The view from the voluntary sector

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The view from the voluntary sector
? www.wcva.org.uk ? 0800 2888 329 ?
help_at_wcva.org.uk
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Voices for Change Cymru

• 3 year Big Lottery funded project
• Started May 2008
• 3 project staff
• Contact details in the leaflet

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What is the project about?

• Response to Govt of Wales Act 2006
• Third sector influencing policies and legislation
• Connecting with local and national decision
  making
• Providing services to make involvement and
  influencing easier

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Why is the project needed?

• New powers increased accountability
• Policies and laws need to be informed by local
  citizens
• Better dialogue better decision making
• Unique position of the third sector as a conduit
  to evidence and citizens voices

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Project services

• Demystifying processes
• Increasing skills and confidence
• Facilitating contact and involvement
• Sharing, advice, knowledge and expertise

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Project services

• Information and advice
• Training
• Website www.voicesforchangecymru.org.uk
• Voices database

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Baseline survey

• April 2009 survey of third sector organisations
• Skills, attitudes, confidence, knowledge and
  understanding of devolved politics and
  influencing decision makers
• To be re-run at the end of the project
• Part of overall project evaluation but
  interesting snapshot of current attitudes
  opinions

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Respondents findings

• 187 respondents (3.3 of target group)
• Range of organisations international, UK, Wales
  national, regional and local
• 75 said their role involved lobbying or
  influencing policy
• Only 15 have a post dedicated to that function

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Survey findings

• The importance of influencing decision making
• at a national level was rated 6.6
• Confidence in influencing decision making was
  only rated at 5
• Local organisations in north west and south west
  Wales showed lower confidence than other areas

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Survey findings - people

• Over 75 knew about making an approach to an
  individual
• e.g. AMs, MPs, MEPs, elected members, civil
  servants, local authority officers etc
• For example 94 were aware of how to engage with
  their MP and over two-thirds had done so
• Exception only 35 were aware of NAfW committee
  clerks and less than 20 had contacted them
• Also, almost 80 aware of contacting political
  parties and 40 had done so

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Survey findings - procedures

• Procedures less known and less used
• Less than 50 aware of the petitions process
• Same for submitting evidence on proposed LCOs and
  Measures
• Less than 40 aware of the AMs ballot for
  proposing legislation

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All Wales Convention

• Voices for Change Cymru responsible for WCVA
  response to the All Wales Convention
• Consulted with the sector on both written
  response (Jan 09) and oral evidence (June 09)
• Essential that the sectors voice is heard in
  this important debate
• Aim to pull together lessons from the sectors
  experience of using the current legislative
  system
• What did we say?

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All Wales Convention - our response

• Third sector has benefited from devolution and
• having increased access to decision makers
• Effective governance depends on transparent and
  effective mechanisms for influencing change
• Basics of devolution are understood, sector has
  responded to it over past 10 years, more detailed
  understanding not so well understood
• Structures for influencing are not clear,
  transparent or easy to engage with - it has not
  been a smooth ride so far!
• Capacity issues for the sector
• The sector will always make a contribution and
  work with whatever system is there but needs to
  be seen as a equal partner

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The sectors experience so far

• Carers LCO but still need to lobby for Measures
• Effective use of Petitions System accessible,
  lots of organisations starting to have a go
• Affordable Housing LCO 50 of consultation
  responses from 3rd sector, still waiting!
• Mental Health LCO cross party support in Wales
  but long wait at Westminster, hard for 3rd sector
  to plan for this
• Traffic Free Routes LCO can you really achieve
  without Government support, if not where does
  that leave the backbench ballot / petitions
  system / committee legislation?

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Emerging issues

• Legislation giving powers to Wales going
• through UK Parliament. Have we taken our eye off
  the ball focussing on LCOs? How can we keep up
  with it all!
• Is it still the usual suspects how do we reach
  other groups?
• The future of devolution Convention /
  referendum / general election.
• Funding issues for the sector due to recession.

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How can we improve engagement?

• Voices for Change Cymru we hope!
• New laymans guide a valuable resource
• A simper system increased powers?
• Should there be a formal arrangement between the
  NAfW and the sector (we already have one with
  WAG)
• NAfW outreach team and their own internal work to
  increase engagement
• Need more resources for voluntary organisations
  to have their voices heard

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Is there a big enough incentive to get engaged
with legislation making?

• Lack of clarity over what is devolved
• Complex systems for law making
• Lack of capacity within the voluntary sector
• Not seeing enough successes from the sector
• Disincentive to engage (which is a real shame!)

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www.voicesforchangecymru.org.uk

• We must bear in mind the pressure on voluntary
  organisations as a result of this process.
• Helen Mary Jones AM, Plenary debate on
  Carers LCO, June 09
• Thanks for listening.
• Any questions?