How to use the Compact

The Compact can be used in many different ways. Don’t wait until things go wrong to bring out your Compact. Why not take it to meetings with your statutory partner, and use it as a tool for partnership working? If you are in a funding relationship with Government it can be used as a guide to a successful relationship.

Challenging bad practice often leads to a better relationship and better outcomes for your organisation. If you think that a statutory body has not followed Compact principles in the way it conducts its business, it is worth bringing this up with them, along with constructive suggestions for how they can improve.

For information and support on how to campaign visit the Campaigning Effectiveness Programme.   

Below is a step-by-step guide to running your own Compact case

1. Research

Look into your relationship with the statutory body that you have, build up a timeline of key moments and events in the relationship, get an idea of how many other organisations may be in the same position as yourself? What is the context and external environment of your relationship?

2. Identify where the Compact hasn’t been followed

Use either your local Compact or the national one, depending on which statutory body it is you are having a problem with. Look through the document as well as the codes of practice to identify how the relationship you have with the statutory body compares to what it should be.

3. Identify your objectives

What do you want to achieve?  Make sure you can measure the success of your objective and that it is achievable. Make sure you have a time plan. Put together your key messages so that they link into your objective.

4. Identify your target audience

Use government or local authority websites to ascertain who are the key decision makers you are aiming to engage with your issue, look at the chain of command and identify people that you want to target. Have a back up plan know what other options there are for you if your initial targets do not respond how you want them to eg the relevant ombudsman.

5. What will influence your target audience

Put together a practical plan for what measures will influence, eg getting your local MP involved, planting a parliamentary question, doing a local press release, joining forces with your local CVS or a national infrastructure body, getting other case studies.

6. Action

Write letters, make phone calls, network, go to events, try to meet the relevant people

7. Follow up

If you don’t get responses when you should chase them up. Once you get a response see if you are satisfied – if not engage at a higher level with your statutory body. Continue to be clear and consistent in what you are asking for.

8. Close the case and share the lessons learned

Evaluate your work using the measures you put in place when you set your objective/s.  Have you achieved everything you set out to do?  If not why not?  Is so, what worked well.  Share this with relevant contacts.