Wednesday 30 June 2010

Work and leadership!

So DWP have announced their framework contract details. Entire region contracts for between £10- 50m. This will drive thoughts on how sector organisations should work in partnership or alliance. Larger charities working with smaller community groups, partnerships with the private sector, mergers even.

This will really test our leadership skills. A third sector CEO needs to drive an entrepreneurial approach. We always have to be looking for new opportunities. I suspect that ACEVO's support and professional development services are going to be in increasing demand over the next few years!

And on the subject of cuts - not much chance of avoiding that at the moment! The excellent and much admired Innovation Unit, which ACEVO supports, has produced a great report which demonstrates that third sector organisations can secure innovative ways of delivering service that are more cost effective. Their "Radical Efficiencies Report" is worth reading.

A meeting of the Social Investment Business Board last night. Scenario planning! Aways a subject to get the juices flowing. Or not. An interesting discussion on the minutiae of the accounts (if you like that sort of thing) but more importantly we had some good news on future prospects. If we are to expand service delivery then the role of SIB becomes much more crucial. Our role in consortia building. In impact bonds. In capacity building in the sector. The discussion reminded me a bit of ACEVO's Directors' scenario planning on Monday. The key to all this is to hope for the best but plan for the worst. To be innovate and be adventurous; and my Directors Group certainly are! And provide gutsy leadership in the meantime.

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