tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189064357283855936.post4573813252411478304..comments2024-02-01T09:25:16.606+00:00Comments on Bubb's Blog: Palaces, jobs and poor governance.Sir Stephen Bubbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13575202213305419556noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1189064357283855936.post-29712363662868252622009-05-12T09:22:00.000+01:002009-05-12T09:22:00.000+01:00Stephen
This is a bit rich. I wrote to you and Jo...Stephen<br /><br />This is a bit rich. I wrote to you and John Low a yearago suggesting a clearing house for grants and expenditure. You could do exactly the same with talented people who wish to help by working for charities.<br /><br />You did not reply then, and I am not sure I expect you to reply now. The trouble is that you can proseletyse all you wish, and shake hands with the great and the good, but your people need to come down a level.<br /><br />MPs and Royalty are not going to do any of the work. Now they are on board with your ideas, you should be aiming at the common people.<br /><br />Note follows below -<br /><br />A Vision for Third Sector Funding and Reporting <br /><br />Purpose<br /><br />1. “ To portray a future state where the people, the service users, the third sector providers and the funders have the most transparent view possible of the sector’s funding, operations, reporting and outcomes “<br /><br />2. “ To create the means using web 2.0, whereby an open internet application for funding and reporting applications will exist for all people and organisations in the UK to see third sector operations “<br /><br />Background<br /><br />3. In today’s world, as with so many comparable situations, the sense among Third Sector funders and providers is of a vast spaghetti junction of navigation to bid for, obtain and then track monies and activities. It requires a degree in organisational design for each bid or application, and many organisations find the process off-putting and possibly discriminatory.<br /><br />4. In a similar vein, neither I nor anyone else has visibility of the sector<br /><br />New Philanthropy Capital recently reported that simplification can be made<br />They quoted the following estimate for Scotland<br /><br />We calculated that an estimated £450m each year of Scottish charities’ money is spent on reporting to donors.<br /><br />Proposal<br /><br />• The Third Sector lead a programme, together with its main providers of finance ( government ; local government ; trusts & foundations ; private companies ; social enterprise; individuals ) to create a social enterprise, not-for-profit company<br />• This company be built on web 2.0 principles as out-lined in wikinomics<br />• The company’s primary purpose is to design two operations<br />• The first operation is a standard methodology and template for funding applications, with a second less onerous methodology and template called “ lite “<br />• The second operation is a standard methodology and template for reporting back to funding providers, with a second less onerous methodology and template called “ lite “<br />• If these are successful, further operations can be designed along similar lines of business to support the sector<br />• The outcome is a partnership way of working and sharing to deliver the best possible service to users ; “ designing in “ transparency and openness to avoid duplication, waste of resources and ; re-assure funders and service users that all possible means are being used to direct resources to answer their needs and requirements<br /><br />Dependencies<br /><br />• The Office for the Third Sector must give this idea its backing<br />• DIUS and BERR must enable this by offering their support<br />• The political parties must come around this as one ( and not make it a political issue )<br />• The Charity Commission and Charities Aid Foundation must be on board<br />• The givers’ community ( large funders e.g. Big Lottery ; National Heritage ; Funds & Foundations ; New Philanthropy capital ; Private Companies ) must be on board<br />• ACEVO ; NCVO ; SCVO and the other representative bodies must be on board<br />• SOLACE ; LGA ; HM Treasury understand and support the process<br />• The Regulators and auditors must be re-assured<br /><br />Picture<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Outcomes<br /><br /> The sector has a standard way of working and can spend it resources on services<br /> Competition between third sector reduced ; collaboration increased<br /> The sector shows what it is capable of, demonstrates leadership and transformation ( and once again trounces the opposition )<br /> Government, funders, third sector organisations, the people have one place to go to see what is happening<br /> Any third sector organisation can see another ( and because third sector organisations either have a charity reference number or a company reference number ), the public can read across lots of different applications and operations by search<br /><br />Suggested Next Steps<br /><br /> The Third Sector take the lead, speak with google , develop the social enterprise company themselves ( as you want it most ), and make it happen<br /> There are young, committed technical and project resources out there who can do this e.g. mysociety <br /> Speaking as a serving civil servant, I would not let my colleagues near it in a management sense<br /> If I can be a trustee / NED of the social enterprise company if you like the idea, representing Scotland interests, I will be a happy man<br /><br />Alex Stobart<br />Edinburgh<br />May 3rd 2008alex stobartnoreply@blogger.com