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Navca warns new Compact may weaken campaigning

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 2 Nov 2010

Navca has raised concerns about principles on campaigning  and prime contracters in the new draft Compact which was released for consultation last month.

The ‘renewed’ Compact, which is due to be implemented later this month, will be slimmed down from 95 key principles to 37 and aims to fit the approach of the coalition government.

In its response to the six-week consultation on the new Compact, Navca says it supports a shorter document which will be more workable. However, Navca voices concerns about the document’s wording on campaigning, which says civil society organisations should "campaign and advocate responsibly based on robust evidence".

Navca complains that the document’s wording is “subjective and could be subject to interpretation” and urges the independence of the voluntary and community sector to be bolstered in the document:

“We believe the Compact should also help voluntary organisations and community groups maintain their independence,” says Navca, “For this reason, we would like section 1.1 strengthened by changing the wording from “respecting the independence of the sector” to “ensuring the independence of the sector.”

Navca also says it’s unhappy that the government suggests culling Compact principles on prime contracting and European funding.

Currently, the Compact ensures that prime and sub-contractors which deliver government services commit to working within the Compact by making it a requirement of funding arrangements. The Compact is also applied to European funding.

However, the new draft Compact says these two codes are under review within government.

“The relationship between prime and sub-contractors is an increasingly significant issue within the sector as more public services are contracted out in more complex delivery arrangements,” said Navca.

“As such, if the Compact is to cover the full range of public service delivery as it always has done, it is necessary to ensure the commitment remains.

“Similarly it is important that the commitment on European funding remains. The experience of Navca members is that, in a large number of cases, these conflicts arise when public sector organisations misinterpret European rules or erroneously impose stricter monitoring regimes that the EU requires.”

Navca asks for reference to be made to the value and significance of unconstituted and ‘under the radar’ groups:

 “Although many of these groups have only a limited relationship with government, it is important that they are seen to be valued by government.”

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