Update on Events and Emerging Themes June 2017 Delivering Change in a Shifting Landscape: Future challenges and opportunities for the VCSE and its partners   Update on Events and Emerging Themes June 2017

The BCT VSCE Futures Programme 2016-2018 Engagement with the sector, funders and policy makers to identify issues and actions Commission and publication of though provoking opinion pieces on relevant and topical issues 5 small projects through each of the original Trust partners supported

Process Phase 1 – Initial Engagement and Design Sept- Dec 2016 Phase 2 – Engagement and Opinion Pieces Jan – June 2017 Phase 3 – Reflection on findings – July to October Phase 4 – Focused engagement on developing proposals Oct 17 - March 18 Phase 5 – Setting the Agenda April - June 2018

Overall Framing of the Futures Project To create the enabling environment that delivers the best outcomes for the people and places the VCSE sector works with: What specific actions can: the sector take? policy makers take? funders take?

The conversation so far…. Initial Sector wide Workshop Ballymoney Community Resource Centre Community Arts Partnership CO3 Conference Fermanagh Trust NWCN and Hollywell Trust Rural Community Network BCT Grantee event NI Trusts Group Today! Development Trusts NI Early Years NICVA WRDA Public Sector Group ACF Conference

Opportunities and concerns for the sector locally Key Questions: October Workshop Opportunities and concerns for the sector locally Key Questions: Participants asked to generate their key questions about the future – these were categorised into 4 themes.

October Workshop: Theme 1: Resources, finances and structures How can we encourage groups to share – there is so much focus on our own targets and objectives? How to become less competitive - more collaborative? Is the sector too dependent on government funding?

October Workshop: Theme 2: Contextual challenges How can the sector retain independence? Is the third sector a social movement or a service provider? If the future of voluntary action requires more volunteers, is this a challenge?

October Workshop: Theme 3: The sector’s perceptions of itself and other sectors How do we get the NI Executive to value the sector in a meaningful way? How can the 3rd sector work better with the private sector to deliver social good? Does this society believe that an independent sector is a good and necessary thing? How can the third sector hold the state to account when there is such a dependent relationship / funding. How can state decisions be challenged (without fear)?

October Workshop: Theme 4: Impact and services What future for those organisations without capacity to compete for large government contracts? Future - Is further “professionalisation” necessary for sustainability? How can we encourage boards to be pro-active about change when it has been risk averse behavior that has enabled organisations to survive?

C03 Pre-Conference Survey – Key Challenges Feb 2017 Further cuts in funding Increased demand of services with less income Political uncertainty locally

Premise and questions for participants: CO3 Conference Premise and questions for participants: To create the enabling environment that delivers the best outcomes for the people and places the VCSE sector works with: What specific actions can: the sector take? policy makers take? funders take?

CO3 Conference Sector actions: Information and Communication – Promote what the sector does and the impact it makes Collaboration and co-operation – less competition Finance and efficiency – more collaboration and be more self- financing

CO3 Conference: Policy maker actions: Work in partnership with the sector to co-design policies and programmes Adopt new funding / contracting models A different approach to bureaucracy Have contingency plans for uncertainty

Co3 Conference Funder actions Encourage collaboration and co-operation Work together with the sector Work with other funders Focus on the right outcomes Adopt different funding models Reduce bureaucracy

BCT Grantees Workshop March 2017 Sector actions: Create and harness new energy and action – not more process Make the Concordat work Promote its value – use social enterprise as a means to widen awareness of the sector Demonstrate Advocate jointly Strengthen its reputation.

BCT Grantees Workshop March 2017 Policy maker actions: Create new mechanisms for participation in policy shaping– e.g. Civic Forum and/or constitutional convention Link outcomes to need, programmes and policy Be responsive to public needs and co-design programmes with VCSE sector Create a sector champion.

BCT Grantees Workshop March 2017: Funder actions Government funders – more focus on outcomes not outputs Government – understand what the sector does and how it works Longer term funding Grant loan hybrids – to transition from grant dependency More collaboration between funders Government – have realistic levels of bureaucracy.

Statutorisation of community development Charity registration Fermanagh Trust Issues: Statutorisation of community development Charity registration Collaboration Need to be engaged in community planning The need to sustain impact – statutories to learn from good projects

Sector actions: Fermanagh Trust Organisations to challenges selves re aims Regain independence Ask for threshold for charity registration Challenge short term models Challenge lack of flexibility in funding Lobby re tendering rules

Make space for direct liaison btw small groups and policy makers Fermanagh Trust Policy maker actions: Make space for direct liaison btw small groups and policy makers Change mindset of one size fits all Work in a multi-collaborative way Be less risk- and innovation-averse

Fermanagh Trust Funder actions: Learn from good practice on ground Reduce bureaucracy, take risks Understand difference between urban and rural Link between funding and community to identify needs Remove funding bias towards statutory partners Invest in independent measurement of outcomes Remove possibility of conflict between commissioning and delivering

Flavour of themes emerging to date Need a shared understanding of how the sector is defined: What is the sector? Why does it matter? How to promote it?

Emergent Themes How can the VCSE sector achieve the best outcomes? Through co-design and co-production; through advocacy and challenge Collaboration is required at different levels inter-sectoral and intra-sectoral

Other emergent themes Recognition of the independence and interdependence of the VCSE sector and other players – and the potential tensions between these – is required More participative structures for influencing policy required Need for more sustainable funding models Desire for reduced bureaucracy associated with funding.