A new inquiry into the future of civil society resurrects the Conservative Party’s proposal for an Office of Civil Society, to provide government support for activities beyond the narrow confines of the ‘third sector’.

The Carnegie Inquiry into the Future of Civil Society, whose report is published this week, is the result of two years’ work by chair Geoff Mulgan and a group of leaders from charities, faith groups, business and politics.

Their report, called Making Good Society, conjures up a platform from which civil society organisations – including trade unions, faith groups, co-operatives and mutuals as well as charities – can play an even greater role at every level of life and help to create a fairer, more just society.

Mulgan (pictured), who is director of the Young Foundation, described the report as “a much more radical agenda than any of the parties have yet engaged with”.

In the run-up to the general election, Making Good Society urges politicians of all colours to support new measures that would strengthen civil society groups and make them better able to deliver greater impact. Such measures include:

• An Office for Civil Society to replace the Office of the Third Sector
• Accessible finance to fund the work of civil society groups
• Overhauling parliamentary structures to allow more public engagement
• Shifting the balance of power from national to local government and from local government to communities
• Involving civil society in policy decisions
• More freedom of information and renewed commitment to civil liberties

Making Good Society demands a much bigger role for civil society in four main areas – the economy, climate change, the media and democracy.  It sets out in detail the sorts of measures requires to enable this to happen.

In the realm of the media, the Commission recommends that the law be changed to allow charities to fund newsgathering and allow civil society groups to be involved in media ownership.

The report was heartily welcomed by NCVO chief executive Stuart Etherington, who said it “set out an ambitious vision for civil society, calling on voluntary organisations to be bolder in using their power, assets and influence to help create the good society”.  The NCVO would work to move the recommendations forward to help civil society fulfil its potential, he said.