Partnering with civil society for the greater good | Article
At a recent WIG briefing, expert speakers highlighted the benefits of collaboration between the not-for-profit and public sectors.
Tamara Finkelstein, Permanent Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Tanya Steele CBE, CEO, WWF shared their respective public and civil society perspectives on the benefits of collaboration between the sectors, while Matt Whitaker, Chief Executive Officer, Pro Bono Economics discussed their report, “Unleashing the Power of Civil Society” about the current state of relationships between civil society and other sectors. Dami Gbadamosi, Inclusion Lead, HMRC’s Fraud investigation Service also shared her experience seconding into a charity through WIG’s Charity Next programme.
Their discussions showcased how the sectors’ shared value of improving the world make the not-for-profit and public sectors two ideal partners and emphasised how combining their different approaches enable better results when tackling complex challenges.
Key Takeaways
- Complex issues require cross-sector collaboration
- Civil society are uniquely placed to provide on-the-ground insights, information and networks
- There is a consensus that the amount of collaboration between civil society and the public sector should increase
- Prioritising working with other sectors, building understanding, growing relationships and undergoing training can support further cross-sector collaboration
Intersecting issues demand cross-sector collaboration
Fully understanding and addressing the complexities of today’s challenges requires cross-sector collaboration.
For example, issues such as climate change, dwindling biodiversity, and childhood poverty all need input from stakeholders from each sector and necessitate a collaborative approach.
Unique aptitudes of civil society
Civil society organisations are in a unique position to provide the information and perspectives policymakers need to understand the whole picture.
This is mainly down to civil society organisations’ on-the-ground experience and the community networks that they can draw on to understand the nuances and impact of the issues felt by those involved.
This allows them to gather data and information on:
- problems faced by communities that are unknown to, or not understood by, the public sector; and
- solutions to issues that are being implemented and making a difference. Examining local solutions can highlight potential opportunities to adapt and extend their successes to other contexts, even if not all these solutions are scalable.
This ability to collect data is critical to understand the reality of what is happening within complex challenges. Illustrating the true full picture of the issues – even when not ideal – helps stakeholders understand where and what work needs to be done.
There is a consensus among civil servants that there should be more engagement between the two sectors. The impact of both sectors can be increased when the public sector uses civil society’s insights to inform policy.
In action
Panelists highlighted past instances where partnerships and joined up working among sectors have shaped initiatives for positive change.
Civil society informed Sure Start
Sure Start, an initiative that supported early childhood intervention for those in disadvantaged areas, was a product of cross-sector collaboration. Civil society organisations’ local expertise informed the evidence-based approach that Sure Start took by providing access to their wide-reaching networks. These networks were able to share their understanding of social care and mental health aspects, bringing creativity and diversity of thought to the policy creation process.
Understanding barriers
Even though there is a desire for the sectors to work closely together, there are some barriers that will need to be addressed to enable this behaviour.
Underdeveloped relationships
45% of civil servants have no involvement with not-for-profit organisations in either a professional or personal capacity. Deliberately creating more working relationships between these two sectors will need to be a priority to enable cross-sector working.
Lack of regular process
There is a need to integrate working with civil society within the policymaking process; at present it is not a standard part of the process.
Undervaluation of civil society
As a sector, civil society is undervalued – both in its perception and its technical valuation. Currently the UK charity sector’s valuation consists only of the input of paid salaries and does not include the value of volunteers or the outputs of the charity, or indeed its impact.
Making cross-sector working work
There are actions that the sectors can implement to enable better cross-sector working.
Build mutual understanding
Intentionally collaborating with other sectors can foster mutual understanding between different working styles. Going on secondment or serving on a board can help develop this understanding.
For example, one public sector speaker shared how serving on a board helped her improve her communication with counterparts in other sectors.
When working with another sector, communication challenges may arise due to differing approaches or styles. Typically, the Civil Service has a more formal way of speaking whereas other sectors tend to use more direct language. Her experience as a board member helped her see this difference, adjust her approach when working with external stakeholders, and communicate her ideas in ways that others would receive well.
WIG offers opportunities for both inward and outward secondments as well as NED and Trustee positions to support this critical cross-sector knowledge exchange.
More formal and informal touch points between sectors
Regular conversations in trusted spaces allow sectors to build open dialogue. Honest discussions about what works, and what doesn't, expedites strategic dialogue and cross-sector collaboration. Participating in cross-sector events and conferences fosters the exchange of ideas, insights, and the best methods to achieve outcomes.
WIG provides regular opportunities for this through our cross-sector events held under the Chatham House Rule.
Training to support communication and recommendations
Speakers highlighted the value of training that enables communication among the sectors and how it can support better-informed recommendations. One speaker suggested that volunteer work, such as through serving on boards, should be included as part of civil servants’ personal development plans. Leadership programmes with participants from outside your own industry or sector that emphasise how to work across boundaries can also help in this endeavour.
WIG’s Advanced Collaborative Leadership Programme is specifically designed to help individuals deepen their leadership and organisational abilities to work across hierarchies, sectors and cultures and to align multiple stakeholders around one purpose.
Grow relationships through secondments
When civil servants participate in secondments within civil society through schemes like WIG’s Charity Next, both the secondee and secondment host benefit from the relationship. The host appreciates the practical work and insights from the Fast Streamers and the civil servants grow their leadership skills and have an opportunity to see impact in action that will inform their approach to policymaking in years to come.
Originally published: