Background to the State of the Sector 2021 survey
NCVS is co-ordinating this State of the Sector 2021 survey. Data and information collected will contribute to our understanding of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector groups and organisations which provide services and support in Nottingham city. Your group or organisation may operate in wider or other areas, but we expect all completing this survey to currently have (or have had) a presence in Nottingham city in the last two years.
No individual names, organisation names or contact details will be visible in our final report. This information remains confidential to NCVS. Data will be analysed and reported on anonymously.
The survey is designed to explore the extent of VCSE sector activities, the role your organisation plays in the local community, and the challenges you are facing. Questions focus on what has changed in the last two years, as well as looking ahead to the next 12 months.
Update December 2021: Submissions to the survey have now closed. Thank you for your participation. We will be sharing results soon.
Why your involvement matters
The last survey was conducted some time ago, in 2016. With support from Nottingham City Council and other potential partners, we now hope to repeat the survey every two years. Comparing the data from the NCVS 2015/2016 State of the Sector report, we can analyse how our local sector has developed and changed over the last few years.
Regular surveys are important so that we don't miss significant events or trends while there is time to react. These State of the Sector reports provide vital evidence to support continued development, strengthening the sector's influence with commissioners and funders. In turn, this helps strengthen the services available to improve the lives of local people.
We don't need to tell you that the VCSE sector is facing new and unexpected challenges. Nor that we are increasingly being tasked with taking a greater role in supporting the broader impact on social and economic wellbeing of communities, such as mental wellbeing, environmental issues, climate change and social inequalities. Demand for services is ever increasing, with COVID-19 adding additional pressure to an already strained and challenging operating environment.
Nationally, there is a drive to highlight where the ‘health of the sector’ currently is and to support a system level response to development and recovery. We know that one of Nottingham’s greatest assets is its voluntary and community sector and, with your help and insight, we can play a key part in influencing local and national change. We can showcase the excellent and ground-breaking work which is being achieved in Nottingham, highlight positive ways of working, identify barriers and make recommendations for positive change and development.
By completing this survey you can be a voice for change and be part of a report which will help to inform and influence Nottingham's VCSE sector development.
Update December 2021: Submissions to the survey have now closed. Thank you for your participation. We will be sharing results soon.
About the survey questions
There are four sections to the survey, divided over four pages. Please note that the survey must be completed and submitted in one sitting. Unfortunately, it isn't possible to save a partly-completed survey to return to later. We estimate that it will take most groups/organisations approximately 20-30 minutes to complete, depending on the detail you wish to provide.
To assist you, this pdf document is available to download so that you can preview all of the survey questions. You may wish to consider and prepare your answers first, offline. Please then return to the online survey page to enter your answers and submit your response at a time you won't be interrupted.
If you're unable to complete online, or would like further support to complete the survey (e.g. to arrange an interview by telephone instead), please call NCVS on 07564 041495. This is a dedicated phone number for State of the Sector enquiries. You may need to leave a message, including your organisation/group name and your contact details, and NCVS Development Officer, Julie Bowler, will return your call. Alternatively, you can email ncvs@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.
Most questions offer a set of options to choose from (multiple choice), so that we can collect valuable baseline data and report on trends from year to year. Please remember to provide an answer for all questions of this type. A red asterisk indicates when an answer is required. If you miss one of these questions, you will be prompted when you attempt to continue to the next page.
On the final page, please remember to click the 'Submit' button to complete your response. You will then be taken to a confirmation screen, so you will know the survey has completed successfully.
We know how valuable your time is, so we've tried to keep the number of questions asking for a narrative explanation (free text) to a minimum. Throughout the survey, whenever relevant, we invite you to provide additional detail to give context to your answers. We welcome and encourage your comments.
No organisation names, individual names or contact details will be visible in our final report. This information remains confidential to NCVS. Data will be analysed and reported on anonymously.
Update December 2021: Submissions to the survey have now closed. Thank you for your participation. We will be sharing results soon.