Guidance

Annex A: Civil Society Covenant Framework

Published 17 October 2024

Summary

Whether it’s advocacy or campaigning, social entrepreneurship or service delivery, community building or mobilising volunteers - civil society organisations make our country a better place. The individuals and groups who power our civil society give up their time and energy day after day, week after week, to strengthen the bonds between people of all backgrounds and bring our communities together. 

We are committed to delivering a decade of national renewal and that will only be possible with a vibrant, thriving civil society. Government can do many things, but it doesn’t have the same local knowledge, relationships with the community and understanding of the challenges being faced by people in our villages, towns and cities that our civil society bodies do. We want government and civil society to work together in a way that is complementary. For each of the defining missions of this government - from driving economic growth, opening up opportunity, fixing our broken NHS, getting clean power by 2030 and making our streets safer - we believe that civil society has a pivotal role to play. 

So we are turning the page on what has come before and beginning a new chapter in the relationship between government and civil society. One that recognises all that they do for us - at home and abroad - and aims to realise the enormous potential that exists in organisations like our charities and community groups. A partnership that restores the place of civil society back at the centre of our national life.

The first step in rebuilding that relationship is going to be the co-creation of a new Civil Society Covenant. The Covenant will bring together the full range of groups who are best positioned to unpick issues and identify solutions that are built to last. Civil society organisations like charities, community groups, social enterprises, philanthropists and social investors. Organisations including think tanks and trade unions. National government, and associated public bodies, including executive agencies and arm’s length organisations. Devolved governments, local mayors, local authorities and combined authorities.

Our shared purpose

Underpinning everything the Covenant does will be a shared purpose - tackling the deep seated challenges of our time, together. It will require all parties to bring honesty, openness and transparency to everything the Covenant does. The prize is clear, because we know a positive collaboration will help us create:

• a fair and equal society, centred around resilient, connected and empowered communities that are ready to grow and thrive
• a strong, diverse and independent civil society that can act as a constructive friend and willing partner who can provide insight, innovation, expertise and challenge to drive sound decision-making
• a government that embraces and facilitates civil society, valuing, understanding and respecting the fundamental benefits of working with civil society
• a new model of civil society focussed around prevention and early intervention, with collaboration that joins up local services and supports people in all parts of the country

Principles

We intend for the Covenant to be based around 4 high level principles of recognition, partnership, participation and transparency. These principles provide the starting point for developing the Covenant through a process of engagement across civil society and government.

1. Recognition: to ensure a strong and independent civil society.

2. Partnership: to ensure effective service delivery and policy making, and shared learning of best practices.

3. Participation: to ensure people and communities can be heard and make a difference.

4. Transparency: to ensure civil society and government have the information needed to best serve people and communities.

Accountability

The Covenant will be made up of a living set of principles to guide and enable this new relationship, and to help build effective partnerships right across the breadth of civil society and government. Ensuring effective accountability for service delivery, and implementing and sustaining change is a key issue that we will be seeking views on from all sides.

Next steps

Through the autumn, DCMS will continue to work closely with NCVO, ACEVO and other bodies that represent the rich diversity of the civil society sector. Together we will engage widely across civil society and government to co-create the Covenant and aim to publish a final document in the new year. 

Our engagement will focus on issues including:

• are the four key principles - recognition, partnership, participation, transparency - the right ones? 
• what are the enablers of effective partnership? And what are the examples of best practice?
• what are the barriers to meaningful partnership and collaboration?
• how do we ensure this Covenant holds weight and is effective?
• how do we harness the excellent ability of civil society to innovate and find new solutions to societal problems? How do we support that spirit to spread across the sector?
• how do we make the new relationship a reality, especially in the current economic context?

DCMS, NCVO and ACEVO -  in partnership with a range of umbrella and representative bodies -  will lead consultation across the civil society sector through a series of events, roundtables and online.  

In parallel, DCMS will engage across government, including government departments, devolved governments, arm’s length bodies (ALBs) as well as local authorities and mayoral combined authorities. 

Visit the NCVO website to find out more and comment on the Civil Society Covenant Framework.