The Compact is an agreement that sets out shared principles and guidelines for a better working relationship between the third sector and government/public bodies.
Commitments are divided into areas covering:
- involvement in policy development
- allocating resources
- advancing equality
Read WRC's briefing on The Compact (PDF 141KB)
In the past because the Compact is not legally binding (statutory) it has been hard to enforce and is often not upheld. However, under
their duty to achieve best value local authorities must
consider social, economic and environmental value and uphold the Compact.
In February 2012 the
Public Services (Social Value) Act was passed which ensures that when public bodies buy services they consider the ways that
each decision could most benefit society. It is now the role of all
those who are commissioning public services contracts to consider social
value and this applies to all local authorities, government
departments, NHS Trusts and housing associations among others.
These new measures make it even more vital that women’s organisations
measure their social value and are able to demonstrate this. See
here for more information about measuring the impact of the work of the women's sector.
See WRC's responses to previous consultations on the Compact here.