Ahead of the government’s forthcoming Civil Society Covenant, a new report published today by NCVO and ACEVO outlines the voices and perspectives of civil society heard during an engagement exercise last year.
The report, entitled “A New Partnership: Building a Covenant for Civil Society and Government”, summarises the input of more than 1,000 civil society organisations. The report sets out recommendations based on the feedback which, if enacted, will help make sure the Covenant is as effective as possible, and leads to lasting and tangible change.
The Civil Society Covenant is being developed to improve and reset the relationship between civil society and government, and aims to support better collaboration, ensure respect for the roles each side plays, and protect the independence of civil society.
To develop the new Civil Society Covenant, NCVO and ACEVO undertook an engagement exercise in autumn 2024 supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Key findings from the engagement process
- Challenges in working with government were identified including bureaucratic processes, lack of understanding of civil society, and lack of trust.
- There are several factors that can support effective working relationships including open and honest communication, understanding of civil society, long term funding and investment in working relationships.
- Civil society organisations have a significant role to play to innovate in partnership with government, but they need the right conditions to develop and test new solutions.
- There is broad support for the draft principles, and civil society want to see them expanded to include specific actions.
To ensure the Covenant has lasting impact, NCVO and ACEVO have outlined six areas for action:
- Direction – Clear, practical commitments including protection for civil society’s right to campaign. Remove barriers such as burdensome funding processes and lack of consultation.
- Responsibility – Appoint Ministerial and senior civil service leads for civil society in every department, establish oversight through the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and set strong expectations for improvement at a local level.
- Conditions – Amend legislation and standards that inhibit advocacy and commit to fair, flexible funding arrangements.
- Support – Invest in secondments, communities of practice, and embed civil society understanding in government training.
- Mechanisms – Create a Partnership Hub, establish a Treasury unit focused on civil society, and set up advisory groups.
- Review – Introduce annual review processes and real-time issue reporting to ensure ongoing accountability.
Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive of NCVO said:
“This report reflects the voices of voluntary sector organisations from across the country, setting out clearly what charities want the Covenant to include for it to be successful. We know that meaningful partnership with government can only be achieved through trust, transparency, mutual respect and shared purpose.
By delivering a Covenant that enables genuine partnership with civil society, government can make real progress on its wider missions – from health inequality to community resilience. We are committed to working with government to deliver not only for the sector but the people and communities charities support.”
Jane Ide, Chief Executive of ACEVO said:
“We know that leaders across civil society are eager to ensure that well expressed intentions from government are followed and reinforced by tangible actions. There is an opportunity to establish a new framework for a relationship between civil society and government at all levels, and work together on a mission driven approach to transforming the lives of the people and communities we are all here to serve.
But to be meaningful and credible with our sector at a time of continuing economic challenge and social polarisation the Covenant must be rooted in genuine and intentional commitment. We will continue to carry those messages to government on behalf of the sector we are here to serve and look forward to seeing this work come to fruition.”