Confidence has been growing in the third sector as its contribution to public policy has been increasingly recognised. Voluntary organisations are increasingly being recognised for their work in serving their local communities. Decision makers are increasingly being convinced by the third sector’s advocates of the need for ongoing public reform. However, there is still room for improvement. We have been underutilising the levels of knowledge of the sector. To fully develop the potential of the sector we need to ensure that every key fact and third sector success story is shared with relevant organisations and sections of the community. Currently the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is undertaking a consultation on how academia can improve its analysis of the third sector, as it seeks to make its level of understanding match the public and private sectors. We should now take this opportunity to open the gates of understanding, welcome public analysis and adapt to develop models of co-dependent learning and education.
The third sector suffers whenever information is underused because of silo mentalities and short-termist expediencies. Failed opportunities to learn about the sector and have up-to-date information on key areas often result in too many third sector organisations whispering their successes when we should be shouting their progress. When knowledge share does occur it allows us to present ourselves as unified. It enables us to strategise more effectively. It reduces wasteful searching for material. Duplication of efforts should also decline.
The third sector is often very successful at researching. Through specialist third sector material being uploaded on organisations’ websites and increasingly blogs and other web 2.0 based communications third sector organisations have been able to make the case for volunteerism, philanthropy and civic engagement. This is very useful, as it gives individual organisations the chance to explain developments in the third sector, areas of best practice and issues that prevent organisations from being able to fulfil their goals.
However, considerable amounts of information get lost. Often the strains placed on people researching and writing pieces combined with other onerous tasks can result in the acquired knowledge being underexposed. For instance, articles may not be uploaded onto the Internet after having been forwarded onto publication editors. Reports may be delayed and only done in infrequent batches. Other organisations with a mutual interest in the results may not be even informed at all.
Refocusing Knowledge
However, given the gaps in knowledge that some areas of academia have previously had of the third sector it is important to strongly guide the direction of research in some areas of academic enquiry. Through explaining the difficulties that we face we will be able to add authority to ongoing issues such as the need for a stronger and more enforceable Compact, the importance of service provision being based on outcome measurement systems and the benefits of continuing state and public sector reform. Hopefully knowledge clusters will develop, as well as around sector specific research. If this happens then shared opinion will be able to fully represent the beneficial utility of the third sector to public services and communities.
Through participating with ESRC’s research and articulating our needs and desires we should be able to examine and then transform how academics and organisations plan and release information. We must also make efforts to highlight and encourage organisations which provide joined up research. For example, Intelligent Giving’s blog usefully signposts reports and events in its commentary, allowing time conscious third sector employees and curious parties links to more information should they require further insight on topics. Looking at the long-term picture the potential of the Internet to coordinate the third sector’s communication makes it necessary to examine ways of improving the sector’s existing knowledge champions and perhaps even coordinating new third party research hubs.
The third sector’s diversity provides an oasis of innovative ideas that can make it difficult to get a comprehensive overview of its strengths and weaknesses without taking the time to search around. However, if we matched the new commitment from the academic community to increasing levels of research of the third sector’s processes and the positive outcomes of our efforts with a new attitude to sharing our knowledge then we should be able to accelerate the development of a more professional, confident and effective sector.
This article was written on behalf of Peter Kyle, Director of Strategy and Enterprise for ACEVO in July 2008
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