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ComVoices State of the Sector Survey

The main survey findings include:

Service delivery

69 percent of organisations report more people are using their services than two years ago (65 percent in 2016), but only 31.5 percent (34 percent in 2016) have more staff than two years ago.
5 percent are doing more work than specified in contracts (68 percent in 2016).
The needs of clients and the community are becoming increasingly complex. As a result, service provision is becoming more challenging and time-intensive.

Financial pressures

34 percent of organisations were unable to offer staff a wage increase in the last two years (42 percent in 2016).
One organisation is facing closure and 10 are worried about their financial viability. Nearly half the organisations are struggling to make ends meet – an increase from 33 percent in 2016.
Half the organisations are using their reserves to help fund service delivery, and half of those will only be able to sustain this for one more year or less.
The sector is highly reliant on grants, donations and central government funding. Nearly 45 percent of respondents are seeking to support themselves by generating their own income.

Organisational pressures

The sector continues to undergo restructuring, with 44 percent of organisations saying they have restructured in the past two years. Restructuring is often carried out to change or improve the way an organisation works, or to improve its financial position.
Half the organisations say the specifications in their government contracts have changed significantly over the past two years. This can result in additional compliance requirements and costs, without additional funding.
Forty percent of organisations say the contract changes have not benefitted them.