26/10/2009 – The Value of second-tier support
Lasa recently carried out a survey of frontline agencies which shows how much they rely on infrastructure support. A wide variety of organisations (175) responded. 66% said that they use second tier services once a month or more. A further 31% per cent said that they used such services "once in a while". Only 3% said that they never used such services.
Labour and the Conservatives have both gone on record as valuing the contribution that Voluntary and Community Sector organisations make to all aspects of the lives of people in the UK. New Labour rightly realised that to maximise the added value of the VCS, a level playing field would need to be established by the provision of infrastructure support to the VCS. Only a significant investment in support would allow some of the smaller, grassroots or specialist organisations to enter the complex and growing world of commissioning. For many years the sector has come to rely on second tier or "infrastructure" support for its direct services and campaigning work. At its best, the VCS can lay claim to being much better at accessing services to vulnerable or hard to reach people than the private or public sectors. Having the reach and the expertise to access particular groups of people and provide accessible and appropriate services is the key contribution that the Third Sector makes. This does not mean that the sector can operate without significant advice, policy support, training and other infrastructural back up. After all, charities and voluntary organisations were not usually set up as businesses with the substantial financial, HR, ICT and other necessary support mechanisms that the private or public sector takes for granted. Charities are set up to respond to needs, not to make profits or subsidise their own administrative empires.
In the current recession it is arguable that the VCS needs more not less infrastructure support. If the sector is to concentrate on meeting the needs of the victims of the recession then it will need to rely on stable mechanisms for support whilst the recession lasts. However, in an era of cuts in local and national government spending, there is a great danger that such infrastructure support will be the first element to disappear. An incoming Conservative government will confront this issue early in their period of office. Recent Shadow Ministers for the Voluntary Sector have tried to reassure the sector that they value the role and independence of the sector and understand the key role played by infrastructure support. However the evidence from some areas now under Tory control has been unsettling at best. An early draft of the Tories' manifesto for the voluntary sector appeared to argue that all infrastructure should be "marketised". Instead of continuing to fund the existence of second tier agencies such as CVS or other support agencies, they appeared to argue that extra funding might be given to frontline agencies to buy in their own second tier support. Such a development would be hugely damaging to the sector as a whole.
Posted by Andy Gregg
Comments
Tim Watkins-Idle — 15:57 on 9 February
Dear Pete
Thank you for your kind comments about our survey.
We didn't produce a report, but you can see the main findings from our survey in the news item at:
http://www.lasa.org.uk/news/detail/third-sector-organisations-fail-to-work-together-due-to-lack-of-leadership-/
Please do let me know if you'd like to discuss the survey or any of the issues it raises further.
Best wishes,
pete wilde — 15:52 on 1 February
Is it possible to obtain a copy of your 'value of second tier support' survey and findinds. I work in South Yorkshire where the Change Up Consortium is focusing some of its energies on how to evidence impact of infrastructure and is keen to learn from practice beyond the region.
many thanks
Pete Wilde