I know SIB News’ US readers who are working for a better world often express surprise at the negativity of the situation elsewhere but here is a good example of how innuendo is now deployed to slow PFS by its entrenched UK opponents and indeed stop the dreadful (to them anyway) issue of NGO sinecures involving responsibility and management of delivery…
Freeths
We read with interest in Third Sector before Easter of Cabinet Office setting up a centre of excellence to boost social impact bonds.
Apparently the “Government Outcomes Lab” has been established in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University to speed up the development of social impact bonds and to encourage innovative public sector commissioning.
The partnership between the Cabinet Office and the university will run for five years and will develop research and provide practical support to the third sector.
Apparently, the Government Outcomes Lab will enter an “intensive phase of design and recruitment”, including the appointment of a new director.
Rob Wilson, the Minister for Civil Society, said: “SIBs represent a revolution in the way government can deliver public services. They generate huge potential savings for the taxpayer, the prospect of increased revenues for charities and social enterprises and returns to social investors.
“The Government Outcomes Lab will give local authorities the support they need to develop more SIBs more quickly and build a centre of research excellence within the UK. It will continue our world leadership in this area and help us to build a truly compassionate society.”
Professor Ngaire Woods, dean of the Blavatnik School of Government, said: “Governments everywhere will benefit from research, data and training that helps them to focus on outcomes and to work better with the private and not-for-profit sectors.
“The partnership with the Cabinet Office brings the strength and momentum of the Blavatnik School of Government together with a powerful transformative initiative in the UK government.”
This is all great.
However, we have been told of at least one instance recently where charities have been delivering an important project financed by a social impact bond and hitting all the milestone in accordance with Government requirements.