Bradfield Nyland Group & Management Support Online

1. GOVERNMENT & COMMUNITIES IN PARTNERSHIP: THE NEXT STEPSWHEN HOLDING HANDS JUST ISN’T ENOUGH: Moving beyond the rhetoric of partnership Bradfield Nyland Group & Management Support Online

2. From ‘contribution’ to ‘contract’: a brief history • pre 1970s: charitable organisations and government as benevolent donor • 1970/1980s: community development, submission based funding and ‘responsive’ government • mid 1980’s onwards: rationalisation of funding bases and programmes, government planned service delivery, and rise of purchase of service contracting and competitive tendering

3. The ‘partnership’ story • Two major shifts: • the community sector role from ‘innovator, ideas generator, identifier of need’ to ‘service provider’ • increased pressure for community sector organisations to become ‘more business like’ and ‘more competitive’ • The ‘partnership’ story: government plans delivery of community services - aided in the actual delivery of services by ‘community partners’. • Challenges from the perspective of community sector organisations: • the money: ‘contracting to provide services’ is still met with an expectation of ‘contribution’ • the contradictions: collaboration vs competition • the balance of power, respect and trust

4. In terms of their own practices, some community sector organisations may need to look at how they manage themselves: • at internal efficiencies and work practices • at systems • at expertise • at becoming better businesses while maintaining direction, vision and social advocacy • and at their own victim or siege mentality in relationship to government. • The following diagram shows the types of actions that community sector organisations and government can take to work towards an effective ‘partnership’: This particular example is a result of work focussing on supporting the viability of smaller organisations, in an area where a number of government ‘place management’ projects were underway. The process included a workshop ‘dialogue’ between smaller NGOs and government representatives.

5. Action by NGOs Action by Government • Promote understanding of role & contribution of smaller NGOs • Publicise achievements • Acknowledge importance of diverse service provider sector • Support NGO sector development VALUED ROLE • Ensure level playing field in funding • Adopt policies regarding reasonable cost structures for services and projects • Develop funding processes that are effective for smaller NGOs • Develop collaborative approaches to tendering • Apply full & accurate costing ADEQUATE INCOME BASE • Assist with low cost rental premises • Analyse impact of policies on costs • Reduce compliance costs & look to contain insurance & other costs • Sponsor the development of group purchasing schemes & low cost bureaux services • Provide resources to support coordination of collaborative & other cost containment ventures • Explore sharing resources • Examine internal efficiency • Use group purchasing • Use pro bono assistance • Identify & share information about low cost services CONTAINED COSTS • Develop financial management skills • Review & streamline systems & processes for administration, HRM • Review & develop governance capacity • Provide funding to resource organisations to: • Provide training & skill development • Assist organisations to develop capacity • Access professional advice for review & development of systems and processes RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CAPACITY Supporting the viability of smaller NGOs: a partnership approach