Charities Evaluation Services has announced that it will be partnering with Wales Council for Voluntary Action to establish a framework for good governance in Wales.

The project, which is supported by Big Lottery Wales, will see the adoption of the PQASSO (Practical Quality Assurance System for Small Organisations) quality mark by CES for Welsh third sector organisations.

CES and WCVA are partnering for the five-year project to establish a framework of good governance and quality improvement in Wales. They will conduct research to identify changes that may have to be made to the PQASSO standards to ensure they address Welsh conditions.

Mentors in PQASSO will be recruited and trained in Wales to help support organisations to implement the quality standard. Based across Wales, they will be able to provide support locally, while the mentors will provide training and guidance to organisations implementing PQASSO and help prepare them for external accreditation.

Some organisations will have access to a bursary fund to help cover the costs of external assessment for the PQASSO Quality Mark.

PQASSO, CES’s quality standard, which is used by more than 15,000 voluntary and community organisations throughout the UK, was developed by and for the third sector, to address its specific needs. It covers all aspects of an organisation, from governance to service delivery and monitoring outcomes and impact.

WCVA, the umbrella body for the 30,000 Welsh voluntary groups, today announced that its chief executive, Graham Benfield OBE, will be retiring having been in the position since 1989.