Third sector in transformation

This is not the first time that the European third sector has been analysed but the research paper presented in Madrid this November aims to to do so in a different key to what has been published in the past.

European Models in the Evolution of Social Third Sector was presented at Caja Madrid’s La Casa Encendida. This report addresses the cases of Italy, Britain, France and Germany and focuses on the historical background of the third sector, its actors, the social protection system of each country, the current situation, the factors of change and an analysis of the present trends and opportunities taking into account the context in which we live. These results are complemented by a description of the future challenges facing the sector in Spain. All research was  carried out by Fundación Luis Vives and Antares Consulting, an expert consultant on strategy and management of social services in collaboration with Caja Madrid and the European Social Fund.

The Director of the Social Action Department of Caja Madrid, Maria Fernanda Ayán San Jose and Paula Prado Cisneros, Managing Director of the Fundación Luis Vives, were in charge of opening the event. For Ayan, this study comes at “a difficult time,” in which we must go for “the partnership between public and private entities in order to achieve understanding and sustainability of the actions of the Third Sector”. Cisneros Paula has advocated use the publication as a “tool for extracting learning.” “We are seeing a transformation of the sector across Europe and this study allows us to interpret it,” said Cisneros. 

Yolanda Rueda Falcon, Senior Manager of Antares Consulting, in charge of research, presented the methodology used and the context in addition to the objectives of the study summarized in “conducting a detailed map of the sector, identifying the main key as well as the barriers they face, and the approach of some of the trends in the sector in Spain. “

Ricard Valls Riera, director of this research project focused instead on the conclusions. To explain the European scenario, Valls looked back on the key historical developments in each country, the momentum from the outsourcing of public services – “has not been translated into a defined strategy to support the Administration” – and as consolidation greater knowledge of the sector of its own peculiarities. Valls also appreciated the growing professionalism of the Third Sector and pointed as challenges to value the work performed and results measurement

Challenges in the Spanish case

Renes Victor Ayala, experts participating in the study and director of the Spanish Journal of the Third Sector, has drawn the biggest challenges facing the Third Sector in Spain come from “growth and consolidation experienced in years 90 and awareness of the sector itself as an agent of social recognition. “

To Renes, there are four challenges facing the nonprofit sector, even in times of crisis, and that the second edition of the Yearbook of the Third Sector in Spain, which is being developed, could help clear: the future of welfare state reformulate the presence of the social sector itself, the increasing importance of the role lucrative search of value added and, finally, the questions themselves that the sector has about himself and that “the outlook for the current crisis more urgent than ever to respond”.

To find out more: www.fundacionluisvives.org