The Northern Ireland (NI) executive has formally adopted a new Partnership Agreement with the voluntary and community sector (VCS).
Last week, minister for communities Gordon Lyons announced that the joint forum between government and the VCS had developed an agreement that “provides the foundation for a renewed relationship between NI public bodies and our VCS partners”.
The Partnership Agreement builds on and replaces the Concordat between the VCS and NI government, a formal agreement that was agreed between the two in 2011.
It comes as the UK government last week launched the Civil Society Covenant, a reciprocal arrangement recognising that civil society and the government “have distinct and shared roles in serving the public”.
Membership body NIVCA welcomed the Partnership Agreement and covenant, saying that they marked a “significant milestone” for the VCS and its relationship with government, both in NI and across the UK.
Working together as social partners
The Partnership Agreement contains provisions for the NI government and VCS to “work together as social partners to build a participative, peaceful, inclusive, just and equitable society” in the country.
It underpins six shared values and ways of working, which are accountability, active participation, social justice, independence, collaboration and sustainability, alongside fair funding principles.
“This Partnership Agreement relies on relationships of mutual trust and respect and aims to enable the energy and talent both within government and the VCS to work together towards the development of a better society,” the document reads.
“This Partnership Agreement will make a valuable contribution through supporting progress towards more responsive and effective people-centred public services: strengthening communities and harnessing expertise in the design and delivery of better public policy and services.
“It aims to open up opportunities for more meaningful participation by the VCS in developing and supporting delivery of public policy.”
Agreement recognises VCS’s ‘unique contribution’
In a statement, Lyons said the Partnership Agreement “recognises the VCS’s unique ability and contribution to supporting individuals and communities”, reflecting today’s delivery environment and setting out “our shared commitment to work in partnership to improve outcomes for people and communities”.
“Real impact comes not from a published document, but from trusting relationships, open and honest two-way communication, mutual understanding of challenges, and an ongoing commitment to collaboration,” he said.
“This is what drives lasting change, and it takes effort.”
Lyons said the NI executive’s endorsement of the agreement means that all departments will join his in “making a shared commitment to strengthen and sustain shared relationships with VCS partners, in line with our programme for government commitments”.
“Our voluntary community organisations will also use the shared values, fair funding principles and ways of working in the document to support and guide their work with NI public bodies.
“The Partnership Agreement creates a strong basis for both sectors to engage in constructive challenge, deepen mutual understanding, and continuously improve how we work together.”
‘Powerful signal’
NICVA said the Partnership Agreement and Civil Society Covenant “provide a strong foundation for addressing long-standing challenges in the relationship between government and the sector”.
“They offer a pathway to more inclusive, responsive and locally led public services,” it said.
“Delivering on these shared commitments will be key to making real progress on the challenges faced and ultimately on the issues that matter most to communities.
“However, their success depends on sustained, genuine, and intentional collaboration across all parts of government and civil society.”
Celine McStravick, NICVA’s chief executive, added: “This agreement reflects the collective effort and expertise of the joint forum and the wider sector.
“It’s a powerful signal that government is ready to engage with the sector as a genuine partner.
“We’re particularly pleased to see strong commitments to fair funding and collaborative working, both essential for delivering real impact in our communities.”
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