APPENDIX 5
CORPORATE VOLUNTARY SECTOR STEERING GROUP (CVSSG)
Draft Terms of Reference and proposed membership
1. Context
The Best Value review of Grants to the Voluntary Sector (2002) concluded that the provision of grants should be clearly embedded within a corporate strategy, linked to the achievement of corporate objectives as set out in the
City Plan, in Civic Renewal and in the Best Value Performance Plan.
Consultation with Members and Chief Officers indicated the need to ensure corporate oversight and a more joined up approach to funding and supporting the voluntary and community sector. This was reflected in the review team’s recommendation to develop the role of the Corporate Voluntary Sector
Steering Group (CVSSG).
2. Remit of the CVSSG
The group will function at a strategic level. The group will be supported by an operational officer sub-group. The remit of the group is as follows:

To provide corporate oversight for funding and supporting the voluntary sector

To ensure that departmental funding priorities meet and achieve corporate objectives

To act as an internal co-ordinating and scrutiny panel for the assessment and award of grants
The CVSSG is not responsible for final decisions regarding the award of grants. This responsibility rests with the Cabinet Member for Leisure and
Lifelong Learning and the Cabinet Member for Social and Community
Services.
3. Proposed Membership of the CVSSG
Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning (Chair)
Cabinet Member for Social and Community Services
Assistant Director: Lifelong Learning
Assistant Director: Social and Community Services
Corporate Grants Manager
Chief Executive of Voluntary Action Westminster
The Chief Executive of Voluntary Action Westminster (VAW) is proposed as a member of the CVSSG on the grounds of openness, transparency and partnership working. There will however be natural limitations to the role of the Chief Executive of VAW with regard to those matters that relate to:

Confidential business of the City Council

Grant applications from VAW
1

Proposed Membership of Corporate Voluntary Sector Officers Group
(CVSOG)
Corporate Grants Manager (Chair)
Senior Contracts Manager, Social and Community Services
Corporate Grants Officers x 2
Chief Executive of Voluntary Action Westminster
4. Key tasks
The key tasks of the CVSSG are (subject to any necessary final Cabinet
Member approval):

To review and agree the corporate strategy for funding and working with the voluntary sector at least every three years.

To oversee the development of a corporate resource strategy, incorporating rental agreements, rate agreements and grant awards and to ensure that this strategy is linked with the overall strategy.

To oversee and review annually, planned grant expenditure across the
City Council

To review and agree corporate funding priorities at least every three years.

To evaluate and review annually the effectiveness of grant-aid in supporting the achievement of corporate and strategic objectives

To scrutinise grant application assessments and to ensure that criteria for awards are applied consistently across departments

To maintain and develop links with key partners and funding opportunities through the Local Strategic Partnership
The key tasks of the CVSOG are:

To maintain and develop common internal protocols and procedures in the assessment and awards of grants

To develop detailed criteria for corporate funding priorities

To ensure that applications for grants are assessed objectively and consistently across departments

To ensure that appropriate outputs and outcomes are agreed with voluntary organisations in receipt of grants

To monitor and the effectiveness of grant-aid in achieving corporate objectives
5. Meetings
As the Grants Service will be implementing a new assessment process for the awards of grants from April 2003 the CVSSG will convene and hold its first meeting in September 2002 to agree the principles and process for the assessments.
Thereafter the CVSSG will meet three times a year:
2

April

To review and agree the corporate strategy for funding and working with the voluntary sector as necessary

To review planned grant-aid expenditure across the City Council

To review and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of grant-aid in achieving corporate objectives

To agree detailed criteria for funding priorities as necessary
November

To scrutinise and agree initial grant application assessments ensuring that initial recommendations meet corporate priorities and that assessment criteria for awards have been applied consistently across departments

To review, and if necessary, propose adjustments to planned grant-aid expenditure and adjustments to the allocation of expenditure across and within departments to match funding priorities
February

To oversee and scrutinise final grant application assessments and draft funding agreements ensuring that recommendations for funding awards meet corporate priorities and that assessment criteria for awards have been applied consistently across departments

To ensure that recommendations for grant funding are co-ordinated with rental and rate agreements, maximising the effectiveness of the City
Council’s resources
The CVSOG will meet monthly.
3