Scoping report
BIG as a Policy Actor: Exploring the BIG's impact on third sector policy and practice
The Third Sector Research Centre, at the University of Birmingham, is working with the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) to explore perceptions of BIG’s impact on the strategic development of the Third Sector. The project has been co-funded by BIG and TSRC.
Although only representing a small proportion of charities’ overall income, BIG has been recognised as an important source of third sector funding. During the current period of public sector cuts its significance is likely to increase. Achieving outcomes for the third sector itself has never been an explicit aim of BIG, but given its significance, it is likely to have had considerable - albeit unanticipated - outcomes and impacts on the sector.
This project will explore these issues, viewing BIG as a ‘policy actor’ in order to assess its intended and unintended impact on the strategic development and operation of the third sector. The project will also explore how and why BIG’s approach to the third sector has developed over time and the implications of this.
The research has three key themes:
- Charting the development of BIG’s approach to the third sector;
- Exploring the perceived impact of BIG on the strategic development of the third sector and third sector organisations;
- Identifying future priorities and directions.
The research involves two stages. The scoping phase (now complete) involved interviews with BIG staff and a literature review. The main stage includes interviews and focus groups with a range of stakeholders within BIG, the third sector, government and other funders, and an online survey of grant recipients in third sector organisations.
The scoping report is now available.
Research contacts:
Angela Ellis Paine, Rebecca Taylor and Pete Alcock