Improving our performance: a strategy for the voluntary and community sector is the first of four strategies to be published that will feed into the Government's Capacity and Infrastructure Framework, which is being drawn up in response to the Treasury's Cross Cutting Review of the sector in 2003.

Recommendations within the strategy, published by the Quality Standards Task Group, include that:

• Funders should make sufficient provision in grants and contracts to enable voluntary organisations to use performance improvement measures
• Support for small voluntary and community organisations should exist locally to help them with performance improvement implementation
• A national resource should be set up to help influence the practice of funders, analyse existing materials and oversee the implementation of the strategy.

"Current sector performance is impressive, but it still needs to improve further," said Ian Bruce at Cass Business School, who chaired the independent steering group that drew up the strategy. "Our users' and members' expectations are rising; government is expecting more of us; and commissioners, other funders and regulators are demanding improved value for money."

The full report is available through the NCVO website www.ncvo-vol.org.uk