NAVCA 2006 Debate

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NAVCA 2006 Debate Professors Paul Palmer and
Jenny Harrow
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Debate 1

• Its not the role of the VCS to help government
  to promote civic engagement

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Debate 1 Agree

• What is civic engagement anyway?
• Why be a lifeboat for failed or ambiguous
  sounding policies?
• We cant mend the fractured relations between
  politicians and voters that is the politicians
  responsibilities
• We pay taxes for public services

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Debate 1 Agree - cont

• Too time consuming to do, because open ended
• What are the risks to us if we do this badly or
  it is seen not to work (yet another community
  forum)
• We cant possibly do well at this because we
  cant get hold of what it means
• Even if/where we are well funded to do this by
  government, it is a Faustian bargain

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Debate 1 - disagree

• Anything we can do to keep ourselves on the
  road the better
• Why would we not want to help government
  especially if we can show we can do a better job?
• What is not to like about civic engagement
  anyway the VCS needs this just as much as
  government
• Traditionally this has been our role

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Debate 1 Disagree - cont

• We can redefine civic engagement to fit our
  particular work
• We are the experts in civic engagement anyway,
  lets make that clear
• We can make this lively and real if need be,
  call government bluff on the realities of civic
  engagement

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Debate 2

• The local VCS campaigning activity is compromised
  by engaging in public service delivery

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Debate 2 - Agree

• This buries us in the kinds of detail that stops
  us thinking and acting more widely
• Keeping contractual relations in a good state is
  also time consuming to exclusion of other things
• Flexibility to respond quickly to new events
  (e.g. local hospital closure) is limited with
  contracts to keep going

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Debate 2 agree - cont

• Public services should be delivered by public
  service bodies the vcs is being used as a cheap
  option and being kept busy by it
• Risk that our voice will become too narrow if
  based on our PS work
• If we are just another contractor (e.g. with
  local authority) this changes our relationship
  with them, when it comes to campaigns

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Debate 2 agree - cont

• A myth that this gives us financial stability to
  do other things contracts too tight
• Well find that we are recruiting different kinds
  of staff expertise, where we do public services
  work not necessarily good at campaigning roles?

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Debate 2 agree - cont

• Public Service contracting makes VCS
  organisations compete with each other and some
  must lose how can we have a united voice on key
  issues if we have just beaten (or been beaten by)
  another organisation to a share in the public
  service funding pot?

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Debate 2 - Disagree

• Doing this gets us noticed, and raising our
  profile is vital to campaigning
• Well really find out at first hand what the
  needs are
• Well be seen to have even more authority get
  taken more seriously if we have been part of the
  delivery systems

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Debate 2 Disagree - cont

• Public Service delivery by the VCS will be a key
  element in government/VCS relations for
  foreseeable future cant stand aside from the
  relationship networks this sets up
• We need the funds and the security of contracts
  to subsidise our campaigning side
• Adds further funds we would do this anyway

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Debate 2 Disagree - cont

• Why would the VCS not take on public service
  roles if and where it can do these so much
  better?
• Whats to stop us biting the hand that feeds
  us?
• Weve done it before and governments expect this
  of us anyway