[WiLT] Fw: NCIA Newsletter No: 12 - July 2009

[WiL Admin]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <info at penandy.co.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 6:30 AM
Subject: NCIA Newsletter No: 12 - July 2009


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This email newsletter was sent to you in graphical HTML format.
If you're seeing this version, your email program prefers plain text emails.
You can read the original version online:
http://ymlp147.com/zE1ILE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s about power, stupid!
www.independentaction.net ..… indyaction at yahoo.co.uk

Newsletter No: 12
July 2009

Not only what you do, but the way that you do it…….

A hot summer hello from the Coalition. It’s odd, sometimes uncanny,
the way themes emerge from the scan of news that gets distilled into
this newsletter. A strong one this time is process – the ways
things are done, what effect these ways have on people and services,
and what this says about your values and your ideology. If your view
of the world is one that is participative, libertarian, inclusive, you
are likely to choose ways of working that echo such aspirations. If
your view of the world is top-down, elitist, standardised, then
you’ll go for a different mix. We’ve had a lot of the latter for
so many, many years that we need to remind ourselves that other ways
are possible – and will most probably get a better result.

And don’t forget, that we’re busy talking to people about how to
create a process, and approach to management, which allows us to keep
our souls. So if you want to join the chorus, contact us on
indyaction at yahoo.co.uk.

The Liberal Republic – new publication from Demos

Much of this debate is about power, so we start with this. The
‘think-tank’ Demos has published a tract – a kind of manifesto
– taking us back to the ideas behind liberal republicanism.
Haven’t digested it yet, but the report is interestingly divided
into three sections dealing respectively with independence, capability
and power – themes that are commonly rehearsed in these columns.
Looks like a report to pay attention to. Here’s a flavour:

“Power should be held at the lowest level possible. Instead of
'devolving' power, our assumption should be that power is vested in
people. Only when there is good reason should power be consolidated
upwards to communities, local agencies, national government or
international bodies. The 'good society' is not a perfect shape to
be carved by the elite out of the crooked timber of humanity. It is
created by independent, capable people charting their own course
through life.

This is the foundation of the liberal republic, a society built on
the idea that power originates and belongs with people. Populated by
powerful citizens, it is a cacophonous, unpredictable and messy place.
A place where people have the freedom to live in the manner of their
choosing and the power to determine their own version of the good
life. A place where institutions exist to serve individuals, not the
other way around. A place where equality is measured not by what you
have, but by what you can do.”

You can download the report at
http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/theliberalrepublic.

Critic of ‘new managerialism’ shut down

Bad news that Simon Caulkin’s Observer Management column has been
chopped. In a blistering exit, Caulkin’s final contribution offers
an eloquent account of the school of management that we are trying to
resist within the Coalition as it arrives in the voluntary and
community sector.

For example: “Across both public and private sectors what readers
experienced as "management" was pervasively problematic. It just
wasn't what it said on the tin. …….. The talk was empowerment,
shared destiny, pulling together: the walk was increasing work
intensity, tight performance management, risk offloaded on to the
individual. The talk was flat organisations: the reality,
centralisation and a yawning divide between other ranks, required to
minimise their demands for the greater good, and a remote officer
class whose rewards had to soar to motivate them to do their job.”

“Shamefully, (this story) reached its explosive climax on the watch
of a Labour government that, betraying its entire history, not only
encouraged ethics-free market-led management principles in the private
sector but imposed them wholesale on the public sector….. ..The
emails of rage and despair from public-sector workers at what has been
done to their profession have to be read to be believed. And still
ministers don't get it. The elevation of the grisly Alan Sugar to
"enterprise tsar" and the timorous, frozen-in-the-headlights approach
to City reform in one sense are as risible as MPs' expenses - but they
are also a terrifying denial of reality.”

And his conclusion is that: “The management model that has run us
for the past 30 years, like the discredited economic theories
(rational expectations, efficient markets) to which it cringes, is
bust, dead, finished - a mortal danger to us and the planet.”

Quite. If you want to be reminded that you are not alone in being
upset about all this, you can clock the whole article at
http://www.guardian.co.uk:80/business/2009/jun/14/final-management-column.

And if you want to say bon voyage to Simon then e-mail him at
simon.caulkin at observer.co.uk.

And more support for our stand from the private sector

Never thought that I’d be quoting Ruth Lee, former head of policy
at the Institute of Directors, for her positive contribution, but
according to the Guardian (9/6/09) she thinks that:

”The public sector has been administered on a very basic, and
misleading, interpretation of how the private sector operates. If you
are a salesman, you have sales targets, but if you are in, for
example, human resources or legal services, you have a job description
and you do it, without targets. Education is not just a matter of
turning sausages out of a sausage machine and hitting targets - and
that's where it's gone wrong.”

Meanwhile, Advice UK’s favourite consultant John Seddon, has
discovered that what he has bemoaned in the public sector has arrived
in the word of voluntary action. Writing in his own newsletter, Seddon
says:

“Talking to someone working in a charity I learn that the regime is
working to kill off voluntary services. Of course that is not their
aim but it will be the consequence. The regime is offering money (the
‘incentive’) for voluntary agencies to merge and share
‘back-office’ services. The argument is this will create economies
of scale. Instead of voluntary agencies receiving grants (the
historic, local, practice), agencies will, in the future, respond to
tenders.

We can confidently predict (given tendering in health, trading
standards (Consumer Direct) and legal services, for just some
examples) the tenders will not reflect demand. Tender provisions will
standardise services thus less ability to respond to variety and all
of the tension created, as well as the burdensome new reporting, and
will cause volunteers to leave………… Voluntary agencies need
to be local and flexible, they respond to demand and should be
designed against demand. The new regime makes this very difficult.”

To prove the point – CES’s First PQASSO Quality Mark is
‘awarded’

For some time Charities Evaluation Service has intended to market its
PQASSO quality system as a new ‘externally-accredited’ Quality
Mark. Well the first, of no doubt many, hapless applicants has
successfully satisfied the new set of inspectors and Blackburn-based
Child Action Northwest has got the gong – described as ‘the new
'kite mark' for the third sector’. The award was presented by MP
for Blackburn Jack Straw, which itself involves a touch of irony as
his own Minister of Justice is right at the front in enslaving
voluntary agencies to its discredited ‘quality’ systems, through
the Legal Services Commission ‘Quality Mark’ (close relation).

And while we’re on the LSC Quality Mark, apparently 65% of the
advice agencies holding this testimonial – acknowledged even by the
LSC as spurious - have signed up to pay out of their own pocket, the
£1500 they will now be charged for their QM audit and personal
enslavement. This is the kind of news that makes one lose the will to
live. …… what is the matter with them??

More banging-on about  the Compact

If there’s a process that does waste people’s time it’s  the
bloody Compact. As we’ve said before, why people think that
officials  working to Government targets are going to pay any
attention to the lofty  principles of the Compact beats us. The latest
move over the last year or so  has been to ‘give the Compact more
bite’ by putting the whole thing on a  statutory footing. Latest
attempt here was a Parliamentary 10-minute rule bill  back in May to
give the Compact a "limited number of new powers and duties". Not too
many though. Tom Levitt who tabled the motion  was quoted as saying it
would not be appropriate to give the commission  stronger powers
beyond naming and shaming because "having hard and fast  rules is
outside the spirit of the Compact". I thought it was the lack of
spirit they were complaining about. The bill is ‘unlikely to become
Law’. You  don’t say!

Meanwhile the Commission for the Compact wants to  measure yet again
“awareness, knowledge, use and understanding of the Compact  in
central government departments and non-departmental government
bodies”, and  then plans to repeat the exercise every year. Tenders
have been out for this  important (not!) piece of work and results
will be in by November apparently.

And Compact Voice, the NCVO-driven, voluntary sector  bit of this
partnership industry is going to do a survey of its own to “see how
the Compact is working locally.” This is consistent with its general
approach –  it has recently come out with: ‘new methods of
monitoring and evaluating local Compacts  need to be found to combat
widespread cynicism’. This is taken from a report  called Problems,
Issue, Solution: the Future of the Compact
http://www.compactvoice.org.uk/files/100918/FileName/CompactVoiceconsultationpaperonthefutureoftheCompact.pdf.
Quite how  monitoring and evaluation can dispel cynicism is a new
one on us, but according  to Oliver Reichardt, head of Compact Voice,
"The recommendations in this  report will ensure the Compact delivers
on its potential."

Give us a break.

Half of funders 'refuse to negotiate terms and conditions', according
to Directory of Social Change

More evidence for the ‘widespread cynicism’ about the Compact,
and suchlike, comes from a DSC report, ‘Critical Conditions’,
which looked at how Government departments, trust and foundations
approach their grant-giving. 61% of the Government departments and 45%
of the trusts and foundations who responded said they did not
negotiate terms and conditions with applicants.

The report concludes that: “Charities are being forced to
compromise what they do to secure grants because funders refuse to
negotiate terms. …. When funding terms and conditions are
non-negotiable, applicants can be faced with a take-it-or-leave-it
situation. If they refuse to sign the agreement, they could lose their
funding. If they sign and ignore the terms, they may jeopardise their
project, organisation and beneficiaries." You can get the report here:
Critical Conditions (
http://www.dsc.org.uk/NewsandInformation/News/CriticalConditionsSummaryFindings
),

Meanwhile, here at the Coalition we’re working on a template for a
voluntary sector contract which groups can use as a basis to negotiate
with funders. We’ll tell you when it’s ready and put it on our
website. But if there’s anyone out there who already takes this
approach get in touch at indyaction at yahoo.co.uk.

And lastly from the frontline

In commenting on the notes from the last Coalition Assembly meeting,
one local activist complained:

“The notes include this: ... the concept of "good practice", as if there is only
one way of being good... In fact the problem I think is that they all go on
about ‘best’ practice, and this has spread everywhere. We have to be the best
city, the best education, the best nation, the best company, the best
everything. It drives me to distraction as people don't even realise what they
are saying repeating this mantra for everything. The problem with this is that
only one thing can be best, and it is that that makes it seem there is only one
way of being good.

But ‘good’ practice is OK I think, as that allows for lots of
different ways of doing something that is good. I also often say
‘good enough’ is also OK, so I don't have a problem with
‘good’ practice. It is ‘best’ practice that we should
outlaw.”

Nicely put.

Organising, mobilising and keeping-on-keeping-on

New pitch for ‘real democracy’

The ‘Campaign for real Democracy’ had its first meeting in June
to kick off the initiative. According to its organisers: “We are a
group of grassroots activists, based in London who are looking to
develop a new campaign for 'real democracy'. What we mean by this is
open, but three things we are agreed on are (1) the importance of
local neighbourhood structures, (2) the use of consensus decision
making and (3) the urgent priority that local democracy/neighbourhood
defence groups join up to build a movement for democracy”. The
focus is thus on local democracy and as an alternative to
representative democracy and it looks like the intention is to work
with local campaigns to try and get them to see beyond single issues,
join up and build more effective local democracy.

Their next meeting will be onThursday 23rd July (6.30-8.30) in the
Guernica room at Whitechapel Gallery (right by Aldgate East tube) If
you want to go or find out more email to crdlondon at gmail.com or ask
James Holland at james at dogmanet.org.

They are also planning aLondon DemocracyPicnic on August 15th on
Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath. Check out the Picnic Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=93829936659.

Local radio sign-up

We’re pleased to welcome our first community radio sign-up –
Radio Felixstowe – a “community radio station somewhere in
Suffolk”. They e-mailed us to ask if they could join in. Why of
course you can!

They plan to launch on FM 107.5 in September. Now you can check out
their website at www.felixstoweradio.co.uk If you’re in the area and
want to help them out (they’re all volunteers) contact them online
or phone 01394 282123 or 07746 474186.

Incidently a local radio station in Virginia I came across, had an
anarchist hour every thursday called ‘daily dissent’. Any room for
that in Felixstowe?

Coalition Against Poverty appeals for cash

The London Coalition Against Poverty (LCAP) is working hard right now
- campaigning for decent housing from Hackney council, for better
treatment at the Job Centre and against welfare reform that will cut
people off from the benefits they need. During June, the Coalition
toured London boroughs exposing council’s gate keeping of the
homeless and distributing information about people’s rights.

But all this costs money and they are appealing for dosh. If you’re
short of a good cause, here’s one for you. Best, they say, is a
standing order from your bank to London Coalition Against Poverty at
the Coop bank: Sort Code: 089299: Account Number: 65273979 (tell then
you’ve done it by emailing:
londoncoalitionagainstpoverty at gmail.com). But if you want to make a
one-off donation , send it to: LCAP Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High
St, LondonE1 7QX

If you want to know more about their activities or get involved
yourself have a look at the website www.lcap.org.uk. For more
information about the gate keeping campaign email
gatekeepingroadshow at gmail.com or call the office on 0207 247 6101.

Manifesto planned on race equality
Equanomics UK and Operation Black Vote are putting together a
manifesto to secure party political support for black communities and
race equality from the next Government, whoever that may be. This work
is being done with JUST West Yorkshire and the 1990 Trust. More
information from Karen Chouhan at
kchouhan at instantemail.t-mobile.co.uk.


Black Sisters celebrate 30 years!

Southall Black Sisters are this month celebrating the 30th
anniversary of their work - to highlight and challenge violence
against women; empower them to gain more control over their lives;
live without fear of violence; and assert their human rights to
justice, equality and freedom. SBS has been at the forefront of
challenging domestic and gender violence locally and nationally, and
campaigning for the provision of support services to enable women and
their children to escape violent relationships.

Go on, give them a pat on the back by emailing your congratulations
to info at southallblacksisters.co.uk

Pressure mounts on Hazel Blears

All is not over for our Hazel. Having survived an attempt to deselect
her in her Salford constituency, she is now to face an angry public. A
Hazel Must Go! Campaign has been launched in Salford. A first public
meeting has been called for Thursday 16th July, 7pm at Pendleton
Bowling Club, 13 Eccles Old Road, SalfordM6 7DE. Up to date
information on the campaign can be got from the Salford Star, the
local community newspaper which has been broadcasting Hazel’s
shortcomings for some considerable time…..www.salfordstar.com or
email: info at salfordstar.com or phone O7957 982960.

Welfare Reform Bill opposition continues (just about…)

The shameful Welfare Reform Bill has passed through the House of
Lords in its passage to Law. With unemployment in Britain passing the
two million mark and steadily rising, the government is seemingly
still clinging to a fantasy that they can boot everybody off benefits
and into non-existent jobs and proposes a dismantling of the welfare
system on a scale Margaret Thatcher would be proud of.

This is a multiple attack on the most vulnerable in society. Income
Support will go - affecting amongst others, maternity and carers'
allowances, and especially single parents. Mothers will face a fine -
leading to prison - if they refuse to name the father of their child
on the birth certificate, and up to seven years for giving false
information. Non-payment of child maintenance may lead to the seizure
of passports and driving licenses. Drink and drug addicts will have to
submit to testing and rehabilitation, and those who can't find jobs
after a two year period will have to 'work for their benefits'. There
will be sanctions for non-attendance at job centres and work-focused
interviews for the over 60's. The list goes on. Inevitably immigrants,
who, because of institutionalised racism, are the lowest paid and
often the first to lose their job, will also be disproportionately
affected.

The lack of any co-ordinated opposition to these plans is a mystery.
Why haven’t there been riots on the streets? The changes will
completely redefine – and downgrade – our rights as citizens to
social and financial support.

The provisions of this punitive plan will, if enacted, also deny full
protection to women and children fleeing violence, and increases
danger from ex-partners. Black Women’s Rape Action Project and Women
Against Rape www.womenagainstrape.net continue to protest and mobilise
against these measures specifically and ask people to sign a statement
condemning them. You can get a copy of the statement and signing form
from bwrap at dircon.co.uk or war at womenagainstrape.net or phone 020
7482 2496.

People and Planet in dash for cash

People and Planet ( http://peopleandplanet.org ), the UK student
campaigning organisation, has got itself selected by the Co-op Bank to
receive a donation. But how much it gets depends on how many of the
bank’s customers vote for it. The money – up to £100,000 is
available – will be used for P&P’s ‘Inspire UK Activism’
project. If you use the Co-op for your banking, insurance or
investments, and you want to vote for P&P, go to
http://www.goodwithmoney.co.uk/you-vote-we-ll-donate/.

‘In defence of youth work’ attracts the crowds

The roadshow of the Critically Chatting Collective has been gathering
support from around the country. Recent workshops have had up to 90
people coming along and more are being demanded. A second London
workshop will now take place on 20th July, 11am-3pm at
GoldsmithsCollege, New Cross, SE14, and there is talk of a national
conference. More information from Dr. Kalbir Shukra at
GoldsmithsCollege on 0207 919 7825 or email k.shukra at gold.ac.uk. You
can have a look at the blog here:
http://indefenceofyouthwork.wordpress.com/.

Local authority grants budgets – is anyone doing it right?

Two years ago NAVCA published a study of 4 local authorities
(Gloucester, Reading, Notts and Newcastle upon  Tyne) which have
sustained large grants budgets and have decided to keep grant funding
as a key way to support local organisations and groups. They now want
to find 4 more and are asking for suggestions for local councils who
are “making intelligent use of grant funding as part of
commissioning?” Does such a council exist?

If you’ve a suggestion to make then please contact Kevin Curley at
NAVCA - kevin.curley at navca.org.uk or phone 0114 278 6636.

MPs expenses? Well, dispossess them!

Squatters have taken over one of the houses owned by ‘Mr and Mrs
Expenses’ – MP couple Anne and Alan Keen. Mrs Keen, a health
minister recently admitted making an expense claim for private
hospital treatment for a member of her staff. At the centre of their
scandal was their double mortgage claim, where they illegally used
Parliamentary expenses to pay interest on the mortgages of both their
homes – one of which has now been occupied by outraged locals and
activists.

The location formed the venue for a comedy night on 3rd July
featuring Mark Thomas and others. The house is at 38 Brook Rd South,
BrentfordTW8 0NN and the squat can be contacted on 07549160296. For
more information on the occupation, check at:
http://london.indymedia.org/articles/1688.

Community Reinvestment Now

The need for alternatives to the banking system and the excesses of
global capitalism is now greater than ever. Urban Forum has been
looking at how the UK banking system can be ‘reformed’. They say:
“Frustrated by the lack of an obvious ‘return' on the huge public
investment in the banks, and a lack of vision and ambition over what
our post-recession society might look like, we've developed some
ambitious proposals under the banner of ‘community reinvestment'.
Our aim is to establish a new approach to financial services that
places social objectives alongside the pursuit of profit and creates
people-centred financial services fit for the 21st century.”

Worth a look? – here it is:
http://www.urbanforum.org.uk/briefings/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-community-reinvestment.

Threats to independence

Independence on the rails
In a stunning statement of the obvious, the Commission of the Compact
has concluded that the recession could compromise the independence of
voluntary organisations as they chase spiraling levels of government
funding.

In a discussion paper (
http://www.thecompact.org.uk/files/130263/FileName/TheimpactoftherecessiononCompactimplementation.pdf
) considering the possible effects of the recession on the sector and
the Compact, the commission warns that "increased competition for
government funding may have a negative effect on the independence of
third sector organisations".

The paper says: "One risk is that third sector organisations feel
less comfortable challenging government, for fear they may be less
likely to receive much-needed government funding." But the report’s
authors look on the bright side, for, they say, increased levels of
unemployment could improve the implementation of the Compact
“through the easier recruitment of high-calibre workers”. Excuse
me?

But don’t worry - NCVO will look after us

Looks like Stuart Etherington over at NCVO has been reading our
newsletter and we are pleased to welcome him as a Coalition supporter.
According to Stuart, writing in the latest issue of ‘Engage: giving
voice and support to civil society’, he says: "we need to see a
restoration of independence to civil society institutions, that is the
really new agenda, the challenge of the next ten years". You can catch
the piece and Stuart’s almost messianic pose, profiled beside
RegentCanal – but only if you’re an NCVO member (!) - here:
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/engage/index.asp?id=1731.

The madness continues…..

Ministry of Justice supports the Coalition on advice services damage

In recent times we have returned many times to the plight of
independent advice services and our own work with AdviceUK is trying
to whip up some defensive action. Now the damaging impact of the
Government’s Legal Aid reforms – one of the weapons in the assault
on the sector – has been openly acknowledged in a review
commissioned by the Ministry. The report - The Study of Legal Advice
at Local Level (
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/legal-advice-local.htm )–
concludes that the reforms are forcing local organisations providing
legal advice to reduce the quality of their services. It says advice
agencies are being forced to cherry-pick' less complicated cases,
hire inexperienced and cheaper members of staff and take less time
over cases than they previously did. In other words, exactly what we
said would happen when they announced these disastrous changes.

AdviceUK was unhappy with the recommendations however. Phil Jew,
Heads of Campaigns here said: "The study clearly recognises what the
issues are for local legal aid providers, which is positive," he said.
"However, it simply concludes that more work needs to be done, when
really the Government should be applying the brakes to any reforms
that are proving damaging to the sector."

If you’re affected by Legal Services Commission madness and want to
push back, then get in touch with Penny Waterhouse or Frances Sullivan
on indyaction at yahoo.co.uk.

Is it a grant or is it a contract?

This one from Kevin at NAVCA: a quote from Southampton Council’s
contract rules:

“The Rules do not cover grants which the Council may receive or
make except where the grant is in the form of payment for a contract
for services where the Council specifies the output or outcomes to be
delivered”.

It seems Southampton CC is insisting on competitive tendering for all
contracts over £10k - or is that for grants?

So that's all fine and clear. Any offers to go to Southampton and
help them?

Bidding for contracts: Adapt or die, charities warned

Meanwhile the two-brains over at charity consulting firm Action
Planning have concluded that ‘Competition will increase as statutory
funding shrinks’ and that: ‘Organisations that are uncomfortable
with the idea of competing with other charities for contracts might
not exist in 10 years' time.’

The comments were made at an ACEVO funding roadshow. "Winning
contracts will involve winning them off your competitors," said Derek
Smith of Action Planning. "If your organisation is one that doesn't
like the idea of competition, it might not be around in 10 years."
Voluntary organisations would need a more "private sector" approach,
with increased emphasis on contract management, business planning and
marketing. He said projects should be devised to fit funders' agendas.
This view was supported by Janet Moore, third sector team leader at
the Department for Children, Schools and Families who said her
department needed to be confident that the projects it funded were
"giving us what we want".

Well there we are then….

Six thousand sports clubs fear closure, says CCPR

Sporting association umbrella body CCPR reckons that about 6,000
community sports clubs fear they could close in the next year because
of the recession and "endless increases in regulation". The
organisation issued its warning after publishing the results of a
survey of clubs

"Sports clubs are in trouble," said Brigid Simmonds, chair of CCPR.
"Unless we act, thousands could go under. That would be a tragic shame
for their members and their communities. Simmonds said CCPR had been
"fighting off endless increases in regulation" that had increased
clubs' costs. "What we need now is a moratorium on any new
regulations, laws and charges affecting clubs," she said. "We are
already fighting off licquor licensing fees, drainage charges from
multi million-pound water companies, a development tax and music
licence fees.

The survey revealed that 40 per cent of clubs had experienced a fall
in membership income and 60 per cent had suffered a decline in
commercial revenue.

A4e investigated for ‘New Deal’ fraud

Private sector predator A4e is being investigated for fraud allegedly
committed at its Hull office in 2008. It is understood that at least
two other recruitment companies have been probed by the DWP. The
revelation comes weeks after A4e was earmarked for £100m of the next
lot of contracts for the government's Flexible New Deal, in which
private companies will be paid for each person they place in a job. It
remains unclear why the DWP investigation has been going for 13
months, when A4e was bidding for major government contracts. One of
A4e's consultants is David Blunkett, former work and pensions
secretary (who has been paid around £30,000 a year by them). No doubt
he’ll get to the bottom of it.

Incidently for those of you who are especially aereated by A4e there
is a blogsite just for you: ‘Watching A4e, Making Profit From The
Poor’. You can find it here: www.freewebs.com/watchinga4e.

Reports and writings

The ‘First Principle of Voluntary Action’ doesn’t apparently
include a political perspective

Last month we threatened to review Baring Foundation’s latest
offering to the ‘independence debate’… Well we’ve now got
Colin Rochester to do that and you can read the whole thing on our
website by following this link
http://www.independentaction.net/firstprinciples.

His conclusion is that whilst the report “provides yet more
evidence of the emasculation of voluntary action as an independent
actor on the policy stage and a distinctive voice for social justice
by Government…… it also reveals the limitations of the approach
that underpins the (Baring) programme and its lack of urgency and
intellectual vigour in addressing the issues.”

Colin points out that “The First Principle of Voluntary Action
rehearses the pressures wearing away at the independence of the sector
in terms of the processes of policy implementation rather than their
underlying causes.” But, “At bottom, the attempt to answer the
paper’s own question ‘What to do?’ is of little value. There are
two kinds of explanation for this inadequacy. On one level, the
discussion is circumscribed by the search for technical solutions. The
relationship between government and the voluntary sector is seen as
something that is in need of adjustment rather than radical
change…..” and …..”the essays show little understanding of the
history of voluntary action and its relationship with the state. Too
often, they seem to have adopted the view of the British Government
that nothing of any importance happened before the 1990s. The lack
of historical insight is accompanied by an absence of theory: we look
in vain for the kinds of conceptual framework that could help us
understand better what is going on and how best to respond to
events. Until and unless we develop a new paradigm of this kind, we
will be condemned to respond to deep-rooted problems with solutions
which remain superficial. “
You can get the report itself here:
http://www.baringfoundation.org.uk/FirstPrincipleofVA.pdf or a hard
copy by e-mailing Valerie Cadoret at Valerie.cadoret at uk.ing.com.

More on crime, punishment and the voluntary sector

Two new reports from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. The
first summarises a meeting held at the beginning of the year called:
‘'Partners or Prisoners? Voluntary sector independence in the world
of commissioning and contestability’. Amongst others, the debate
heard Tina Jenkins, Head of Third Sector and Strategy, Ministry of
Justice, say that voluntary agencies bidding to be involved in
criminal justice contracts and services “had to be comfortable with
punishment as well as rehabilitation. It’s up to them…” You can
download the summary here
www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/partnersorprisoners.html.

The second report looks at voluntary sector attempts – and dilemmas
-to address black young people’s overrepresentation in the criminal
justice system. Based on interviews in four cities in England,
‘Policy, purpose and pragmatism’’ includes extensive first-hand
accounts from representatives of voluntary and community
organisations. It finds their ability to provide quality support for
black young people affected by crime is undermined by contradictory
governmental agendas and a constant competition for limited resources
within a conservative funding environment. No surprises there then.
You can get this one at:
http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/policypurposeandpragmatism.html.

Both reports are part of a wider initiative from the Centre looking
at the role of the voluntary and community sector in this field. This
will include a special issue of their magazine Criminal Justice
Matters in September. If you want to know more get in touch with
Richard Garside at director at crimeandjustice.org.uk.

Campaigning is OK … apparently it’s official!

Don’t know whether to file this one under mobilising (good) or
lunacy (bad), so it’s gone under ‘reports’….. but the 13th
July sees the launch of ‘Campaigning is OK’, “a guide to
capacity building for advocacy and campaigning by community and
voluntary groups….”. This apparently builds on a series of
regional events earlier this year.

Unfortunately the very mention of ‘capacity building’ puts us off
(we have a t-shirt if you want to order one that emblazes ‘I don’t
need my capacity built’) and the fact that the launch event is to be
held in the House of Commons, in partnership with ‘Parliamentary
Outreach’ is hardly a cracking incentive to attend. The initiative
also seems to be in the ownership of Novas Scarman, not known to be at
the radical end of the sector’s political perspectives. However, we
are happy to be proved wrong. Maybe someone could hold their nose long
enough to get through the meeting and let us have a report back… You
can find out more from Kellie.white at novasscarman.org or download the
materials here: http://static.novas.org/files/campaigningisok-456.pdf.

About this Newsletter

This newsletter is the voice of the NCIA. Views expressed are not
necessarily that of everyone involved with NCIA. We aim to issue
newsletters regularly to keep you informed of what we and others are
doing or saying.

How Can You Participate?

Tell us your news, write articles, sound off with your opinions and
feedback but - most important – find ways of taking your own
practical action to defend and protect the independence of your work
and aspirations.

Talk to us and others via the Coalition email address –
indyaction at yahoo.co.uk .

We are all volunteers here and we welcome more offers of help. If
you’d like to help make this initiative prosper then please get in
touch with us.