Commission for the Compact
The Commission for the Compact is an independent body responsible for overseeing the Compact and its Codes of Good Practice.
This Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) was established in April 2007 and is sponsored by the Office of the Third Sector in consultation with the voluntary and community sector. Its creation was the result of a consultation co-ordinated by the Home Office in 2005 as Strengthening Partnerships: Next Steps for the Compact. This highlighted a lack of awareness of the Compact and the barriers to its adoption and implementation.
The Commission is chaired by an independent Commissioner - Sir Bert Massie CBE - and has a Non-Executive Board and a support staff of 11 employees based in Birmingham.
The purpose of the Commission is to promote effective partnership working between the public and the third sector through the application of the Compact and its five codes of practice. It is not a regulatory body and does not have any legal powers.
Its programme of work includes promoting awareness and implementation of the Compact, undertaking research and policy projects, developing an evidence base on the Compact's progress, sharing good practice and exploring key themes that affect the relationship between the statutory and voluntary sectors.
Full details of these activities are included in the Joint Compact Action Plan for 2008-09 and the Commission’s Business Plan.