1. Hostedby:
Fundedby:
Is the third sector being
overwhelmed by the state and
the market?
thirdsectorfutures.org.uk/
Heather Buckingham, James Rees
and Simon Teasdale

2. State control vs. Marketisation?
State
Market Informal
Third

3. Moving towards market and state?
State
Market Informal
Third

4. Summary
• Increasing influence of state on TSOs
– Increased monitoring requirements
– Standardisation…but also emphasis on
measurable outcomes
• …Coupled with marketisation
– Increased competition between providers
– Emphasis on minimising costs
– Changes in provider mix – esp. in Work
Programme, where TSOs are subordinated to
(largely private) Primes

5. Summary
• However, influence of markets is not always
mediated by the state…. e.g. social enterprise
• TS is not being suddenly or comprehensively
overwhelmed by state and/or market
• But, a relatively small proportion of TSOs do
rely heavily on govt/commercial income
• Competing in markets changes TSOs’
behaviour – collaboration, innovation,
mission drift

6. Concluding thoughts…
State
Market Informal
Third
What about the
relationship with
the informal
sector?
What about the
third sector’s
influence on the
state and
markets?
Does
it make sense to
talk about a
third/voluntary
sector?
Which organisations
are least involved in
relations with the
state?