A new report, Mapping Third Sector quality sector standards and the Compact, has found the Compact to be complementary to third sector quality standards.

Quality standards tend to be assessment tools that help organisations look at what they do, identify areas where they are doing well and not so well, and decide where improvements need to be made. Many third sector organisations choose to adopt quality standards to help them run their organisations effectively and efficiently.

The research, which was carried out by Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) on behalf of the Commission for the Compact, looked at eight quality standards and how they relate to the Compact.

The eight quality standards which were selected to be mapped against the Compact included: ACRE Good Practice Quality Standard, Hallmarks of an Effective Charity, investing in Volunteers Standard, Investors in People Standard, NAVCA Quality Award, PQASSO, Quality First and VISIBLE.

The main findings from the report show:

A high level of similarity between Compact principles and quality standards.

A similarity between the Compact and the quality standards across partnerships, volunteering, fundraising and external funding, and strategic leadership and management.

That various factors were found to influence the relationship between the Compact and the quality standards including language and structure

 To view a copy of the Summary Leaflet see below.  http://www.thecompact.org.uk/files/137619/FileName/MappingThirdSectorReportSUMMARYLEAFLET.pdf

or for the full report http://www.thecompact.org.uk