Explaining infrastructure

Infrastructure refers to the organisations and networks that exist to help voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to achieve their mission.

It is often difficult to describe the work and impact of infrastructure. Infrastructure services are a step, or even two steps removed from the clear effects of work on the frontline. There are also a very diverse range of organisations and networks that provide a range of support services, for instance:

• In a geographical area such as a local authority, county or region
  (e.g. Council for Voluntary Service)
• For organisations that have particular characteristics or work on a specific area of impact (e.g. BME Infrastructure)
• For individual roles within organisations (e.g. ACEVO)
• On a particular topic (e.g. Charities Evaluation Services)
• A mixture of these (e.g. A local BME network).

Common functions

The Value of Infrastructure Programme (VIP) have developed a map of functions to help describe what common things infrastructure organisations do.

Download the functions map (PDF 20KB)

The map splits the work of infrastructure into three areas: Develop, Influence and Connect.

Infrastructure organisations may only work in one or two of these areas or work may cross over areas.

The VIP project have been working closely with infrastructure organisations to develop a framework of common impacts so that infrastructure organisations can work together to achieve change and learn from each other about what works.

A framework of common impacts will also help to communicate the value of infrastructure to funders and policy makers in these challenging times.

Case studies of impact

We've collected three case studies that illustrate the impact that each area of infrastructure work identified in the functions map can have on the organisation supported and on their beneficiaries. As the Value of Infrastructure Programme progresses we will build up further evidence of the difference that infrastructure organisations make.

Develop Download a case study example of the impact of development work (PDF 490KB)

Influence Download a case study example of the impact of influencing work (PDF 120KB)

Connect Download a case study example of the impact of connecting work (PDF 530KB)