01 February 2008
The public sector continues to have little confidence in the third sector's ability to deliver services, according to research.
Initial findings from an Improvement and Development Agency survey of public sector commissioners revealed that almost two-thirds (65%) of those surveyed believe the third sector does not have the capacity to successfully deliver public service contracts.
Around 34% said the third sector was more effective as an advocate than a delivery partner.
The research also uncovered considerable variation in commissioners' knowledge of the sector and the frequency and depth of their contact with it.
Ministers have been consistent in their message that the third sector should deliver more public services. The government is funding a two-year training programme, delivered by the IDA, for 2,000 public sector commissioners drawn from across local government, NHS and central government bodies.
Sarah Wood, the programme's director, told Public Finance the research findings were not unexpected. 'It came as no surprise but it was good to see [such perceptions] weren't just anecdotal,' she said.
Wood said there was a 'huge gap' between the messages coming from government and what was happening on the ground. 'We're trying to raise awareness of the third sector as a tool, one of many, and say to the commissioners here's what you can do, not here's what you think you cannot do.'
Third sector minister Phil Hope told PF that he was pleased to see the fledgling training programme already identifying barriers to greater third sector involvement.
'If there was a perception among commissioners that the third sector doesn't have the [ability to deliver services]… then there are two things we need to do about that. One is to challenge some of those perceptions and that's what training is often about.
'But also, we have to build up an evidence base… Local organisations need to be good at describing what they do, the outcomes they've achieved,' he said.
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