The rationale for our recommendations

Our recommendations were launched last month to wide approval. The appetite for supporting emerging leaders, that we identified in our consultation, was palpable in that moment. However the appetite isn't the only reason we have recommended what we have, and below is a brief summary of the rationale and evidence supporting our recommendations. What's particularly striking are some of the comments from people who responded to our consultation, which you can read below.

We believe that these recommendations are the start of a discussion and we welcome debate and suggestions on their implementation.

   

Recommendation 1:  Redressing inequalities in Civil Society leadership through opening up pathways.

 Rationale

In our consultation 72% of respondents believed that not enough was done to promote the sector as a career choice. They identified that there was no clear pathway into civil society leadership, and that it should be seen as a legitimate career choice in schools, colleges and Universities. The Commission’s own research suggested that leadership development programmes and opportunities were not equally available across the country, and were predominantly focused on London and the South East.

Figures from ACEVO’s 2011/12 pay survey have shown a disproportionately large number of male leaders, with men being paid on average 15.9% more than female leaders, and that these gaps are widening.  Men are also more likely to run larger organisations than women, with over two thirds of organisations with turnovers of >£5m being led by men. The survey showed only 2% of CEOs have a disability, and 94% were from white backgrounds. From the same survey nearly two thirds of Chairs are male, only 3.6% are disabled and 96% are from a white background.

What some of our consultation respondents said:

“I think there should be more training and greater fluidity in the structure of organisations. I believe too many charities hide behind the Genuine Occupational Requirement stipulation and do not promote diversity.”

[On single greatest challenge to sector leaders in 2020] “To be able to demonstrate real inclusivity through a collaborative, diverse and strong leadership.”

[On what would make it easier for emerging leaders to connect and grow] “Promoting true gender & sexuality (LGBT) equality diversity”

[On attracting people to Civil Society] “This is a problem because the sector is so diverse. Care services work is promoted, as is international development but civil society management as a route is not.”

[On attracting people to Civil Society] “Nothing is done at the moment. Teach First has done an amazing job of making teaching in inner-city schools a hugely desirable career destination - and it's embarrassing how little is done to attract the most talented young people into civil society.”

[On single greatest challenge to sector leaders in 2020]  “Attracting workers to join the sector for little pay when they are saddled with so much more student debt than now.”

[On attracting people to Civil Society]  “We need to get them there in the first place. Incentivised secondments, or repaying some student loan.”

“We need better information to students and graduates on the range of options in the sector.”

“Civil Society needs to recognise that leaders come from a whole variety of backgrounds and not just from the largest charities. There needs to be a concerted effort to head hunt future leaders and create leadership training opportunities for those future leaders who wish to work in smaller charities but need leadership development training.  ... I believe that barriers to working in the sector are too high, young people are asked to do long internships often with no chance of an eventual job, this makes entry into the lowest rung of the sector particularly difficult for those from lower income families. Some of the larger charities especially treat interns appallingly. I know brilliant young people who have worked at places for 6 months who have applied for jobs and always been turned down because of lack experience. A really exceptional person I know is now seeking a career out of the voluntary sector after a year of interning and going for numerous jobs at charities and not being offered anything. Our sector is going to be poorer because of this and some charities should be ashamed of themselves.”

Recommendation

Redressing inequalities in Civil Society leadership through opening up pathways. The Leadership 20:20 Commission recognises that diversity in its broadest sense continues to be under-represented in civil society leaders – most starkly at Chief Executive and Trustee level. As the sector that promotes social justice we have a responsibility to live and breathe our values and to promote equality of opportunity for all. For this reason, pathways into Civil Society and its leadership must be opened up further.

·         Sector search agencies and civil society organisations to look ‘outside the box’ for talent and to provide candidate shortlists that are representative of the wider population.

·         Established leaders to reflect and actively promote our society’s diversity, by supporting not only those ‘in my own image’ but all who demonstrate leadership qualities in the workplace.

·         Greater coherence and collaboration across existing civil society leadership programmes for emerging leaders, with increased national coverage and accessibility.

·         A targeted programme supporting people into the sector with placements, apprenticeships, mentoring and coaching; for new starters, returners, or those transitioning from other sectors. This could be similar or equivalent to Teach First.

·         A write-off of Career Development and Student Loans for those who work in Civil Society for at least five years after completing their course of study.

·         A package of resources and information for Careers Advisors to promote Civil Society as a sector of choice.

·         Observe best practice where providing internships and work placements, including payment wherever possible.

 

“The current level of inequality, and lack of diversity amongst civil society leaders is nothing short of shameful. The Commission’s focus on redressing these inequalities is absolutely right, and must be pursued with determination and passion.” Baroness Grey-Thompson, DBE

 

Recommendation 2: A strengthening of foresight efforts within the sector through bringing together networks of emerging leaders.

Rationale

Only a quarter of consultation respondents used networks to stay abreast of trends and developments in the sector, with most relying on national or sector press. However the majority of professional associations that respondents relied on, outside of national umbrella organisations,  specialist infrastructure bodies that related to their areas of work.

Networks of emerging leaders without a specific purpose behind them will be more likely to suffer from entropy, or otherwise be superseded by more targeted networks. As such we believe that emerging leader networks with the specific focus on foresight, strategic planning, and responding to future challenges, will be more sustainable and more regularly used. This coupled with the need for provision locally, or at least easily accessible through technology are essential to supporting emerging leaders.

What some of our consultation respondents said:

“The creation of virtual and physical networks would make it much easier for emerging leaders to connect and share information about development opportunities.”

[On what can be made easier for leaders to connect and grow] “Accessible networks - not dominated by salaried CEOs and the richer ends of the sector but inclusive of those of us working unpaid in poorer organisations and areas.”

“Government needs to recognise that voluntary sector leaders have their hands full and if they are to make a significant difference to policy at local and national level then they need time and resources to do so.”

[On what can be made easier for leaders to connect and grow] “Greater networks for emerging leaders (outside of London) - greater use of internet to support networks”

[On what can be made easier for leaders to connect and grow] “Networks of leaders in similar circumstances who can learn from each other.”

[On how they stay up-to-date] “Internet and local policy events (National events, though important are not usually affordable”

“All public sector bodies should have a process where third sector leaders have a voice in policy formulation. This means participation not "consultation" such as "Where do you think the cuts should fall".”

Recommendation

A strengthening of foresight efforts within the sector through bringing together networks of emerging leaders. Create emerging leaders networks and active listening opportunities designed to inform futures and strategic planning activities. This will equip emerging leaders with the confidence, skills and motivation required in order to be involved in foresight work, thereby improving the sector’s responses to changes in the wider environment.

·         General and specialist infrastructure bodies to bring together networks of emerging leaders to take a substantial role in shaping long-term strategic plans.

·         Funders and policy makers to take advantage of these diverse networks to expand and inform their knowledge base. This will develop a more sustainable sector through improved alignment between resource allocation and the long-term needs of grass-roots organisations.

 

“With all the challenges civil society is faced with today; rising costs, reductions in funding, and mounting numbers of people to support – it can be easy to lose sight of what challenges are to come. Civil Society organisations should take responsibility for bringing together networks of emerging leaders to discuss the future of their sector.” Baroness Grey-Thompson, DBE

 

Recommendation 3: A sector-wide Development Framework

Rationale

Within the consultation more than half of the respondents had participated in some form of external leadership programmes, however they generally rated internal leadership development opportunities lower than external ones. The cost and accessibility of training were major factors that impacted on individuals undertaking these opportunities, especially so for those outside of London and the South East. Some respondents questioned the quality of training offered, particularly internal training, especially quality compared to cost.

In addition, 43% of respondents said they had undertaken mentoring, and 33% said they had received coaching. However some respondents felt that opportunities to find mentors or coaches were limited, as were opportunities to learn from leaders within and outside of civil society.

What some of our consultation respondents said:

[On what can be made easier for leaders to connect and grow] “Mentoring networks to 'match' individuals who could learn from each other - for example I had private sector and management/leadership skills but lacked sector specific knowledge. Buddying-up would have been really useful probably from both sides”

[On what is needed to support emerging leaders] “An environment which fosters and respects development”

[On what is needed to support emerging leaders] “More opportunities, more cash and time for development - a long term view would help, allowing emerging leaders to develop rather than exhaust themselves fire fighting!”

[On what is needed to support emerging leaders] “Low cost pathways to development. Education of trustees/Boards/governance bodies that this should be a priority.”

[On what is needed to support emerging leaders]  “Greater collaboration across organisations to share experiences - a co mentoring 'match making' type offer!”

[On what can be made easier for leaders to connect and grow] “An established culture of CPD and development time - a standard practice in every role of an hour a week or a couple of hours a month in which we reflect, read, share experience etc - if it's standard for teachers and social workers, why not the third sector?”

[On what is needed to support emerging leaders] “(A) willingness to share across organisations and within the sector.”

[On what is needed to support emerging leaders] “Cross mentoring/secondment opportunities between all sectors (private/public/third)”

“As a Trustee and/or Chair of an organisation you often are left to access training for yourself. The VCS is just starting to realise it has to train its voluntary leaders even if they have been leaders in another life as VCS is very different from the outside world.”

Recommendation

A sector-wide Development Framework. It is important that emerging leaders gain experience and develop their skills through a rich mix of opportunities, including trusteeship and non-executive board positions. Emerging leadership to be integrated into development frameworks that harness and consolidate practice, and meet the broad skills need of Civil Society as a whole.

•        Training for trustees and senior managers to build awareness of the importance of developing future leaders and recognising talented individuals.

•        Pairing established leaders with emerging ones; both across organisations and sectors.

•        Accessible mentoring and coaching projects, both online and face to face, through a national directory of Mentors and Mentees.

•        Inter-organisational collaboration on staff development programmes, including secondments and work-based learning opportunities.

•        Civil Society organisations to expect their workforce to fulfil 40 hours of professional development a year (either formally or informally) and build this into appraisals, with equivalent measures for those working in a voluntary capacity.

 

“There is a significant need to ensure the talent already working within our sector has access to formal and informal development opportunities, and we should raise our expectations of just how much development Civil Society’s workforce should undertake.” Baroness Grey-Thompson, DBE

 

Recommendation 4: A policy from funders and commissioners to include management and leadership development components in funding agreements and/or monitoring, to ensure future success and sustainability.

Rationale

In the current climate, the pressure on civil society organisations to reduce costs is significant. Whilst many organisations recover the costs of project-specific training through full-cost recovery methods, management and leadership training is often budgeted as part of core costs, which are being squeezed following funding reductions.  Our consultation identified that many organisations are faced with pressures from short-term funding arrangements that do not enable them to build sustainability within their organisation.

More than half of respondents who rated external leadership development opportunities low did so because they were too costly, with others saying it was seen as a low priority or there were not enough capacity to undertake it within their organisations. This connects to our findings in recommendation three that access to training and leadership initiatives are limited, and there is a need for leadership from funders on the importance of professional and personal development.  

What some of our consultation respondents said:

[On what is needed to support emerging leaders] “Recognition by funders that training is essential when funding a service.”

[On what is needed to support emerging leaders] “Requirement (or even just support) from funders would help! We need to see at as a worthwhile investment not a cost that can be 'cut' or saved.”

[On what can be made easier for leaders to connect and grow] “A stronger, better and more sustainable sector.”

[On single greatest challenge to sector leaders in 2020] “If we aren’t careful we will end up in a spiral of reduced funding, not being able to train staff, meaning we aren’t as good, meaning we lose more funding, etc.”

[On how they rate internal leadership development] “Investment in L&M in the sector is not seen as critical to the day job as in other sectors.”

Recommendation

A policy change from funders and commissioners to include management and leadership development components in funding agreements and/or monitoring, to ensure future success and sustainability. Funders to be more explicit about valuing leadership, clarifying in funding negotiations the expected level of management, and leadership development, and reporting requirements against these.

 

We would like to see explicit acceptance and support from funders and commissioners on the value they place on good management and leadership, and support for organisations reliant on their funding to develop more sustainable practices through management and leadership development.

“The most successful projects and services are those with the best leadership. In order to build a more sustainable civil society, those who fund or commission services should be explicit about how they support management and leadership development.” Baroness Grey-Thompson, DBE

 

 

Recommendation 5: Encouraging mobility of leaders across sectors

 

Rationale

 

Many of our consultation respondents identified the value of shared learning between sectors, and feedback from focus groups and interviews emphasised the important skills gained from working in partnership with public and private sectors.

 

The challenges our society faces, and will face in the future, will be best responded to through cross-sector engagement. Building and maintaining links across sectors at a local and national level between leaders is the first step to more adequately addressing broad societal issues. Many civil society organisations involve individuals from public and private sectors in their organisations, with many at Board level, but there is less evidence to suggest this is reciprocated.

 

Encouraging leaders to move between sectors should be seen as a positive progression. However we need to be sure that this doesn’t preclude people from reaching the top of organisations if they’ve not had experience outside the sector. A culture where all experience is valued, without one having a preference is something that as a sector we should strive to achieve.

 

What some of our consultation respondents said:

[On what can be made easier for leaders to connect and grow] “Less of a boundary between civil society and public / private sectors - less focus on if it's not voluntary it doesn't count (i.e. you have to do it for free to be doing good) which means other sectors sometimes discount third sector.”

 

[On what is needed to support emerging leaders] “Opportunities for job shadowing etc. with other sectors.”

 

[On what is needed to retain talent in the sector] “Let other sectors borrow from our pool of talent in the same way civil servants and corporates encourage people to spend time in our sector for their own leadership development.”

 

[On what is needed to retain talent in the sector] “On the whole I think that once people come into the VCS they very often stay with the VCS - perhaps what is needed is more secondments from the VCS to other sectors to see the world from a different perspective.”

 

Recommendation

 

Encouraging mobility of leaders across sectors. The Private, Public and Civil Society sectors have much they can share; in skills, resources, values and ideas. Established leaders should actively encourage workforce mobility across sectors at a strategic level, to encourage cross-fertilisation of good practice and ideas.

 

“We often hear about what the private and public sectors can teach Civil Society, but less about what Civil Society can share with them. Tomorrow’s leaders will need the skills, knowledge, and relationships that can only come from closer collaboration, and a greater mobility across sectors.” Baroness Grey-Thompson, DBE