Research from Capacitybuilders shows the majority of public service commissioners would like to see more mergers and greater collaboration between organisations that provide support and advice to civil society groups.

157 public commissioners were surveyed for the report on Learning from Mergers.

It found that many commissioners were supportive of mergers, although it was seen as a riskier option than collaboration.

The report found commissioners think mergers can deliver a positive impact across a range of areas including simpler funding relationships and easier engagement with the voluntary and community sector.

Furthermore, a recent report from Capacitybuilders on the impact of the economic downturn on the voluntary sector found over half of charities considered responding with a merger or a partnership.

However, only 5 per cent had completed a merger in the last two years, and 18 per cent had abandoned attempted  mergers before completion.

It identified barriers to mergers as: fears of takeover or loss of identity amongst staff and trustees; concerns around loss of local presence and a negative impact on frontline organisations; getting a thorough understanding of each organisation’s financial position and; dealing with difficulties such as pension liabilities.