Seminar I gave in the University of Birmingham (Third Sector Research Centre). This seminar talk about the present situation of the Third Sector in Catalonia and Spain: how the sector is structured, vital statistics, public policies supporting the third sector, organisational weaknesses and strengths, which are the main actors and institutions and evolution of the sector and future challenges.

1. Nom de la presentació
Titular sector in Catalonia and Spain
The third
Joan Cuevas
Subtítol

2. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
A brief history of the third sector
XIX Century: Increase in associations helping working-class. Especially in
Catalonia, where the Industrial Revolution is hitting deeply.
2nd Spanish Republic (1931-1939): Democratic Constitution. Introduces
Individual and political civil rights. Huge increase in the civil society
organisations, especially in educational, social, cultural and community areas.
Franco dictatorship (1939-1975): Democratic system abolished. No right of free
association. All the social/community activities have to be managed and
controlled by: the public administration, the Franco’s single party (Falange), the
official surrounding institutions (as official Union) or the Church.
During this period social welfare was provided above all by families, friends and
neighbours.

3. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
A brief history of the third sector
Transition and democratic regime (1976 – Currently):
1. Social services evolution
Policy makers wanted to design a social services public system without taking
the civil organisations into account, because they were seen as too amateur. The
policy makers wished to build a universal system.
As time went on:
- The control for social services switched from central government to regional
governments.
- The fiscal resources were not enough.
- Sometimes the public authorities sought to support the civil society
organisations to provide extra social welfare.
This meant that as times went on social services evolved in different ways
depending on the regional government. These policies directly affected the
evolution of the third sector.

4. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
A brief history of the third sector
Transition and democratic regime (1976 – Currently):
2. Explosion of the association movement during the transition (1976-1982)
and the years afterwards
- Many hidden organisations during the dictatorship came to light.
- Neighbourhood associations (all around Spain)
- Esplais (leisure and non formal educational associations) (Catalonia)
- Cultural organisations as “Òmnium Cultural” (Catalonia)
- Creation of new organisations: Because citizens had the right to associate, but
also because as time went on, the public sector needed the help of third sector
organisations to provide social welfare.

5. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
A brief history of the third sector
Transition and democratic regime (1976 – Currently):
3. Public policies to promote the civil society
Catalonia:
- Creation of National Institute of Volunteering (Incavol) by Catalan Government,
1991.
- Release of National Association and Volunteering Plan (2008-2011)
- Support Plan for the social third sector (2008-2010; 2011-)
- Support Plan for the environmental third sector (2011-2014)
Other regions:
- Volunteering Plan Galicia (2006-2010)
- Regional Volunteering Plan from Madrid (2006-2010)
- Basque Volunteering Plan (2005-)
- Andalucía Volunteering Plan (2003-)

6. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Esplais & Caus movement
- Young peoples’ organisations which offer after-school and weekend activities.
- These organisations were born in Catalonia in the sixties. Initially they were
volunteer based.
- During the nineties these organisations started to professionalise. Currently 2
of these movements have built huge professional structures.
Currently:
- More than 800 centres (esplais and caus)
- More than 10,000 monitors and volunteers
- Workforce: 11,957 employees (74% half-time)
- These organisations are mainly non profit organisations, but there are also
some private enterprises in this sector.

7. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Esplais & Caus movement
Source:
jaumebarri.com

8. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Pere Tarrés Foundation currently
- Esplai movement: 154 Esplai centers, 12,040
children, 3,981 monitors
- Management of Social Work Faculty of Ramon Llull
University: 1,251 students.
- Social and educational training center: 14,642
students.
- Social program in formal education centers: 20,679
children.
- 39 research and consulting projects
- Management of 44 nurseries
- Management of 150 countryside leisure houses
- 1,690 employees

9. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Structure of the third sector
The third sector is formed by non profit organisations. Strictly the following
organisations:
- Associations
- Foundations
- Social cooperatives
- ‘Back-to-work’ enterprises
In Spain and also in Catalonia the following institutions are not considered
as third sector:
- Mutuals
- Universities
- Social enterprises

10. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Structure of the third sector
Civil society structure in Catalonia
Social
Third Sector
Volunteering Environment
Sector al Third
Sector

11. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Structure of the third sector
Civil society structure in Catalonia
Social Third Sector: Organisations from the social area. All the organisations
structured in a big umbrella organisation: Taula d’Entitats del Tercer Sector
Social.
Environmental Third Sector: Organisations from the environmental area.
Recently organised in a big umbrella organisation:
Obrador del Tercer Sector Ambiental.
Volunteering Sector: Just associations and foundations with volunteers. (Only
these organisations can manage volunteers in Catalonia).
Structured in 5 areas: Culture, Community, Environmental,
International/cooperation, Social. Each area has a different umbrella
organisation/organisations.

12. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Structure of the third sector
Taula d’Entitats del Tercer Sector Social
o Established in 2003
o Formed by 31
umbrella member
organisations (UMO)
which contain a total
of 4,000 single
agency members
Source: Taula d’Entitats del Tercer Sector
Social

13. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Structure of the third sector
Taula d’Entitats del Tercer Sector Social
Mission
Influence social Reinforce the sector
policies
Improve social Support
welfare Recognition organisations
Source: Taula d’Entitats del Tercer Sector
Social

14. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Structure of the third sector
Taula d’Entitats del Tercer Sector Social
What do they do?
Social Policies Third Sector
• Biennial Congress planning
• Public budgets analysis
• Yearbook publication
• Monitoring the legislative process of
• Working in Quality Charter issues
the Catalan Parliament
• Conducting studies in Third Sector
• Active participation in the process of
related areas
drafting new laws
• Organising meetings and seminars
• Participation in public advisory
on specific topics
boards
• Social clauses in public
• Drafting of government proposals in
procurement
electoral contests
• Improving fiscal framework
• Communication campaigns
• Achieving greater social recognition
• Institutional events
Source: Taula d’Entitats del Tercer Sector
Social

15. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Structure of the third sector
Civil society structure in Spain
Social Third Sector
Volunteering
Sector

16. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Structure of the third sector
Civil society structure in Spain
Social Third Sector: Organisations from the social area. All the organisations
structured in a big umbrella organisation:
Plataforma del Tercer Sector (recently created).
Volunteering Sector: Just associations and foundations with volunteers.
Different big organisations, one big umbrella organisation:
Plataforma del Voluntariado de España.

17. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Economic outlook
UK 2005 (million €) UK % GDP
Total 144,426 8.0
General
Charities 41,087 2.3
Co-operatives 32,372 1.8
Social
Enterprises 33,619 1.9
Economic value
volunteering 28,638 1.6
Third Social Sector:
Catalonia 2008 (million €) Catalonia % GDP
Total 550 2.8
Third Social Sector:
Spain 2008 (million €) Spain % GDP
Total 15,519 1.7
Sources: UK data (Laurence Hopkins, Mapping the third sector; 2005); Catalan data (Observatori del Tercer Sector,
Anuari d’entitats del tercer sector social; 2009); Spanish data (Fundación Luís Vives, Anuario del tercer sector
Español; 2010)

18. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Percentage of volunteers
Survey recording percentage of people engaged in volunteer
activities in the last month
Catalonia (2009): 12.8%
Spain -Active participation- (2006): 18% (not the same indicator)
UK (2009): 25%
Sources: Cat (Idescat, Enquesta Usos del temps 2010), Spain (Eurostat, Social eurobarometre
2006), UK (Citizenship Survey: 2009-10)

19. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Third Sector Workforce
Employees Full time % Women %
Catalonia 2009 100,000 62% 73%
Spain 2009 529,029 57% 74%
UK 2006 634,000 63% 71%
Big similarities between workforces. Similar proportion of full time
workers and similar proportion of women.
Sources: Cat (Observatori del tercer sector, L’Ocupació al tercer sector social, 2009), Spain
(Fundación Luís Vives, Anuario del tercer sector Español; 2010), UK (Citizenship Survey: 2009-10)

20. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Evolution Third Sector
- Huge increase in the sector since the end of Franco’s dictatorship.
- In the nineties the public authorities started to implement public
policies promoting the third sector.
- In the last decade the public authorities have continued to promote the
third sector, but they have also started to deliver public services
through the third sector organisations.
- Between 2002 and 2006 the public services delivered by third sector
organisations in Catalonia more than doubled (129%).

21. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Main public policies to support the third sector
Collaboration between public authorities and third sector:
Third sector promotion and development
• Spanish level: donation of 0.7% of income tax amount to
third sector organisations
• Catalan level:
• National Association and Volunteering Plan
• Third Sector Support Plan
Delivering public services through third sector
• Social and community services are a regional matter
• In Catalonia: increased by 129% between 2002 and 2006

22. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Third Sector Support Plan
Plan funded by the Catalan government (Generalitat)
Target: Third Sector Organisations
Main objectives:
- Improving funding access
- Professionalisation and quality improvement
- Improving the relationship between private sector and third sector
- Simplifying the processes between the third sector organisations and
public administration

23. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
National Association and Volunteering Plan
Plan funded by the Catalan government (Generalitat)
Target: Volunteers / Volunteer organisations / Society
16 strategic lines (2011):
Strategic lines
Collaboration and networking
Volunteering training
Community values: solidarity, suistainability, social coexistence.
Volunteering promotion
Political influence of volunteer organisation
New relation framework between public authorities, volunteer organisations and enterprises
Relation between volunteers and workforce
Organisational structures, boards, quality and evaluation
Volunteer management: Catch, incorporation, loyalty.
Funding
Variety of volunteering opportunities
Participatory democracy
Participation in the organisations
Workforce management
Equity, social justice, new social needs.
Accountability and transparency

24. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Main challenges
• Monitoring, evaluation, impact assessment
• Increase social relevance
• Accountability and transparency
• Increase loyalty of high skilled workforce
• Improve financial capacity
• Independence from public authorities
• What will be the impact of austerity policies?

25. The de la presentació
Nomthird sector in Catalonia and Spain
Bibliography
Pelegrí, X. Vilà, A. (2011) Sorgiment i evolució dels serveis socials a Catalunya. Els serveis socials a
Catalunya, 1a ed. 125-144.
Vilà, A. (2011) Sorgiment dels serveis socials a l’estat espanyol. Els serveis socials a Catalunya, 1a ed.
111-122.
Observatori del Tercer Sector (2009) Anuari 2009 del Tercer Sector Social de Catalunya. Barcelona:
Taula d’Entitats del Tercer Sector Social.
Generalitat de Catalunya (2008) Pla de Suport al Tercer Sector Social. Barcelona.
Generalitat de Catalunya (2010) Pla Nacional de l’Associacionisme i el Voluntariat. Barcelona.
Cabra de Luna, M. J., de Lorenzo García, R. (2005) El Tercer Sector en España: Ámbito, tamaño y
perspectivas, Revista española del Tercer Sector 1: 95-134.
Fundación Luis Vives (2010) Anuario del Tercer Sector de Acción Social de España. Madrid.
Observatori del Tercer Sector (2009) L’ocupació al Tercer Sector Social de Catalunya. Barcelona.
Laurence Hopckins (2010) Mapping the Third Sector: A context for social leadership. London.

26. Nom de la presentació
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