Charities now have clearer direction on their potential role in eGovernment with the laying down of new 'ground rules' about when, where and how they can engage in public services delivery.
Sector regulator the Charity Commission for England and Wales has put out a policy statement highlighting what it says are the "key considerations" for charities looking to run core public services. The statement, issued on 29 June, follows the Commission's ruling in February that public bodies can now outsource to charities services that they have a statutory duty to provide.
Previously charities could only supplement such public services or functions.
The Charity Commission stressed that the policy statement sought to "address the wider issues that arise from the decision", but did not, in itself represent a major new policy.
Its key message is that "charities ...should be aware of the risks and challenges involve, but the key deciding factors for the trustees must be the needs and interests of the charity's beneficiaries."
The Commission underlined that any charity planning to deliver public services must observe other key legal requirements, namely to maintain their independence from government and other funders, and not to stray from their objects in pursuit of funding.
Charities need to also consider whether delivering services for public bodies is an appropriate use of their resources and "should always aim to recover the full cost", the Commission added.
This statement coincided with a report from the National Audit Office on 29 June, which called for "substantial improvements" in the way that government departments fund charities to deliver public services.
The Charity Commission is inviting comments on the policy statement by 30 September.
"With the current focus on charities and public service delivery, the Charity Commission wants to help ensure that charities do not lose sight of their mission or the needs of their beneficiaries", said its Policy and Strategy Director Rosie Chapman.
She commented: "We hope that our new policy statement will be a useful reference for all charities engaging in delivery of public services".
The creation of a 'mixed economy' for eGovernment service delivery has long been defined as a strategic objective by the Government.
According to Ian Watmore, the UK's head of e-Government, the role of intermediaries will feature "prominently" in the Government IT strategy due later this year. Related Links
- Consultation on Policy Statement on Charities and Public Service Delivery.
- NAO Report: Working with the Third Sector - Full Report (PDF: 1MB) and Summary (PDF: 270KB)
Quelle: eGov monitor, 04.06.2005
