Brotherhood Comment August 2007

Brotherhood Of St Laurence

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• Publié par: Pheym
• Nombre de lectures: 47
• Langue: English

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ISSN 320 8632
A regul Ar upd Ate from the r ese Arch And policy centre
August 2007
The rise of the community sector
At the recent annual conference of have changed radically over the the invisible hand of the market.
the Australia and New Zealand life of the Brotherhood, with each Welfare became for the few and only
School of Government (ANZSOG) change dictating new organisational on strict conditions. Collaboration
held in Canberra on June 28–29, forms, cultures and personnel in the sector was replaced by
I was struck by the extent to which practice. The goals are changing competition. In a climate of public
the idea of network governance again and suggest that in planning austerity, ‘value for money’ became
has come to replace the market- for the future we ought not to a primary government concern and
oriented thinking which informed expect simply more of the same. growing market share a driver for
the New Public Management of the many sector agencies. While the
1990s. Equally impressive were the Brown et al. (2000) described an model is very much with us, it no
new expectations attaching to the earlier sectoral transition in terms longer fits our new public policy
third sector as a ‘co-producer’ of of a shift from an ‘activist’ model imperatives. Lifting productivity
economic as well as social values. to an ‘industry‘ model. The former and participation in a third wave
I came away wondering how was embedded in a Keynesian- of economic growth is dictating
prepared we are in the community style welfare state with the goal of a new role for the third sector.
sector for this paradigm shift. promoting the social development of
citizens. The sector was to provide Both the market and government are
In this age of rapid global policy an antidote to the grey, impersonal, ill-adapted to engage with the core
transfer, it is instructive to note the bureaucratic forms evolved after groups and places now excluded
recent United Kingdom experience. the Second World War. In creative from participation through multiple
There the number of charities tension with governments, it disadvantage. People are fast
increased from 121,000 in 1995 would fill gaps, innovate, be an evolving a new common sense that
to 169,000 in 2004; the number ombudsman and bring effective this kind of engagement requires
of volunteers from 18.4 million local knowledge into policy a different kind of operation. To
in 2001 to 20.4 million in 2005; development. An older sectarian be effective, the community sector
while the total turnover in the competitiveness had to give way to must be freed from the excessive
voluntary and community sector principles of collaboration between centralisation and regulation of the
rose from £16 billion in 1997 to agencies and with government. industry model which was blind
£27 billion in 2005 (Jupp 2007). to human and local complexity,
While we have not witnessed this Under the industry model which shackled professional discretion
scale of sector growth in Australia, followed, governments avoided and hollowed out collaboration,
it is reasonable to assume that positive social goals, with the hope advocacy and lobbying.
the growing impetus for more that these would be better met by Continued page 2
associative forms of governance
will push us in that direction (see Contentsfurther Lyons & Passey 2006).
Using an Intermediate Labour Market as a pathway to mainstream employment 4–5Changing policy goals
In this regard, the Stronger Sixteen up: school and further education and training plans from the Life Chances study 6–7
Community Organisations Project
Increasing participation: lessons from the Personal Support Programme 8–9of the Department for Victorian
Communities is providing a Planned national evaluation of HIPPY (Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters) 0
key focal point for deliberation
Stories of significant change in the Communities for Children initiative, Frankston North (VCOSS 2006; DVC 2007). An
issue for the Brotherhood has Human capital: the most rewarding investment 2
been achieving clarity over what
Affordable housing: the need for action 3might be called the policy ends
or goals of collaboration. These Rebuilding connections: Brotherhood Community Care’s Socialisation Program 4
August 2007 www.bsl.org.auContinued from page 1 Recent submissions
Jupp, B 2007, Collaboration with the Capacity building Submissions or statements made by the Brotherhood
third sector – UK perspectives, paper At the Brotherhood our thinking of St Laurence in the last year include:
presented at the ANZSOG annual about poverty has been much
conference, Canberra, 28–29 June. • Ecumenical Migration Centre Brotherhood influenced by Sen’s notion of
of St Laurence submission to the DIMA Lyons, M & Passey, A 2006, ‘Need public capability. Following Bonvin
policy ignore the third sector? Government Bridging Visa Review, May 2006and Farvaque (2006) we think a
policy in Australia and the United
model which can engage effectively • Submission to the Australian Fair Pay Kingdom’, Australian Journal of Public
with capability ought to do the Commission (to inform its first minimum Administration, vol.65, no.3, pp.90–102.
following. It should give service wage determination), July 2006Department for Victorian Communities
users an effective voice, with (DVC) 2007, Stronger Community • BSL response to Global Reporting Initiative
real freedom to negotiate their Organisations Project discussion
request for public comment on the Draft Apparel paper, DVC, Melbourne.pathway, in a fair and reasonable
and Footwear Supplement [to the Sustainability
way. Central authority should VCOSS 2006, Ensuring the sustainability Reporting Guidelines], August 2006
remain important in terms of of Victoria’s third sector: an issues and
proposal paper, VCOSS, Melbourne. resourcing and accountability, • Contribution to Anglicare Australia’s submission to
but needs to be coupled with local the Department of Health and Ageing’s Review of
capacity for reflexive regulation. Subsidies and Services in Australian Government
Local agencies need to link Funded Community Care Programs, January 2007
together into an institutional • Response to Review of the ASX Principles
environment able to listen to local of Good Corporate Governance and Good
aspirations and with the necessary Practice Recommendations, February 2007
autonomy to respond effectively.
• Submission on the Education and Training Act
2006 proposed regulations, March 2007In its strategic plan, the
Brotherhood effectively turned • Submissions to the Review of the Victorian
its back on the industry model. It Children’s Services Regulations 2007, April 2007
is not pursuing market share. It
• Joint submission to Prime Ministerial Task Group wants to be neither a business nor
on Emissions Trading from Brotherhood of a semi-state agency. It believes,
St Laurence, Catholic Social Services Australia and as Tony Nicholson stated in
National Welfare Rights Network, April 2007his 2006 AGM speech, that
the time has come ‘to shape a • Response to the Victorian Energy Efficiency
new community development Target Scheme Issues Paper, May 2007
model for service delivery that
• Submission [re] Productivity Commission can rally the whole community
Consumer Policy Framework, May 2007around disadvantaged people’.
• Submission to Outer Suburban/Interface Services
Paul Smyth and Development Committee Parliament of
[phone] Victoria Inquiry into Local Economic Development
[e-mail] in Outer Suburban Areas, June 2007
• Submission to National Emissions Trading Taskforce References
Bonvin, J & Farvaque, N 2006, ‘Promoting Secretariat: Design for a National Greenhouse
capability for work: the role of local actors’, Gas Emissions Trading Scheme, July 2007.
in S Deneulin, M Nebel & N Sagovsky (eds),
Transforming unjust structures: the capability
approach, Springer, Amsterdam, pp.121–42.
Published in August 2007 by Brotherhood Comment is published three times a year by the
Brotherhood of St Laurence Research and Policy Centre of the Brotherhood of St Laurence.
67 Brunswick Street
The Brotherhood of St Laurence works for the well-being of Australians Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065 Australia
ABN 24 603 467 024on low incomes to improve their economic, social and personal circumstances.
It does this by providing a wide range of services and activities for families,
Telephone: [phone] the unemployed and the aged. It also researches the causes of poverty,
Facsimile: [phone]
undertakes community education and lobbies government for a better deal E-mail: [e-mail]
for people on low incomes.
2 August 2007 www.bsl.org.auFrom the General Manager
This is our first issue of handle the growth in funded Labour Markets to support long-
Brotherhood Comment under our research we have also created the term unemployed people on the
division’s new name. Formerly position of Business Manager. pathway back into paid work,
Social Action and Research (SAR), outlined in this issue by Rosanna
we are now the Brotherhood’s Social policy directions Scutella and Kemran Mestan. The
Research and Policy Centre. The great challenge for our team research report will be available
The change marks a new phase will be to keep pace with the for ou