Office of the Third Sector OTS Overview and third sector review

1
Office of the Third Sector (OTS)Overview and
third sector review

• March 2008

2
The Third Sector

• Common characteristics
• nongovernmental organisations
• valuedriven
• principally reinvest surpluses to further social,
  environmental or cultural objectives
• Term encompasses voluntary and community
  organisations, charities, social enterprises,
  cooperatives and mutuals, both large and small

3
Office of the Third Sector

• Created in Cabinet Office in May 2006
• Brought together Active Communities Directorate
  from the Home Office, and Social Enterprise Unit,
  from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
• Recognition of the increasingly important role
  the sector plays in both society and the economy

4
Our vision and role

• Vision
• A thriving third sector, enabling people to
  change society
• OTS
• Drives action to improve government and third
  sector partnership working and terms of
  engagement
• Funds programmes to support the sector's
  development.
• Leads on evidence and analysis to inform work of
  the government and third sector
• Ensures a good regulatory environment

5
Third sector review

• Final report published July 2007
• Year long consultation (review announced Budget
  2006) 93 open events, roundtable discussions,
  over 250 written responses, online questionnaire
• Announcements under five themes with 515m
  investment over 3 years
• Enabling voice and campaigning
• Strengthening communities
• Transforming public services
• Encouraging social enterprise
• Supporting conditions for a healthy sector

6
Building the environment for a thriving third
sector

• Proportionate regulation implementation of the
  Charities Act
• Best practice in funding and finance - including
  delivery of commitment to see three year funding
  settlements passed to third sector organisations
• Sector support infrastructure development
  (88m) and skills strategy
• Building the evidence new national research
  centre (5m), local survey of third sector
  organisations in every top tier local authority
• Partnership working support for the Compact

7
Working with the sector to

• Enable voice and campaigning
• Improving consultation
• Fund for innovative campaigning
• Strategic funding
• Third sector advisory body

• Strengthen communities
• Work with Local Authorities
• Grassroots Grants (130m)
• Community Assets (30m)
• Volunteering (117m for youth)

• Transform public services
• Improving procurement/commissioning
• Building capacity Futurebuilders (215m)
• Working across Departments to identify
  opportunities

• Encouraging social enterprise
• Raising awareness
• Improving business support
• Improving access to finance equity fund (10m),
  social investment wholesaler

8
Further information

• Available at
• www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector