Capacitybuilders - Improving support for a stronger third sector

20/12/2007

In November, Capacitybuilders announced the lead partners for seven of the nine National Support Service workstreams. During the decision making process, the Grants Committee requested further analysis of the strongest proposals under the two remaining workstreams; ‘Responding to Social Change’ and ‘Collaboration’.

Presented with this analysis at their meeting on Monday 17th December, the Committee felt that bassac's proposal – against tough competition – demonstrated the strongest and most focused set of activities for the Collaboration workstream, with a particular focus on support for smaller, neighbourhood organisations which often find collaborative working especially challenging, and also face pressures to work together to secure contracts from the public sector.

In reviewing proposals under the Responding to Social Change workstream and considering how the aims of the workstream might best be met, the Committee felt that NCVO's proposal stood out as closest to Capacitybuilders' original aspirations for the workstream, having a sound basis for more detailed planning with support providers, to better work with the sector on a range of social trends and challenges facing the third sector.

Capacitybuilders will now work with both lead agencies to develop detailed business plans and make links with the other National Support Service workstreams and local/regional work. To support the planning process and interaction between the nine workstreams, Capacitybuilders will host a stakeholder engagement event in Birmingham on 22nd January 2008. A range of stakeholders at national, regional and local levels will be invited to participate alongside the nine lead organisations in a conversation looking at how the national elements of the ChangeUp investment programme can best engage with and work to support local, regional and other national sector support services.

ENDS.  286 words

Editors notes: 

The nine National Support Service workstreams that have been awarded are as follows:

• Campaigning and Advocacy will be led by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. 
• Equalities and Diversity will be led by the Women's Resource Centre
• Income Generation will be led by the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations
• Leadership and Governance will be led by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations
• Marketing and Communications will be led by the Media Trust
• Modernising Volunteering will be led by Volunteering England
• Performance Management will be led by Charities Evaluation Services
• Collaboration will be led by bassac
• Responding to Social Change will be led by National Council for Voluntary Organisations.