it might be useful to note here that the Government uses the indices of multiple deprivation to analyse patterns of deprivation, identify areas that would benefit from special initiatives or programmes and as a tool to determine eligibility for specific funding streams.
I do think that the personal vs professional use of twitter which she raises is a subject of massive and continuous debate – use it to keep up with friends or work? Or is it possible to do both? And would you want to do both? It’s very much about personal preference – which is another reason twitter is good, because you can just experiment and figure out how & why you want to use it.
I agree with a number of points that have been made here – no, not all voluntary and community/third sector organisations are “good” – but then many would argue that the very definition of what is “good” is incredibly subjective!- and personal. How we choose the charities and voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) that we give to and support in other ways is often a very personal decision.
Not all VCOs choose to do anything relating to promoting engagement or participation in local decision making, and nor should they feel they have to! We are not mandated to do so, and nor do I think we ought to be. The independence of the VCS is crucial.
There are very many VCOs who have nothing to do with government, but are crucial for thriving vibrant local communities – for example local history groups or sports groups. But independent VCOs are also important as part of a healthy democracy –indeed, the crux of my argument is that VCOs can support and enhance democracy – operating as a challenge or balance to the interests of government and the market, providing a voice and support for individuals and communities who might not otherwise be heard, and providing services.
I think that we should never presume that the sector is an alternative for electoral democracy, nor do I think that VCOs can provide an alternative to civic representation and accountability through the ballot box. Of course charities and other community groups cannot, and should not replace local government or other representative civic structure – but they certainly are able to complement it.
Dal’s point about his personal interest in politics growing from an association with the VCS in an area is something that you often hear– NCVOs rural research A Broader Parish found that community activism, both elected and representative, is often undertaken by a limited pool of individuals.
Dal also suggests we need to think about ‘what we mean by the third/voluntary sector’ I think we should think about what we mean when we say democracy too – is democracy about more then just voting? Is there space for the VCS in a vibrant democracy? And what role for VCOs within democracy?
I agree with Caroline – democracy is a deeper process than simply the act of voting. I say this not to undermine in any way the necessity and value of the ballot box, and the (often hard fought for) right to cast your vote and make your preference known, but in fact to strengthen democracy and, as Caroline says, enable all voices to be heard. In my view, representative and participative processes are both key components of a healthy local democracy.
How do young people who cannot vote make their voice heard? How can non-British citizens (many of whom pay into the system through taxation) make their voice heard? How about those who do vote (or those who choose not to) but want to continue to influence and shape the agenda long before and after elections? And without the participation of individuals in civil society, without strong collective action, who will speak truth to power?
Participative democracy is by its nature messy but crucial – and representative democracy is, as Simon Jenkins argues, essential. But neither can really be successful without the other. Often people prefer to be involved in voluntary action, for whatever reason (the independent POWER Inquiry , and its final report, Power to the People looked at this in great detail) But above everything it is vital that elected representatives, politicians at all levels, must seek to hear all voices in society and make informed and balanced decisions. Further to this, it is vital that the decisions they make – and the rationale for those decisions – is communicated to the people.
Elected politicians are faced with the extremely difficult task of having to meet and, where necessary, reconcile the needs of an increasingly diverse citizenry. They have to make difficult decisions with scarce resources and sometimes convey unpopular messages. Decisions, taken for the greater public good, will inevitably result in both winners and losers. Elected politicians are the ones with the mandate to make these decisions, taking on board the relevant pros and cons and, importantly, communicating back to local communities the reasons for the decisions they take. Voluntary and community organisations can and do strengthen this role: bringing different perspectives and enabling a range of different voices to be heard; providing knowledge, experience and expertise regarding local issues; and offering vital additional links into and out of parts of the community.
The Governments agenda on localism and local democracy is still moving forward. The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill was introduced into the House of Lords on Thursday 4th December, with the second reading planned for Wednesday 17th Dec.
The proposals that NCVO is particularly interested are related to:
Local Democracy – including the proposed duty on local govt to promote democracy (to stimulate debate, improve democratic understanding and take up of civic roles)
Economic Development – including the proposed duty on local govt to prepare an assessment of the economic conditions in an area
Compact – we anticipate the Government will lay an amendment concerning statutory provisions in relation to the Commission for the Compact.
This resonates with many of the findings from the Power Inquiry – people do want to get involved, just not necessarily in formal politics. I think that blogging is another way in which people can and do get involved in the world around them, their communities and wider civil society.
Over the weekend there were many articles and op-eds on this same subject: herehere and here to link to a few.
Hazel Blears has also responded to some of this criticism via the comments on her own blog
I think that the summary of the book in the blog post, particularly the discussion about online vs offline campaigning, is really interesting, and I like that Shirky seems to address the potential negative consequenses of new technologies too.
This focus on trying to increase the numbers of people actively engaged in both civil and civic life is gaining pace following the publication of the recent DCLG white paper communities in control
The first chapter is entitled ‘active citizenship and the value of volunteering’. It sets out what the Government plans to do to make it easier for people to be involved in voluntary and community activity. As suggested in this driver, it does indeed include the announcement of funding streams, and builds on other funds as well as the extension of local pilots of ‘Take Part’ pathfinders
It interesting to note that the Government also plans to consult on extending the right to time off for people serving in roles which are considered to be decision making functions in statutory bodies – e.g. as members of probation boards, or as co-opted members of overview and scrutiny panel. (Currently only certain roles are eligible for time off) There are also plans to consult on the right to time off for certain roles in the housing sector (e.g. members of boards of tenant management organisations)
Further to consulting on extending the right to time off, the Government also wants to explore how they can encourage more active involvement in independent voluntary and community activity, through non-regulatory ways: this is interesting because there is much good practice and guidance available on volunteering policies in the workplace, and one could argue that the focus perhaps ought to be on what DCLG can do to create an environment in which voluntary and community organisations can thrive (this has obvious links to national indictor 7) as well as what the department can do to encourage better time off or condition which encourage volunteers and activism through its policy/strategic responsibilities – for example by considering what local government, and indeed what all LSP partners can do to encourage more community activism.
I thought it might be useful to follow the above post with some more info on how the government is moving this agenda forward. The Communities in Control White Paper was published in July, and it has been accompanied by a raft of consultations, including:
Communities in Control has been heralded by the government as the next step in terms of the devolutionary agenda – with last years Local Government Act devolving power to the town hall, will this white paper and the forthcoming Act really devolve power to people?
I think that localism and empowerment are certainly going to be high on the political agenda for some time to come. Devolving power and the questions around how to get more people involved in local decision making are of interest to all political parties. Following the publication of their recent green paper on civil society, it will be interesting to read the forthcoming Conservative ‘centre-right’ local government green paper and learn more about what they have planned for localism and empowerment.
The recent DCLG White Paper Communities in Control has a real focus on how to get people engaged and active in their communities. (an NCVO briefing is also available)Whilst the government does recognise the value of communities of interest in the white paper, there is without a doubt a focus on geographically based communities. The white paper builds on the work of Sherry Arnstein and discusses a ‘ladder’ or ‘spectrum’ of opportunities for community engagement as, from individual acts of good neighbourliness through to taking on formal civic responsibility.
This raises many questions about the relationship between participative and representative democracy. NCVO, with the LGA, have recently published a collection of essays looking at the nature of this relationship. Votes and Voices. These essays bring together a wide range of views and perspectives on local democracy from across local government, the voluntary sector and academia. It is important to understand and acknowledge the value of participation and engagement in and of itself – it might not always lead to civic engagement but getting involved and participating can and does strengthen civil society. We plan to use these essays to help us to better understand the relationship between participation and representation and to inform our work in this area as we move forward.
Richard’s point about people being engaged and interested in multiple single issues is spot on, and can also be considered in light of Naomi Kleins point about blogging. The internet enables us to access information, to gain knowledge and an understanding of a whole host of issues – and crucially it is also a medium through which we can participate in various ways. This ability and flexibility to get involved has contributed to the perceived rise of our interest in a multiplicity of single issues. Whilst I take the point about blogging ‘taking the urgency away’ there is also a point to be made about the posterity of the blogosphere – when you have commented in the public sphere its there for the world to see forever, so whilst its not the same as putting your body on the line, in a different way you are making your point and in some ways you will always be linked to that point beacuse its out there….
complex engagement in multiple issues may seem like a threat to organisations but can also be harnessed for positive gain – I recently met a CEO of a local infrastructure organisation who had capitalised on some of his volunteers ‘other’ interests. This had led to the LIO’s involvement in furniture recycling, ICT training, community transport and a lending library! and all because existing activists had discussed other issues they were involved in, interested in and campaigned for.
On Wednesday 9th July, Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for communities and local government, launched the empowerment white paper – Communities in Control: real people, real power. The white paper addresses seven key issues, which it aims to address from the perspective of the individual citizen:
• being active in your community
• access to information
• having an influence
• challenge
• redress
• standing for office
• ownership and control
Many of the proposals in it will impact on third sector organisations – both directly and indirectly.
To accompany the launch of the white paper, Hazel Blears is blogging for seven days, as well as updating her activities on twitter.
Its interesting to also note that Hazel Blears blog was supposed to have a seven day duration, but due to popular demand she has continued the blog and the twitter I think there have been some good comments made on her blog, and to her credit she has also been responding to the specific as well as the generic points that people have been making.
I didn’t make it to the seminar, so I found Natalie’s post and Veronique’s comment really interesting. It got me thinking about the implications of localism in relation to communities of ‘interest’ which can and often do cross so many geographic boundaries: is one of the risks associated with the ‘charity begins at home scenario’ that as more and more decision making happens at the local level, the VCS might begin to focus disproportionately on the “local” in relation to geographic neighbourhood/localities and not on the wider, regional/ national /multi country and global issues that so many people do identify with?
In relation to trying to influence government and decision making, certainly recent legislation in the England has been ‘permissive’ and enables more autonomy and less central control, and its interesting that those from large national charities are beginning to think about how to work at the local level. One of the things to consider next is how the learning from working in smaller geographic areas can be then be shared across localities and globally.
LSPs will continue to grow in importance as the main vehicles to agree the vision of, and priorities for, localities; Local Area Agreements will be the delivery mechanism to achieve these priorities.
This is not in reply to Peter (sorry!) but just a quick post to alert people to the people and participation website, sponsored by the DCLG, MoJ and the Sustainable Development Commission. I haven’t had a chance to look at it in any depth but its an interesting site that builds on the excellent Involve publication of the same name. The site aims to be a central portal for information and inspiration about participation to practitioners across the world.
I went to an interesting lecture held by PMPA yesterday – How can Local government save the planet?. It focused (unsuprisingly) on what local government can do to stop climate change, and the example of carbon neutral Marks and Spencers was also given – I hadn’t seen the NHS corporate citizenship website before, but this thread has made me think about CSR and the public sector locally- If all 410 local authorities were better ‘corporate citizens’ could they save the planet? I dont think they could do it alone, but I think they could make a real difference – in relation to more then climate change.
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
it might be useful to note here that the Government uses the indices of multiple deprivation to analyse patterns of deprivation, identify areas that would benefit from special initiatives or programmes and as a tool to determine eligibility for specific funding streams.
Dhara
here’s an interesting charity finance blog by a twitter convert.
I do think that the personal vs professional use of twitter which she raises is a subject of massive and continuous debate – use it to keep up with friends or work? Or is it possible to do both? And would you want to do both? It’s very much about personal preference – which is another reason twitter is good, because you can just experiment and figure out how & why you want to use it.
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
I agree with a number of points that have been made here – no, not all voluntary and community/third sector organisations are “good” – but then many would argue that the very definition of what is “good” is incredibly subjective!- and personal. How we choose the charities and voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) that we give to and support in other ways is often a very personal decision.
Not all VCOs choose to do anything relating to promoting engagement or participation in local decision making, and nor should they feel they have to! We are not mandated to do so, and nor do I think we ought to be. The independence of the VCS is crucial.
There are very many VCOs who have nothing to do with government, but are crucial for thriving vibrant local communities – for example local history groups or sports groups. But independent VCOs are also important as part of a healthy democracy –indeed, the crux of my argument is that VCOs can support and enhance democracy – operating as a challenge or balance to the interests of government and the market, providing a voice and support for individuals and communities who might not otherwise be heard, and providing services.
I think that we should never presume that the sector is an alternative for electoral democracy, nor do I think that VCOs can provide an alternative to civic representation and accountability through the ballot box. Of course charities and other community groups cannot, and should not replace local government or other representative civic structure – but they certainly are able to complement it.
Dal’s point about his personal interest in politics growing from an association with the VCS in an area is something that you often hear– NCVOs rural research A Broader Parish found that community activism, both elected and representative, is often undertaken by a limited pool of individuals.
Dal also suggests we need to think about ‘what we mean by the third/voluntary sector’ I think we should think about what we mean when we say democracy too – is democracy about more then just voting? Is there space for the VCS in a vibrant democracy? And what role for VCOs within democracy?
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
I agree with Caroline – democracy is a deeper process than simply the act of voting. I say this not to undermine in any way the necessity and value of the ballot box, and the (often hard fought for) right to cast your vote and make your preference known, but in fact to strengthen democracy and, as Caroline says, enable all voices to be heard. In my view, representative and participative processes are both key components of a healthy local democracy.
How do young people who cannot vote make their voice heard? How can non-British citizens (many of whom pay into the system through taxation) make their voice heard? How about those who do vote (or those who choose not to) but want to continue to influence and shape the agenda long before and after elections? And without the participation of individuals in civil society, without strong collective action, who will speak truth to power?
Participative democracy is by its nature messy but crucial – and representative democracy is, as Simon Jenkins argues, essential. But neither can really be successful without the other. Often people prefer to be involved in voluntary action, for whatever reason (the independent POWER Inquiry , and its final report, Power to the People looked at this in great detail) But above everything it is vital that elected representatives, politicians at all levels, must seek to hear all voices in society and make informed and balanced decisions. Further to this, it is vital that the decisions they make – and the rationale for those decisions – is communicated to the people.
The following passage is taken from a recent LGA and NCVO publication – Votes and Voices: the complementary nature of representative and participative democracy – and is, I think, particularly relevant to this debate:
Elected politicians are faced with the extremely difficult task of having to meet and, where necessary, reconcile the needs of an increasingly diverse citizenry. They have to make difficult decisions with scarce resources and sometimes convey unpopular messages. Decisions, taken for the greater public good, will inevitably result in both winners and losers. Elected politicians are the ones with the mandate to make these decisions, taking on board the relevant pros and cons and, importantly, communicating back to local communities the reasons for the decisions they take. Voluntary and community organisations can and do strengthen this role: bringing different perspectives and enabling a range of different voices to be heard; providing knowledge, experience and expertise regarding local issues; and offering vital additional links into and out of parts of the community.
What do other people think?
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
The Governments agenda on localism and local democracy is still moving forward. The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill was introduced into the House of Lords on Thursday 4th December, with the second reading planned for Wednesday 17th Dec.
The proposals that NCVO is particularly interested are related to:
An NCVO briefing is now available.
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
I just read an extract from a speech by Hazel Blears MP, on ‘Tackling Disengagement’ in it, she infers that political blogging fuels cynicism and leads to disengagement.
I think its particularly pertinent given she gave this speech on the 5th November, the day after Barrack Obama was elected and declared President–elect of the USA. Obama’s campaign and eventual victory has been historic for a number of reasons- not least because of the way he was able to mobilize and organise from the grassroots up. This involved the phenomenal use of information and communications technology, and the blogosphere was another arena in which the debates about the US 2008 election.
This resonates with many of the findings from the Power Inquiry – people do want to get involved, just not necessarily in formal politics. I think that blogging is another way in which people can and do get involved in the world around them, their communities and wider civil society.
Over the weekend there were many articles and op-eds on this same subject: here here and here to link to a few.
Hazel Blears has also responded to some of this criticism via the comments on her own blog
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
I read an interesting review on pickled politics of a new book by Clay Shirky – Here comes everybody
I think that the summary of the book in the blog post, particularly the discussion about online vs offline campaigning, is really interesting, and I like that Shirky seems to address the potential negative consequenses of new technologies too.
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
This focus on trying to increase the numbers of people actively engaged in both civil and civic life is gaining pace following the publication of the recent DCLG white paper communities in control
The first chapter is entitled ‘active citizenship and the value of volunteering’. It sets out what the Government plans to do to make it easier for people to be involved in voluntary and community activity. As suggested in this driver, it does indeed include the announcement of funding streams, and builds on other funds as well as the extension of local pilots of ‘Take Part’ pathfinders
It interesting to note that the Government also plans to consult on extending the right to time off for people serving in roles which are considered to be decision making functions in statutory bodies – e.g. as members of probation boards, or as co-opted members of overview and scrutiny panel. (Currently only certain roles are eligible for time off) There are also plans to consult on the right to time off for certain roles in the housing sector (e.g. members of boards of tenant management organisations)
Further to consulting on extending the right to time off, the Government also wants to explore how they can encourage more active involvement in independent voluntary and community activity, through non-regulatory ways: this is interesting because there is much good practice and guidance available on volunteering policies in the workplace, and one could argue that the focus perhaps ought to be on what DCLG can do to create an environment in which voluntary and community organisations can thrive (this has obvious links to national indictor 7) as well as what the department can do to encourage better time off or condition which encourage volunteers and activism through its policy/strategic responsibilities – for example by considering what local government, and indeed what all LSP partners can do to encourage more community activism.
Read NCVOs response to the consultation
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
I thought it might be useful to follow the above post with some more info on how the government is moving this agenda forward. The Communities in Control White Paper was published in July, and it has been accompanied by a raft of consultations, including:
NCVO has responsed to these consultations.
Communities in Control has been heralded by the government as the next step in terms of the devolutionary agenda – with last years Local Government Act devolving power to the town hall, will this white paper and the forthcoming Act really devolve power to people?
I think that localism and empowerment are certainly going to be high on the political agenda for some time to come. Devolving power and the questions around how to get more people involved in local decision making are of interest to all political parties. Following the publication of their recent green paper on civil society, it will be interesting to read the forthcoming Conservative ‘centre-right’ local government green paper and learn more about what they have planned for localism and empowerment.
The issues discussed in the white paper have also been debated in the media and the blogosphere quite extensively, with wide ranging opinions and many questions posed – can you really legislate for greater citizen engagement? Are voting incentives akin to bribing people for their votes? and is engagement delusory?
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
The recent DCLG White Paper Communities in Control has a real focus on how to get people engaged and active in their communities. (an NCVO briefing is also available)Whilst the government does recognise the value of communities of interest in the white paper, there is without a doubt a focus on geographically based communities. The white paper builds on the work of Sherry Arnstein and discusses a ‘ladder’ or ‘spectrum’ of opportunities for community engagement as, from individual acts of good neighbourliness through to taking on formal civic responsibility.
This raises many questions about the relationship between participative and representative democracy. NCVO, with the LGA, have recently published a collection of essays looking at the nature of this relationship. Votes and Voices. These essays bring together a wide range of views and perspectives on local democracy from across local government, the voluntary sector and academia. It is important to understand and acknowledge the value of participation and engagement in and of itself – it might not always lead to civic engagement but getting involved and participating can and does strengthen civil society. We plan to use these essays to help us to better understand the relationship between participation and representation and to inform our work in this area as we move forward.
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
Richard’s point about people being engaged and interested in multiple single issues is spot on, and can also be considered in light of Naomi Kleins point about blogging. The internet enables us to access information, to gain knowledge and an understanding of a whole host of issues – and crucially it is also a medium through which we can participate in various ways. This ability and flexibility to get involved has contributed to the perceived rise of our interest in a multiplicity of single issues. Whilst I take the point about blogging ‘taking the urgency away’ there is also a point to be made about the posterity of the blogosphere – when you have commented in the public sphere its there for the world to see forever, so whilst its not the same as putting your body on the line, in a different way you are making your point and in some ways you will always be linked to that point beacuse its out there….
complex engagement in multiple issues may seem like a threat to organisations but can also be harnessed for positive gain – I recently met a CEO of a local infrastructure organisation who had capitalised on some of his volunteers ‘other’ interests. This had led to the LIO’s involvement in furniture recycling, ICT training, community transport and a lending library! and all because existing activists had discussed other issues they were involved in, interested in and campaigned for.
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
On Wednesday 9th July, Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for communities and local government, launched the empowerment white paper – Communities in Control: real people, real power. The white paper addresses seven key issues, which it aims to address from the perspective of the individual citizen:
• being active in your community
• access to information
• having an influence
• challenge
• redress
• standing for office
• ownership and control
Many of the proposals in it will impact on third sector organisations – both directly and indirectly.
To accompany the launch of the white paper, Hazel Blears is blogging for seven days, as well as updating her activities on twitter.
See the full NCVO briefing
Its interesting to also note that Hazel Blears blog was supposed to have a seven day duration, but due to popular demand she has continued the blog and the twitter I think there have been some good comments made on her blog, and to her credit she has also been responding to the specific as well as the generic points that people have been making.
Dhara
I didn’t make it to the seminar, so I found Natalie’s post and Veronique’s comment really interesting. It got me thinking about the implications of localism in relation to communities of ‘interest’ which can and often do cross so many geographic boundaries: is one of the risks associated with the ‘charity begins at home scenario’ that as more and more decision making happens at the local level, the VCS might begin to focus disproportionately on the “local” in relation to geographic neighbourhood/localities and not on the wider, regional/ national /multi country and global issues that so many people do identify with?
In relation to trying to influence government and decision making, certainly recent legislation in the England has been ‘permissive’ and enables more autonomy and less central control, and its interesting that those from large national charities are beginning to think about how to work at the local level. One of the things to consider next is how the learning from working in smaller geographic areas can be then be shared across localities and globally.
Dhara
Written as Policy Officer at NCVO
The localism agenda is moving forward at a rapid pace, and the requirements of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act are now being implemented. NCVO have produced a briefing on some of the developments .
In addition to this, the Sustainable Communities Act also passed last year. DCLG have published a guide to the Sustainable Communities Act
DCLG have now released the final guidance you may also be interested in reading NCVOs briefing and response to the consultation on the draft guidance
DCLG have also published a Principles for third sector representation on Local Strategic Partnerships
The new performance framework for localities will inevitably have a huge impact on locally based and locally operating voluntary and community organisations.
LSPs will continue to grow in importance as the main vehicles to agree the vision of, and priorities for, localities; Local Area Agreements will be the delivery mechanism to achieve these priorities.
Dhara
This is not in reply to Peter (sorry!) but just a quick post to alert people to the people and participation website, sponsored by the DCLG, MoJ and the Sustainable Development Commission. I haven’t had a chance to look at it in any depth but its an interesting site that builds on the excellent Involve publication of the same name. The site aims to be a central portal for information and inspiration about participation to practitioners across the world.
Dhara
I went to an interesting lecture held by PMPA yesterday – How can Local government save the planet?. It focused (unsuprisingly) on what local government can do to stop climate change, and the example of carbon neutral Marks and Spencers was also given – I hadn’t seen the NHS corporate citizenship website before, but this thread has made me think about CSR and the public sector locally- If all 410 local authorities were better ‘corporate citizens’ could they save the planet? I dont think they could do it alone, but I think they could make a real difference – in relation to more then climate change.