Novas Scarman, Community Matters, The Young Foundation and others are developing a new website with online materials to help grassroots take community action. They are asking for people in the voluntary and community sector to complete a survey before the 29th September 2011.

Barings Foundation has set up a panel to carry out a five-year investigation into the independence of the VCS. The panel has produced its first report and is inviting responses by the 21st September 2011 to help form a report into the state of independence later on in the year.

The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has published Best Value Statutory Guidance replacing the Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities Guidance, to be followed by steps to repeal the Duty to Involve and the Duty to Prepare a Sustainable Community Strategy. It retains the Duty to Consult in commissioning and new requirements for local authorities when making funding decisions affecting voluntary and community sector (VCS) groups including an expectation that authorities should consider social value and not just monetary value.

The government published its long awaited plans for opening up public services to competitive tendering with the Open Public Services White Paper: they have invited responses before 30th September 2011. See Urban Forum's briefing summarising the proposals and further discussion of the issues raised in our first online edition of Clearway magazine.