Commission develops user-friendly Compact Guide

3 Nov 2008

To mark the start of this year’s Compact Week (1 to 8 November 2008), the Commission for the Compact has published a Concise Compact Guide, designed to act as a reference tool and checklist to help public sector and third sector organisations.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this month, the Compact is the agreement which sets out shared commitments and guidelines for working between government and the third sector. This concise guide is intended for both sectors and explains why the Compact applies, as well as highlighting relevant undertakings.

Ruth Fennemore, Policy Adviser at the Commission who has led on this project, said:

“The Compact and its five Codes of Practice run to well over 150 pages and so we decided to develop a Concise Compact Guide in response to calls to make the Compact more accessible. It’s designed primarily as a reference tool to help busy people quickly check the Compact undertakings they should be following in particular situations, through an easy referencing approach referring to sectors and themes."

“Although it’s still important for people to go back to the complete Compact and Codes of Practice to read the full descriptions of undertakings in context, this guide offers a quick, user-friendly summary of Compact undertakings for both the public and the third sector.”

Download a copy of the Concise Compact Guide:
The Concise Compact Guide

To order a hard copy of the Concise Compact Guide, please telephone the Commission for the Compact on 0121 237 5905.

Notes for editors

• The Compact was established in England in November 1998 and was inspired by the Deakin Commission report on the Future of the Voluntary Sector. It is an agreement that provides an overall framework for promoting effective partnership working between the Government and the voluntary and community sector. It aims to address areas of poor performance and sets out a statement of intent to work in partnership supported by five codes of practice. These five codes cover funding and procurement, community groups, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups, volunteers and consultation.
• Established in April 2007, the Commission for the Compact is an independent body responsible for overseeing the Compact - an agreement between the Government and the voluntary and community sector in England to improve their relationship for mutual advantage and community gain. The Commission works with key partners to take the Compact forward including Compact Voice, who represent the views of the Third Sector on the Compact, the Office of the Third Sector and the Local Government Association (LGA).
• This year’s Compact Week takes place from Saturday 1 November to Saturday 8 November 2008. Through a week-long programme of events, media activity and engagement opportunities across England, this national awareness week aims to promote the Compact and engage national Government bodies, regional bodies, local authorities and other public sector partners who have Local and Regional Compacts.

To find out more about Compact Week 2008, please visit:
www.thecompact.org.uk/compactweek

Ends

Downloads

The Concise Compact Guide
Press Release: The Concise Compact Guide

For media enquiries, please contact:

Catherine Byerley, Communications Officer
Commission for the Compact
Tel: 0121 237 5905
Email: catherine.byerley@thecompact.org.uk