g) Focusing in particular on 7 to 9 sub-sectors, working with a
specialist umbrella body to develop new understanding of social change
relevant to that sector and supporting front-line organizations to
understand and respond to social change.

Targeting: 7 - 9 sub sectors to be selected

Source http://capacitybuilders.org.uk/downloadfile.aspx?ID=163


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