Third Sector Interface

Third Sector Interface
Name	Third Sector Interface
Type	Charity infrastructure organisation
Region	Scotland
Founded	1990s

Contents

Third Sector Interface

Third Sector Interface entities act as intermediary bodies connecting voluntary organisations, community groups, public bodies, funders, and private-sector partners such as Scottish Government, COSLA, Big Lottery Fund, National Health Service (Scotland), and European Commission. They support collaboration among stakeholders including Nesta, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, BBC Children in Need, Her Majesty's Treasury, and World Bank initiatives, while liaising with bodies like Scottish Parliament, Local Government Association, UNICEF, and OECD on policy and programme delivery.

Definition and Purpose

Third Sector Interface organisations operate as local and regional intermediaries similar to Community Foundation Network, National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Voluntary Service Overseas, Shelter, and Oxfam GB, promoting capacity building, partnership development, and service coordination among charities such as Royal Voluntary Service, Age UK, Mind (charity), RNIB, and Macmillan Cancer Support. Their purpose aligns with objectives pursued by Barnardo's, Save the Children, Samaritans, Cancer Research UK, and RSPB to improve third sector effectiveness through brokerage, training, and advocacy.

The model evolved in the 1990s and 2000s alongside reforms involving New Labour, Tony Blair, John Major, and policy shifts influenced by reports from Calman Commission, Sir Brian Leveson, and reviews commissioned by Scottish Executive. Influences included international frameworks promoted by European Union, Council of Europe, World Health Organization, and capacity-building efforts supported by Charities Aid Foundation, Comic Relief, Ford Foundation, and Carnegie UK Trust.

Local interfaces often take forms seen in organisations like Citizen's Advice, Trust for London, The Prince's Trust, Community Development Foundation, and Registered Social Landlord networks, with governance models referencing standards from Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, Scottish Charity Regulator, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, and audit expectations akin to Grant Thornton or KPMG. Boards commonly include representation connected to University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, Glasgow City Council, Aberdeen City Council, and local MPs from constituencies such as Edinburgh South, Dundee West, and Inverness and Nairn.

Interfaces deliver services comparable to those provided by Social Enterprise Academy, Volunteer Scotland, Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015-linked initiatives, Locality, Urban Community Development Fund, and training providers like City & Guilds, Scottish Qualifications Authority, and Prince's Trust. Typical functions include volunteer recruitment in partnership with Volunteer Centre networks, grant brokerage with funders including Heritage Lottery Fund and European Social Fund, and policy input toward programmes run by NHS Health Scotland, Public Health Scotland, Skills Development Scotland, and Jobcentre Plus.

Funding streams mirror those accessed by organisations such as National Lottery Community Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, Big Society Capital, Scottish Funding Council, European Regional Development Fund, Barclays Community Finance, and philanthropic trusts including Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Gannochy Trust, and Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Financial oversight follows guidance from Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, Scottish Public Finance Manual, Audit Scotland, and procurement frameworks used by Crown Commercial Service.

Evaluation approaches draw on methodologies used by Nesta Challenge Prize Centre, Joseph Rowntree Foundation evaluations, What Works Network, SROI Network, and academic studies from University of Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt University, Queen Margaret University, and Glasgow Caledonian University. Impact metrics often reference indicators employed by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, Scottish Household Survey, Census (United Kingdom), and programme appraisals from European Commission structural fund evaluations.

Regional examples include intermediary arrangements in jurisdictions comparable to Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Shetland Islands Council partnership models, and collaborative networks like Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations' Council, Aberdeen Voluntary Action, Dumfries and Galloway Third Sector Interface, and Falkirk CVS. International analogues and influences are found in structures such as Community Foundations of Canada, Localgiving (England), United Way, Australian Council for International Development, New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services, and municipal support bureaux in cities like Barcelona, Berlin, Toronto, New York City, and Melbourne.

Category:Charities based in Scotland