Policy Centre welcomes report on the value of the third sector

The Policy Centre Jersey aims to improve the quality of the discussion on public policy issues. It therefore warmly welcomes the publication of the report The value of Jersey’s third sector by PwC and the Jersey Community Foundation.

There are some key conclusions in the report relevant to public policy. The third sector has a wealth of information relevant to key public policy issues, but 44% of respondents to the survey either never or rarely engage with public policymakers. Of those which do engage, only a third believe their engagement with elected officials or public policymakers has a moderate or significant positive impact, indicating a disconnect between those delivering services and policymakers and government.

However, third sector institutions need to collect and present data in a way that is useful to policymakers. The report is right to conclude that “Trusted and impartial data collection and reporting allows organisations to systematically gather and analyse information about their operations, programmes, outcomes and impacts”. It also facilitates effective engagement with elected members and policymakers.

The Policy Centre is keen to work with third sector organisations, using their data and experience to help inform the public policy debate in a way that facilitates effective policy making. Our report Low income of Jersey provides a good starting point.

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