The Office of the Third Sector has reported on the results of a number of local pilot surveys, commissioned to explore ways in which the views of smaller, unregistered third sector organisations could be gathered.

We have also published a user guide for the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations. This short guide aims to help local authorities, their Local Strategic Partnership partners, as well as third sector organisations, make the most out of the rich data made available through the national survey.

The Office of the Third Sector commissioned Ipsos MORI to undertake local pilot surveys in Gloucestershire, Bury and Hackney. The pilots aimed to explore ways of surveying small, unregistered third sector organisations. This would supplement the extensive information already gathered on small organisations through the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations.

The pilots involved the local CVS networks working to extend and improve their local lists of third sector organisations. Ipsos MORI then worked to ensure there was no duplication with the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations sample and a local survey was undertaken. The whole process was successful and produced some interesting learning.

The local pilots have shown that improving lists of local organisations was of high value to the CVS.  Whilst the pilots found that gathering of such data at a local level was strongly influenced by local circumstance and so could not be robustly compared with the national survey, the methodology provides a way for local organisations to engage and learn about organisations beyond the scope of the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations as part of their wider outreach work with the sector.

The Office of the Third Sector will be working with the third sector to ensure that the learning from the three pilots is shared and utilised by other areas.

The second report consists of a practical user guide to the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations and the data generated from the first wave of the survey. The first set of results and accompanying analysis from the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations provide a huge source of information on the third sector and its relationship with local public bodies.

This guide therefore aims to help local partners use the data in a practical way, helping to drive improved local performance against National Indicator 7 and improve the relationship between third sector and its public sector partners. As well as providing clear information on what the survey can and can’t tell us, the guide provides practical suggestions on how to use the survey data in the most effective way at a local level.

To download the 'Thriving Third Sector' guide (PDF Format): Click Here

Article published on the Cabinet Office website (10 March 2010): Click Here