Policy impact

Internal evaluation of LVSC Policy team 2012

LVSC has conducted an internal evaluation of its Policy team's work in 2011-12. This includes a summary of the impacts of the team's work. Thank you to all those who completed our survey that fed into the report's findings. 

LVSC internal evaluation report 2012 

 

Evaluation report 2011

An independent  evaluation of the Policy team's work was also published in April 2011.

LVSC policy and knowledge evaluation

This attempted to measure the team's economic and social impacts.

Economic impact

The evaluation found that:

"Without LVSC, dedicated policy and knowledge posts would need to be created, or individual organisations would need to devote more time to gathering and disseminating information, consulting on policy, contributing to policy consultations and coordinating responses.  It is possible to ascribe an approximate financial value to this.  The evaluators estimate the cost of this to be in the region of £1.5million per annum, compared with LVSC's 2009/10 expenditure on policy and knowledge work of £550,000 (including staff salaries, office costs and overheads).  LVSC's policy and knowledge work represents substantial value for money."

Social impact

The evaluation reported:

"LVSC works at a strategic level, where the chains of impact may be very extended.  By contributing to policy, securing representation to have influence, and getting more and better consultation, it has a central role in creating an environment in which VCS organisations at many levels are enabled to create and have greater impact on communities, organisations, families and individuals. 

"The evaluation shows that LVSC has had some important impacts in terms of policy changes and improvements, enabling more direct consultation with the VCS, facilitating statutory bodies to consult with the VCS and gaining representation on a range of strategic bodies and partnerships.  This has included enabling the voices of VCS service users to be better heard.  

"These impacts have been felt in health inequalities, employment and skills, migration and children's services.  LVSC has been and remains an important player in pan-London funding of the VCS.  These impacts underline the value of LVSC's policy and knowledge work to member organisations and policy makers alike.  This has led to a policy environment in London which is more responsive to the needs and views of Londoners the VCS serves."

Voluntary Sector Forum campaign 2010-11: evaluation

LVSC has also evaluated the impact of the Voluntary Sector Forum (VSF) campaign (2010-11) against cuts to the London Borough Grants Scheme which funds cross-borough and pan-London voluntary and community sector services and is managed and administered by London Councils.