Managing Change In Voluntary Organizations

This is a book about how voluntary organizations cope with the relentless demands of change - the 'contract culture', service delivery, the 'professionalization' of the voluntary sector, the 'new managerialism'. It focuses on the needs of voluntary organizations as they confront the absorption of their provision into mainstream care services; the need to adopt business methods in their internal organization and external relationships; and the development of policies and procedures to ensure the provision of quality services. Nigel Gann provides many examples of good working practice, as well as an exploration of the key issues involved in 'quality' management. Managing Change in Voluntary Organizations examines: * What must be the characteristics of management within the modern service culture * How voluntary organizations can protect the ethics of 'voluntariness', while competing with the private and public sectors in the market-place * What policies and procedures a voluntary organization can adopt in order to ensure a quality service to its clients * What a voluntary organization must do in order to survive and prosper in the twenty-first century Trustees, paid workers and volunteers will find the book of practical value, while the national and long-term implications of change in the voluntary sector will be of concern to local authorities, students of social policy and organizational behaviour, and others concerned with the privatization of care services.

Table of Contents:
Introduction the nature of voluntary organizations Towards a contract culture People and change Planning for growth The management of voluntary organizations A commitment to quality The future of the voluntary sector References Index.

About the Author :
Nigel Gann trained as a teacher and worked in secondary community education to headteacher level. He has been Research Fellow at Leicester and Southampton Universities, and consultant to the BBC Open University on two series of programmes. In 1986, he became first General Manager of a unique community centre managed by local people, providing education, social welfare and leisure facilities. Since 1989 he has run his own consultancy, working with local authorities, voluntary organizations and schools. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Review :
"...a useful reference for anyone with an interest in running a small voluntary organisation in the 1990s." - Health Service Journal "...there is much useful information in this book and it provides a helpful signpost to the hesitant explorer." - Community Care