The two-year study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, suggests that if voluntary organisations are to make a distinctive contribution to the policy process, they need to maintain their autonomy and critical edge.
Prof Marilyn Taylor, joint director of the ESRC-funded research, says: "There is no doubt that the voluntary sector is playing a greater role in designing and delivering polices such as those aiming to improve the environment, regenerate cities or assist older people.
"This has been welcomed by voluntary organisations and by government at all levels. But our research suggests that there are growing tensions between leadership and participation within organisations as well as between effectiveness in influencing policy and accountability to their membership. Voluntary sector organisations are required to engage in a wide range of partnership working, for example, but this makes the process of consultation with their members more complex and time-consuming.
"Time and resources are increasingly stretched. And organisations which were set up to act on behalf of particular communities can sometimes find it difficult to maintain that role when they are called on to deliver more services."
The research found that the political opportunities for voluntary and community organisations have "opened up significantly in recent years." However, some of the new relationships had "blurred the boundaries between government and the voluntary and community sectors, creating an uncertainty about roles."
As the system has become more centralised, there is less opportunity for different voices to be heard on issues such as wealth creation or the new "managerialism." Policies were increasingly felt to be decided by No 10 and the Treasury, and some organisations found it hard to be heard alongside a whole range of other lobbyists, political and independent advisers and think tanks. For policy makers, the unique value of working with voluntary and community organisations was in delivering 'real people' to assist policy development.
"Groups and organisations who are seen to deliver on the ground are likely to have more purchase with government and access to the policy process," adds Prof Taylor. "But established organisations, particularly larger ones, sometimes support smaller organisations with fewer resources to have their own say. This happens especially with those involving excluded groups, when they feel an independent voice is needed.'
The team suggests that voluntary organisations and the Government should recognise each other's distinctive roles in the democratic process. "There was an impatience in government with those who continued to 'carp and whinge', despite the new opportunities," they write. "However voluntary organisations were critical of the shortcomings of traditional representative forms of democracy and of 'wounded lions', particularly in local authorities, who continue to block participation in policy."
"With increasing interest in issues such as social capital and greater involvement of those who use services, it is important that organisations retain their grassroots links and independent voice," concludes Prof Taylor.
"There are times when they need to be critical friends. Otherwise policy could continue to be top down, and fail to meet the needs of those it is intended to assist."
For further information:
Contact Professor Marilyn Taylor on 44-117-344-3998 or 44-117-963-7367 or email marilyn.taylor@uwe.ac.uk;
Prof Gary Craig on 44-148-246-5780 or 44-134-784-8376 or email g.craig@hull.ac.uk
Or Iain Stewart, Lesley Lilley or Anna Hinds at the ESRC Press Office on 01793 413032/ 413119 / 413122
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Copies of summary findings of the study Willing Partners? Voluntary and Community Associations in the Democratic Process can be obtained by emailing marilyn.taylor@uwe.ac.uk or g.craig@hull.c.uk. Research was conducted by Prof M E Taylor, D Warburton and Dr Tessa Parkes of the Health and Social Policy Centre, University of Brighton and Prof Gary Craig and Dr Mick Wilkinson of the Centre for Social Inclusion and Social Justice, University of Hull.
2. The research was based on a combination of literature review, one national and four local studies of organisations, and three series of interviews related to different policy arenas, with voluntary sector and national and local government interviewees
3. The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The ESRC is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It provides independent, high-quality, relevant research to business, the public sector and Government. The ESRC invests more than £76 million every year in social science and at any time is supporting some 2,000 researchers in academic institutions and research policy institutes. It also funds postgraduate training within the social sciences to nurture the researchers of tomorrow. More at http://www.esrc.ac.uk.
4. REGARD is the ESRC's database of research. It provides a key source of information on ESRC social science research awards and all associated publications and products. The website can be found at http://www.regard.ac.uk.