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Media Alert - Les Hems comments on Productivity Commission report
By Mei-Ling Ho
February 11, 2010

Les Hems, Director of Research, Centre for Social Impact at the Australian School of Business welcomed the release of the Productivity Commission report on the non-profit sector today.

Mr Hems states:

• "The recommendations will provide a much needed stimulus for the development of an evidence base that will lead to better public policy, more effective practice, and higher levels of social and corporate community investment.

• "The report states that Australian non-profit organisations employ 8 per cent of the paid workforce and contribute $43 billion to Australia's GDP; and also provide the platform for the work of 4.6 million volunteers with a wage equivalent of $15 billion. A sector of this scale needs a robust and sustainable evidence base.

• "Academic institutions - including the Centre for Social Impact - have a crucial role to play in building this evidence base. One of the recommendations tasks the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to formulate an Information Development Plan. To achieve this, the ABS must harness the efforts of the existing network of researchers and help them access resources to expand their research programs.

• "It is also essential that non-profit organisations are actively engaged in the development of the evidence base and that it is not perceived as an imposition on the sector. A considerable amount of the current work of the Centre for Social Impact is focused on engagement and knowledge transfer.

• "Ideally the evidence base should be seen more as a Knowledge Exchange - where non-profit organisations are helping shape the information requirements, contributing information, and most importantly are benefiting from the knowledge created. Whilst the Productivity Commission report acknowledges the role for the internet, it probably does not fully articulate the power and also efficiency of a web based Knowledge Exchange.

• "The report also recommends significant changes to the regulatory and institutional framework of the non-profit sector, including the establishment of a Registrar for Community and Charitable Purpose Organisations, an Office for Nonprofits Sector Engagement, and a Centre for Community Service Effectiveness.

• "The Productivity Commission rightfully acknowledges that these changes will take time to implement and academics can play a key role by building and sharing knowledge that both government and non-profit organisations can use to develop a better understanding of each other. A realistic timescale will also provide an opportunity to test the efficacy of alternative models for regulatory oversight and capacity building.

• "The Centre for Social Impact looks forward to playing an active role in these initiatives going forward.

• "I'd also like to acknowledge the pivotal role of Professor Mark Lyons, the previous Director of Research at the Centre for Social Impact who passed away in November 2009. He devoted himself unstintingly to the development of non-profit studies, and the Australian non-profit sector has been deeply enriched by Mark's work."

The Productivity Commission report on the ‘Contribution of the Not-for-Profit Sector' can be downloaded here

 

Les Hems is available for comment on this statement.

Contact

Les Hems

Director of Research

Centre for Social Impact

UNSW Sydney NSW 2033

Tel: +61 2 9385 9896

Mobile: +61 401 710 41