What’s in a name?
Collaboration, partnership, cooperation. These are easy words to put on paper. Living up to them is much harder.
As SCVO recent research findings show: partnership matters. It matters because we all want the best for people and communities across Scotland. It matters because we can learn from one another and improve the way we work. And, frankly, it matters because the challenges we face are too complex for any one sector to tackle alone.
In our 2026 Scottish Parliament election manifesto Scotland's Essential Sector, we called for the next Scottish Government, its agencies and bodies, to commit to a new, formalised relationship with the voluntary sector. This was the result of extensive engagement with you all. In June we welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to a Third Sector Partnership, and the impetus shown in progressing this agenda so soon after the election with a parliamentary debate on 'Strengthening Scotland's Partnership with the Third Sector'.
As the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing pointed out during the debate:
‘As one of our key partners, the third sector directly contributes to the Government’s four missions. What sets the third sector apart is its deep knowledge of communities, which makes it uniquely placed to identify and deliver real solutions. That knowledge cannot be replicated by any Government, national or local.’
Co-design and genuine partnership must be at the heart of both the agreement and the process behind it. SCVO has consistently made this case, so we were pleased to see Ms Somerville identify it as essential to achieving the ‘strategic partnership of equals’ she is advocating for.
Over the summer, we've continued to work with civil servants to develop more of our asks (as elaborated in this paper). It was also encouraging to hear the First Minister reinforce their importance at the Charity Leaders Conference earlier this month, where he spoke about the partnership agreement as a way to build deeper relationships and support better policymaking. We understand that next steps and further details will be shared by the government this autumn.
The challenges facing the voluntary sector and public bodies in Scotland are numerous and significant: constrained finances, rising demand for services and staff burnout, to name just a few. This can paint a bleak picture. To tackle it, we must pull together, as well as understand and value each other’s strengths. Trust must be earned, learning and power must be shared, and trade-offs will have to be negotiated. But, with the right people in the room, these challenges can become opportunities for us all.
Too often voluntary organisations remain an afterthought despite the essential role they play in Scotland’s society and economy. A partnership agreement will not solve every challenge. But it is a necessary step towards a different way of working: one built on trust, mutual respect and a shared commitment to better outcomes for people and communities.
Most importantly, it offers a way forward and these days that is very much needed. In her speech in June, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP rightly acknowledged that:
‘The Government will formalise the relationship to demonstrate the value that we place in third sector bodies, not simply as service providers but as partners in shaping, informing and delivering. That ambition forms the foundations of our third sector partnership agreement.’
So what's in a name? Quite a lot, actually. Because when "partnership" moves beyond rhetoric and becomes reality, it has the potential to change how Scotland tackles its biggest challenges.
