Pro Bono Economics (PBE), in collaboration with the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence (ESCoE), is to conduct a feasibility study and develop a preliminary framework for a civil society satellite account.

This satellite account would allow data to be aggregated to better understand the economic value of the sector.

The research is funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and will include conceptual and practical work, including research into definitions, data sources and user needs.

The decision by DCMS to commission PBE and ESCoE follows from a commitment in the government response to the Kruger report to improve evidence and data, including through bringing together economic data on the value of the social economy.

It follows multiple calls in recent years for the creation of a statistical satellite account for the sector. In July 2021, the Law Family Commission on Civil Society, carried out by PBE, called for its creation in order to develop transparent, credible and internationally comparable data on the economic and employment contribution from the sector.

Last month, PBE’s Chief Economist Jon Franklin and ESCoE Topic Lead Josh Martin published a paper on the output and productivity of the non-profit sector, which the new feasibility study will build on.

The work commences immediately and will run until February 2023.