Independence
Recognise the importance of the advocacy and campaigning role of voluntary and community organisations.
Will not expect voluntary and community organisations to fulfil statutory obligations.
Funding
Recognise that many voluntary and community sector organisations have great difficulty in securing funding towards their core management and administrative costs and accept these need to be met if organisations are to operate efficiently and effectively.
Will promote fair access to strategic, project, development and contract funding.
Will provide transparency and objectivity in administrative and assessment procedures.
Will develop clear corporate funding strategies within their organisations and work to co-ordinate their approach with other statutory funders to streamline processes and reduce duplication.
Will seek to ensure that the voluntary and community sector is not disproportionately affected by overall funding cuts and budgetary restrictions and will negotiate with the sector where such cuts may be required.
Will ensure that costs and standards for funded services are clear and that any changes to funding and/or costs should result in joint re-negotiation of expected service standards.
Consultation
Ask Voluntary and community sector organisations about all issues that affect them.
Allow 12 weeks for responding to written consultations and a minimum of eight weeks, wherever possible.
Be willing to change proposals as a result of consultation feedback.
Provide information on consultation processes well in advance, including the potential for policy changes to be made and whose views are being sought.
Prepare consultation and feedback documents that are concise, clearly laid out and with a summary.
Volunteering
Recognise that high levels of volunteering in Norfolk indicate healthy and active communities, and contribute to the building of community networks, identity, trust and participation.
Work to reduce the real or perceived barriers to volunteering.
Aim to increase staff awareness of volunteer contributions to organisational objectives.
Ensure best practice in volunteer management and equality of access to volunteering, funding and support.
Recognise that volunteering builds skills, experience, employability and social cohesion and creates employment.
NorfolkCOMPACT