Breaking the silence of civil society

 By Thomas Hawk

There's a conspiracy of silence out there in 'civil society'. Small community groups, middle-sized charities, big voluntary organisations – they're all buttoning their lips as they watch the chancellor hack great chunks out of public services.

The communities they are anchored in are increasingly hard-pressed. The social problems they care about are more acute than ever. The people they try to serve are getting poorer and more beleaguered. Yet their outrage (in public) is muted.

Why? Their own funds are dwindling fast. Their only hope is to get a piece of the action that is called the 'big society': a contract, with money attached. Up and down the country, vast numbers of admirable, selfless organisations, dedicated to building a better world, are straining every muscle to find out what the big society consists of and how to be caught in its bountiful embrace. They want to do more of what they do well. They fear that if they vent their anger against the government's economic policies, they will be left out in the cold and die.

But for almost all small groups and charities, the big society is a competition they can't enter fairly, let alone win. It's not a flutter for small fry. It's a big, fat fight. 'Any willing provider' can throw a hat in the ring and bid to take over the functions of the once-public realm. But you need lawyers and accountants and well-seasoned purveyors of customised blarney. You need experience in writing tender documents and evidence that you can deliver to the required scale and specifications.

The government has plans to support community-based groups so that they can enter in the race. Civil society organisations are urged (in Cabinet Office parlance) to search online for toolkits and resources, to follow signposts to infrastructure services, access skills from pro bono volunteers, apply for bursaries; to merge, grow and become more entrepreneurial. But hang on a minute. Surely most people get involved in community-based groups and charities because it's optional, informal, friendly and fun. This sounds like forced voluntarism: conditional, formalised, complicated and hard graft.

Meanwhile, who's got teams of experts and rich stores of relevant experience? Paul Pindar, chief executive of Capita, leading contractor for outsourced government business, told the Financial Times he was "eagerly anticipating the forthcoming age of austerity" and expected "some relatively quick wins" for his company. No kidding.

The doors are wide open for Capita, United Health, Serco, Accenture, KPMG, Price Waterhouse Coopers and Deloitte to take over state functions – be it accounting, auditing, IT and management, or running entire services in health, social care, education, employment, benefits and housing.

The muted outrage of the non-profit sector means there is much less political noise than there ought to be about the wanton destruction of the welfare state. It's a gift to the big corporates. Not only do they enjoy an overwhelming advantage in the competition for contracts. They can also relax in the silence.

This article was orignally published by Guardian Professional Public Leaders Network.