EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Aims and objectives
This review provides an overview and evaluation of the literature and research evidence dealing with the third sector in Scotland. It draws on more than one hundred pieces of evidence. It focuses on material relating to the contribution of the third sector's work to the Scottish Government's five Strategic Objectives: Wealthier and Fairer, Smarter, Healthier, Safer and Stronger, and Greener.
The overall aim of the study was 'to review the research evidence and assess the current contribution of the third sector to the Scottish Government's purpose and priorities'.
The review's objectives were to:
- Review the recent research evidence on the third sector in Scotland and identify how it contributes to the Scottish Government's five Strategic Objectives
- Identify areas where evidence suggests that the third sector is having an impact, but where it is not aligned to government objectives
- Identify key gaps in the research evidence
- Make recommendations as to how the gaps in the research evidence might be addressed
Overview and contribution
The literature indicates that there can be little doubt that the third sector makes a significant contribution to economic and social life in Scotland. The work of third sector organisations also has an important role in contributing to the Scottish Government's five Strategic Objectives. It is important to note, however, that the evidence relating to the impact of the third sector often cuts across a number of these objectives. Indeed, the cross-cutting nature of its work can be taken as a great strength of the third sector in Scotland.
The evidence we have identified points to a diversity of impact of the third sector. Our study outlines examples of the sector's economic contribution, its role in service provision, and the work of third sector organisations in identifying and responding to emerging social problems.
The existing research is varied. We identified a great deal of material emanating from the public sector, and the third sector itself, that provided evidence to support the third sector's impact. However, we identified little scholarly literature, and noticed a tendency to marginalise Scotland in favour of a broader discussion of the UK in the work that we did encounter. Running throughout the different themes of third sector work, we identified particularly strong themes of literature relating to the rural third sector, and to social enterprise, with a range of different sources of material highlighting the contribution of the third sector through these areas. A number of gaps in the evidence base were identified. In most cases, these gaps are due to a lack of rigorous research evidence. There is often no body of research available and little cross referencing between studies on similar themes,
Overarching gaps:
- Lack of scholarly literature
- Most studies do not consider conceptual issues
- There was a UK (or English) focus in much of the relevant research evidence
- Variable research quality
- Relatively low number of large-scale datasets
- We identified little literature on international impact of Scottish third sector activity
- Lack of a developed conceptual basis
Wealthier and Fairer:Enable businesses and people to increase their wealth and more people to share fairly in that wealth
Of all the Strategic Objectives, Wealthier and Fairer was subject to the most attention in the literature. A significant amount of material was relevant to this objective, including several large-scale datasets, such as the Voluntary Sector Statistics collected by the SCVO, and the Scottish Household Survey. However, variations in definition and scope lead to distinctions in research findings. We identified particularly strong themes of literature relating to the third sector workforce, and its economic contribution, although there are few qualitative studies of employees' experience. The contribution of credit unions to financial sustainability and tackling financial exclusion was also evident. There is literature distinguishing between urban and rural Scotland, although rural Scotland is often marginalised, and an emerging theme of work relating to the impact of the third sector and the recession; although this was in need of further development. There is also a growing body of work on enterprise although this could be further developed.
Smarter:Expand opportunities for Scots to succeed from nurture through to life long learning ensuring higher and more widely shared achievements
A wide range of material was thematically relevant to this Strategic Objective, in part due to the cross-cutting nature of much of the work available. However, despite the wide range of literature available the body of research is not extensive, covering a wide range of issues without always providing the depth of analysis needed to illustrate the sector's impact. There is little scholarly literature and a UK focus to much of the existing material.
We identified strong themes of literature relating to the third sector's role in education provision, and its contribution to early years childcare, lifelong learning, facilitating access to learning, and promoting access to employment. However, the literature on adult numeracy is underdeveloped. Overall, there is a need for more methodologically sound research in this field.
Healthier:Help people to sustain and improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local and faster access to health care
This Strategic Objective has been subject to a great deal of policy attention, and this is reflected in the wide range of material available. The strongest themes of material we identified related to the significant role played by third sector organisations in health policy, healthcare provision, health promotion (although the evidence here would benefit from further development), children and parental wellbeing, substance misuse, and sport, health and wellbeing. There is little work on multi-agency partnerships, particularly Community Health Partnerships. A greater discrete focus on the third sector is needed as third sector organisations were often not the direct focus of the studies we identified
Safer and Stronger
Help local communities to flourish, becoming stronger, safer places to live, offering improved opportunities and a better quality of life
In all, the evidence base relating to this Strategic Objective is comparatively strong. We identified, however a wide variation in research quality, and a lack of scholarly literature. There was a wide range of material available but it should be noted that the scope of the objective contributed to the broad range of literature that related to this objective.
We identified clear themes of evidence relating to housing and homelessness, equalities groups, the third sector and the arts, and advocacy work. Research in this area tends to focus on specific themes, such as the arts, rather than collecting data on a range of relevant areas, suggesting that cross-cutting work is needed.
Greener
Improve Scotland's natural and built environment and the sustainable use and enjoyment of it
Of all the Strategic Objectives this was subject to the least attention in the literature, and overall this area of the third sector's work would benefit from greater research attention. Although there were a number of clear areas where the material indicated a significant contribution from the third sector, we felt that the depth of evidence in this area could be developed, with more studies exploring the themes we have identified here. This area did include, however, a relatively large scholarly literature.
Despite this, it was clear that the third sector carried out significant work in this area. We identified clear themes of evidence relating to environmental volunteering, community recycling, and land management and heritage. Important gaps are the lack of broad, national studies, and statistics on environmental volunteering.
Conclusions
Overall, there is clear evidence underpinning the contribution of the third sector to each of the Strategic Objectives. There is evidence of an important contribution to wealthier and fairer and to smarter. There is a range of evidence on safer and stronger and on healthier - although as noted there are some important gaps. The contribution is hardest to assess in relation to the greener objective.
There were also some areas of research that did not fit discretely with any one objective. Typically these related to overarching trends in government policy, or to issues such as definition.
Our study therefore presents a mandate for future research. The weight of evidence underlining the contribution made by the third sector in Scotland is overwhelming. However, in order to fully understand the sector's contribution, the gaps indicated above need to be addressed.
Acknowledgements
This literature review represents an attempt to synthesise a selection of the extensive literature and research on the third sector in Scotland, a country with a rich tradition of philanthropy and voluntary action. Given the focus of much of the scholarly literature on England, we were very aware of the dangers of writing it from London, albeit with several research trips to Edinburgh. Consequently, we are extremely grateful to the many organisations that helped to reduced the distance by giving up their time to talk to us about the third sector in Scotland, identify new sources of material and offer encouragement.
We owe a particular debt to the Research Advisory Group, and especially Ruchir Shah of SCVO, for their guidance and support throughout the process. We would also like to thank Professor Pete Alcock and Dr Rob MacMillan of the Third Sector Research Centre for their advice early in the review.
Finally, we would like to thank Alix Rosenberg and Louise Scott at the Local Government and Public Service Reform Team of the Scottish Government for their tireless efforts. Their advice, support and patience were very much appreciated.
Any errors or omissions are ours alone.
Rod Dacombe
Stephen Bach
King's College London