How the vision is shared

Published on 29 Jul 2008

Have you ever wondered whether your responses to surveys and consultations actually make a difference? If they’re ours, yes. Not only do they make a difference, but we seek your views specifically in order to inform our planning processes and refine our areas of work.

Your feedback to us, through surveys, consultations, breakfast meetings, member days, training sessions and the myriad other ways we come into contact with each other shapes the work we do now and the way we plan for the future. That is why we have extensive consultations with our members and key stakeholders.

Tell us

As always, we need your input on these, so if you do have comments or suggestions, please email them to Una McKernan by 5 September 2008. Alternatively you can telephone 028 9087 7777 or write to Una at NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast BT15 2GB.

We seek meetings with key funders and take note of the impact on the sector of devolved government and local political changes so that we can represent and promote the sector effectively.

As part of this process, we have refreshed our vision, mission and values, together with our strategic objectives, which you can see below. Do you think these are the right ones? Or do you think we've left something out that should be included?

Ensure our vision is a shared vision and reflects the views of our members and the wider sector as closely as possible.

Vision

NICVA’s vision is of an effective, vibrant voluntary and community sector which helps build a fair and equal society.

Mission

NICVA's mission is to represent and promote the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland and to provide leadership on its behalf.

Values

NICVA is committed to equality, justice and promoting diversity and opposes discrimination of any sort.
NICVA is an independent organisation which is non party political.
NICVA supports local communities to tackle disadvantage and work for positive social change to address poverty and exclusion.
NICVA values partnerships and adopts a community development approach to its work.
NICVA will strive for excellence in all that it does in order to provide high quality services.
NICVA conducts its business in an open, honest, transparent and accountable way to its members and stakeholders.
NICVA strives to represent the interests of the voluntary and community sector to all other parties and provide leadership to the sector in areas that fall within its competence.
NICVA values its staff and volunteers as the key resource of the organisation.
NICVA is committed to pursuing sustainable development.

Strategic Theme 1

To support voluntary and community organisations to work effectively to meet the needs of their users.

Strategic objectives

1. To explore and develop support services to assist voluntary and community organisations in a changing funding and political environment.

2. To support organisations to adjust to the implementation of the charity commission.

3. To facilitate the sector to consider mergers, collaboration and funding diversification to ensure best use of their resources.

4. To provide advice, information and training to assist organisations to operate more effectively.

Strategic Theme 2

To support voluntary and community organisations in using their experience to influence policy to effect social change.

Strategic objectives

5. To assist voluntary and community organisations to develop skills and capacity to effectively engage in policy work.

6. To strengthen the legitimacy of the voluntary and community sector to increase its influence in policy decisions.

7. To work to ensure the inclusion of the voluntary and community sector in governance structures to contribute the sectors’ experience to decision making.