At the recent Compact Annual Meeting, Government Ministers recognised that although the Compact has helped create effective partnerships at national, regional and local levels, more can be done to drive the Compact forward. In particular, Chair of the Compact Working Group Sir Michael Bichard and Charities Minister Fiona Mactaggart called for a greater focus on quality.

Key priorities and targets in the Action Plan for 2004-5 include a new Funding Code to ensure that funding and procurement processes allow voluntary sector providers to concentrate on delivering projects that are value for money and demonstrate proper accountability, and that the Government fully integrates the BME Code and Race Relations Amendment Act in order to engage the sector more thoroughly in departmental policy and programme design.

Bichard said: “The Compact has contributed to real improvements in the relationship between Government and the voluntary and community sector. Challenges remain but through this year’s action plan we will build on the Compact so that we continue to work together to improve the lives of the communities we serve.”

The new Joint Compact Action Plan forms part of the Annual Report, which can be downloaded from www.thecompact.org.uk