Can we argue against it? Performance management and state funding of voluntary organizations in the UK

This article examines the implications of recent changes in public management practice for the ways in which voluntary sector performance is understood and measured, focusing in particular on voluntary organizations which are funded by the public sector to provide services. Drawing on a review of existing literature and empirical work, and an analysis of government policy, the article raises a number of problems resulting from the changing policy environment for voluntary organizations working in partnership with the state.