More presentations from the NCVO Annual conference: http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/networking-discussions/blogs/20591 Sakthi Suriyaprakasam, Value of Infrastructure team, NCVO Rob Macmillan, Research Fellow, Third Sector Research Centre Bill Freeman, Director of Services and Business Development, NAVCA In the current context of funding cuts and the focus on frontline organisations, where do infrastructure or support organisations fit? Join us for a highly interactive workshop that will address key questions for infrastructure groups, including how infrastructure organisations can demonstrate their value effectively, how you work with funders and charities to make the biggest difference and how we can work together differently to shape the future of infrastructure ourselves. You will have the opportunity to connect with representatives from across the sector to actively discuss and decide how infrastructure can respond to the challenges it is facing.

1. A new direction for infrastructure
•Bill Freeman, Director of Services and Business Development,
NAVCA
•Dr Rob Macmillan, Research Fellow, Third Sector Research
Centre (TSRC)
•Sakthi Suriyaprakasam, Consultant, NCVO Value of
Infrastructure Programme

2. Third sector infrastructure
an unsettled state and an uncertain future
Dr. Rob Macmillan
Third Sector Research Centre
University of Birmingham
NCVO Annual Conference
‘Moving Forward: Solutions and Inspiration’
London, 5th March 2012
Funded by:
Hosted by:

3. In brief…
• Context… the voluntary and community sector is experiencing
a great ‘unsettlement’, and particularly its infrastructure
• Research… on infrastructure and ‘capacity building’ tends to
address three main questions:
o Purpose (not much research here)
o Organisation (lots here)
o Value (not so much here)
• Looking ahead and an emerging research agenda… focusing
on a changing landscape of and for infrastructure, such as
making a market, reconfiguration and hollowing out

5. Context: the great ‘unsettlement’
‘Shake-out’?
- organisations and projects downsizing or coming to an end
‘Shake-up’?
- enterprise
- reconfiguration
- demonstrating value
‘Room’ – is there enough for everyone?
The state and the VCS - a partial decoupling?

6. Researching infrastructure
Three basic questions addressed in research on infrastructure and
capacity building:
1. Purpose/Theory: What is infrastructure; what is it for?
• Leat, D. (2011) New tools for a new world (or why we need
to rethink capacity building)
2. Operation/Organisation: What does it do; how is it organised?
• Harker, A. and Burkeman, S. (2007) Building Blocks
• Shared Intelligence (2010) Learning from mergers
3. Value/Impact: What difference does it make?
• Halton and St Helens VCA (2011) Inside the black box –
Discovering what really works

7. 1. What is infrastructure for?
Key questions
• What do we mean by infrastructure and capacity building?
• What is it for?
• What is its rationale or ‘theory of change’?
• What role does it play?
• Why does it exist?
• Who wants or needs it and what for?
(e.g. support needs of frontline organisations; funders and public
bodies)
• Who uses it and what for?

8. 2. How is infrastructure organised?
Key questions
• What does it do? (support, linkage, and voice)
• How is it provided? (interventions, mechanisms and practices)
• Who does it? (organisations, consortia, networks and
federations, consultants, peers)
• How is it organised?
o Function - generalist and specialist
o Constituency – whole sector or specific field
o Scale – national, regional, local
o Sector – third sector, public sector, private sector
• How do infrastructure organisations relate to each other?
(duplication, competition, collaboration, merger)
• How is it financed? (grants, contracts, fees and charges)
• How is it governed? (stakeholders and their influence - funders,
public bodies, partners, members and users)

9. 3. What difference does it make?
Key questions - the ‘so what’ question…
• What does infrastructure seek to achieve and what does it
achieve?
• How can or should infrastructure be evaluated?
• By what criteria should infrastructure be judged?
— organisational effectiveness and influence
— value for money and distance travelled
— accreditation systems and quality marks
— benchmarking and public rating systems
• How can its value be articulated and demonstrated?

10. A changing landscape of and for infrastructure
• De-coupling - withdrawal of central state support for national and
local infrastructure?
• ‘Demand-led’ approaches - making markets in infrastructure?
• Changing demands and challenges facing frontline organisations
• Reconfiguration and a changing geography - transforming local
infrastructure
• Changing delivery mechanisms:
— on-line support; peer to peer learning; community organising;
incubation and shelter
• Hollowing out of infrastructure organisations?

11. An emerging research agenda
Key questions seem to be about:
1. How can we understand this emerging landscape of and for
infrastructure?
2. How are markets being made in infrastructure?
3. How are infrastructure organisations and relationships being
reconfigured?
4. What do frontline organisations (and their funders) need, want
and expect from infrastructure?
5. Which direction does infrastructure face: to public bodies or to
its members and users?

12. For discussion…
Why should infrastructure organisations decide what kinds of
support are provided – why not let frontline organisations
decide?

13. Value of
Infrastructure
Programme
(VIP)
Sakthi Suriyaprakasam

14. VIP supports you to
VIP Aims
Assess impact
Improve impact
Communicate
impact
Working and
learning together
Talking to funders

15. Engagement with VIP
• 99 members of the VIP Ideas group
• 89 attended development workshops through
2009-10
• 100 organisations piloted tools
(55 IOs and 42 frontline)

16. Principles
 Growing impact is even more important than showing it
 Contribution not attribution
 Evidence not proof
 This is a leadership issue, not a measurement issue
 Impact assessment works best when it fits quietly into day-to-
day working practices rather than being a burdensome extra

17. Representation
Consultation
Infrastructure
Functions Influence
Promote
Direct
Support
Develop
Infrastructure
Facilitating
Learning
Networking
Connect
Information
Advice
Guidance
Collaboration
Brokering
This functions map has been developed by National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) for the
Value of Infrastructure Programme. It is based on PERFORM: the Outcomes Framework for Infrastructure.
Also influenced by the ‘Engage, Develop, Influence’ Model of Infrastructure Function
as developed by Growing up in the West Midlands (G:Up)

18. From functions to impact
supportive
Influence external
strong dynamic
agencies
organisations sector
Infrastructure
strong Develop Infrastructure
Impacts
organisations
supportive
capable Connect dynamic
external
people sector
agencies

19. Dials give
Organisation pictures of
Dial
Change Sector
Dial
Organisation
Case Study
Template Sector
Case Study
Internal Template
Organisation
Survey
Survey of Sector
Organisations
Questions
VIP Tools Action and give stats
11 Tools to mix and match Review Grid
External
Agency
Dial
People Case External Agency
Case Study
Questions
studies Template
give External
Agency
stories Interview

20. VIP Online

21. Update
• 115 Infrastructure organisations trained by
end of Feb 2012
• TLI partnerships trained on VIP
• Sustainability of training and online system
• Impact of Infrastructure 2012 Conference 25th
April

22. Response to VIP
VIP interim evaluation October 2011
Training:
•Overall very positive response to the
framework and tools
•98% understood the framework and tools
•64% were keen to use the VIP tools
•76% felt VIP Online would help them capture
their impact

23. Response to VIP cont.
Use of framework and tools
•For those in the early stages understanding
their impact was key
•95% said the tools were either ‘excellent’ or
‘mostly good and useful’
•76% had used one or more tools– 44% the
Organisation Dial
•Other dials, survey questions and case studies
also used

24. Journey of change
1. 2. Clarity of 3. Focus 4. 5. Changing and
Muddling purpose. and Interpreting communicating.
through. Can measuring. and learning Put learning
Not clear articulate Work to Analyse into practice.
about impact but outcomes & data, Can
impact, not measure collect data interpret and demonstrate
open to this except draw out effectiveness
learning. ad hoc. learning

25. How VIP moves agencies up the JOC
• The training helps people move from 1-2 by clarifying
their impact
• The tools support the shift from 2-3 by enabling
measurement of impact
• VIP Online is important to moving from 3-4 by
providing data
• It is less clear yet how VIP supports agencies to move
from 4-5
But
• starting point and willingness/being ready to change
key
• The external environment

26. Opportunities
• Shared language and agreement about purpose
• Collaboration with a positive focus –
– joint approach to tackling common issues, e.g. external
agency
– Data sharing/referrals
– Setting baselines at a local level and working together on
shared targets
– Using the system and generating information on future
priorities
• Data on impact of infrastructure sector as a whole
• Communicate to and engage with our stakeholders
about the value of infrastructure

27. Challenges
• Timescale for evidence to emerge
• Embedding new systems and ongoing learning
• Implementing improvement in the context of
change

28. Challenges and changes
for VCS infrastructure
Bill Freeman
‘A new direction for infrastructure’ workshop
NCVO Annual Conference - 5 March 2012
06/03/2012 NAVCA 28

29. Areas I will cover...
• The NAVCA network and our work on impact.
• External drivers affecting VCS infrastructure.
• Internal challenges affecting VCS infrastructure.
• Promising solutions.
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30. The NAVCA Network
• Around 400 member organisations covering most local
authority areas in England, including:
– Providers of a comprehensive range of support and services which
embrace all types of organisations in the sector.
– Organisations specialising in providing certain types of activity and/or
serving particular client groups.
• All full members required to be charities and membership
associations themselves.
• Largely state-funded (c.80%) with other income from fees
(membership and charged-for services).
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31. The NAVCA Quality Award
• Around 100 members hold NAVCA’s Quality Award and a
further 40 are working towards it.
• It enables them to demonstrate effectiveness in achieving
better outcomes for their local groups across five standards
which relate to their core functions.
• It involves self-assessment and audit which includes the
testimony of critical external stakeholders.
• Organisations of all size and shape are able to achieve the
Award and renew it every three years.
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32. Understanding infrastructure organisations
Political
legitimacy
Technical Bestowed
legitimacy legitimacy
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33. External drivers affecting VCS infrastructure
• State funding for infrastructure thought to be in decline.
• State initiatives to bring about supply-side reform, e.g.
Transforming Local Infrastructure Fund.
• Quality, innovation and efficiency will be driven by…
– Collaboration, reorganisation and integration.
– Competition and choice.
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34. External drivers affecting VCS infrastructure
• Drive for services to be “digital by default”.
• Greater emphasis on role of the private sector in and VCS
support providers being more businesslike.
• More demand-led approach to capacity building and wider
‘marketisation’.
• The pace of change in the policy and funding environment,
requires infrastructure organisations to respond faster, whilst
not being immune from pressures themselves.
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35. Transforming Local Infrastructure
• £30million competitive fund from OCS.
• One bid was allowed per upper-tier local authority; 72 awards
made (about half of total).
• Projects encouraged to focus on:
– collaboration and consolidation;
– redesign and integration of services;
– Better links with local businesses;
– peer-to peer support; and
– stronger partnerships with local statutory bodies.
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36. Transforming Local Infrastructure
• Aim was for sustainability in the long-term without ongoing
support from central Government.
• NAVCA is helping successful and unsuccessful areas to share
good practice, exchange information and find the best way
forward.
• Big Lottery Fund is planning a distinct and additional
investment in funding support services for voluntary
organisations of at least £20 million.
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37. Demand-led capacity building
• National dialogue and emerging practice:
– Real Help for Communities Modernisation Fund (2009).
– OCS supporting civil society consultation (2010).
– BIG “Building capabilities for impact and legacy” (2011).
– Worcestershire County Council (2011).
• In demand-led schemes organisations needing or seeking
support are given money or a voucher to purchase it directly.
• Main benefits:
– Greater choice, control and tailoring for recipient organisations.
– Broader range of suppliers drives quality, innovation and efficiency.
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06/03/2012 NAVCA 37 37

38. Demand-led capacity building
• Public and charitable funds, so safeguards need to be in place:
– Diagnostic review to identify needs.
– Quality assured list of providers.
• Can it work? Yes, but...
– It needs to be built around VCS infrastructure which already has the
reach, profile and trust in place to make it work.
– It needs everyone to work differently, not just suppliers.
– There have to be some standards and adherence to good practice.
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39. Demand-led capacity building
• Concerns about the approach:
– Where’s the evidence base of its effectiveness? – BIG Assist
programme will help us answer this question.
– Makes tackling sector-wide issues harder.
– Decouples connection and benefits derived from funding
organisations to do both representation and capacity building.
– Impact on health of local voluntary sector if the system favours
private sector providers – such as no reinvestment or leverage of
additional funds; scepticism from recent cases (Hounslow).
– Can it work for supporting new and emerging groups?
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40. Internal challenges affecting VCS infrastructure
• Leading in difficult times.
• Strain on funding model requires rethinking or refining
business model for many organisations.
• Some of our language and labels might need redefinition.
• Previously reliable tools not suited to the new environment.
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41. Leading in difficult times
• The most frequent areas of challenge identified in NAVCA’s
2011 Chief Executives survey were:
– financial climate and funding;
– workload and capacity issues;
– uncertainty and responding to change; and
– managing relationships and dealing with conflict.
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06/03/2012 NAVCA 41 41

42. Leading in difficult times
• Other challenges that featured in multiple responses were:
– morale and motivation;
– political and policy environment;
– difficulties with trustees;
– engagement (or, more accurately, disengagement);
– increased competition; and
– managing expectations.
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43. New areas of focus for income generation
Reducing operating costs Doing it already
Bidding consortia
Building/premises Not doing it and
don’t plan to
Fees for consultancy
Non-infrastructure contracts Not doing it,
but plan to
Local businesses
More member-only benefits
Selling to each other
Trading company
Philanthropists/individual donors
Commissions
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
06/03/2012 NAVCA 43

44. Promising solutions
• We need tools and approaches which work in real-time to
help us be more agile and adaptive in a dynamic
environment.
– More strategy, not so much strategic planning.
– Stronger emphasis on marketing and branding.
• Choosing business models which are about resilience, rather
than sustainability.
– ‘Networked non-profit’ principles (Wei-Skillern and Marciano, 2008).
– Virtual CVS?
– Fiscal sponsorship - a way to make it OK to do frontline services?
06/03/2012 NAVCA 44

45. Promising solutions
• Keeping conversation with the State about the priority of
funding those infrastructure activities which cannot be
marketised.
• Only doing things which are known to be impactful.
• Ensuring ‘demand-led ’ capacity building about evolution, not
revolution.
06/03/2012 NAVCA 45

46. For discussion…
• When it comes to thinking about the future
providers of infrastructure support and services, do
we need evolution or revolution?
06/03/2012 NAVCA 46

47. About NAVCA
• We are the national membership body for local support
and development organisations.
• We strengthen and champion the work of our members in
representing, supporting and developing voluntary and
community action.
• Our support and services include:
– policy information, insight and ideas;
– advice and guidance;
– hands-on support and facilitation;
– training and networking opportunities.
• Email: bill.freeman@navca.org.uk.
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06/03/2012 NAVCA 47 47

48. For discussion…
Why should infrastructure organisations decide what kinds of
support are provided – why not let frontline organisations
decide?
We need to completely re-think what impact we are measuring
and how we communicate this in the light of decreasing public
funding and a move towards a market-led economy
When it comes to thinking about the future providers of
infrastructure support and services, do we need evolution or
revolution?