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Civil society sets out priorities for new Covenant

A new report from NCVO and ACEVO sets out what civil society organisations want to see in the Civil Society Covenant.

Civil society’s vision for the Covenant

A new report by NCVO and the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) sets out recommendations to help make the government’s forthcoming Civil Society Covenant meaningful and effective.

Building a Covenant for Civil Society and Government is based on input from more than 1,000 charities and voluntary organisations that took part in an engagement exercise in autumn 2024. The process was supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The government has committed to creating a Civil Society Covenant to support stronger relationships with charities.

It aims to improve how civil society and government work together, through better collaboration, mutual respect and protection of civil society’s independence.

What organisations told us

Organisations who took part in the engagement exercise highlighted several challenges in working with government. These included bureaucratic processes, a lack of understanding about the role of civil society and low levels of trust.

Participants also shared what helps partnerships to succeed. This included open communication, long-term funding and recognition of civil society’s value in solving problems.

There was strong support for the draft principles of the Covenant. Many organisations said they want to see specific actions included to give the principles weight.

Six areas for action

Based on the feedback, NCVO and ACEVO have set out six recommendations for how government can make the Covenant a success:

  • Direction: Include practical commitments, such as protecting the right to campaign and simplifying funding processes.
  • Responsibility: Appoint civil society leads in each department, and introduce oversight by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
  • Conditions: Reform legislation that limits advocacy and offer fair, flexible funding.
  • Support: Invest in secondments and communities of practice, and train civil servants on civil society.
  • Mechanisms: Create a Partnership Hub, set up a Treasury civil society unit, and develop formal advisory groups.
  • Review: Introduce annual reviews and issue reporting to maintain accountability.
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