Since 2005, the Department of Public Gain at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy has prepared Reports on the implementation of the Act on Public Benefit and Volunteer Work. Regular monitoring of cooperation between public administration and NGOs provides a basis for conclusions on the implementation of the Act.

Monitoring of cooperation between public administration bodies and public benefit organisations provides necessary information for preparation of strategic documents. The data gathered so far also significantly contributes to the monitoring of implementation of the Operational Programme Human Capital 2007-2013, Strategy of Support of Civil Society for 2009-2015, The Civil Society Operational Programme 2009-2013 and the task-oriented budget. Moreover, the study constitutes also a valuable source of information for persons and institutions interested in cooperation between public administration and the third sector. Reports on the implementation of the Act on Public Benefit and Volunteer Work are used e.g. by universities, government and territorial self-government offices, NGOs, libraries and other institutions and persons interested in the subject; they are also available at the Department’s website: www.pozytek.gov.pl .

Monitoring is a reporting study. The questionnaire addressed to all territorial self-government and government administration offices in Poland includes questions regarding e.g. financial and non-financial cooperation, programmes of cooperation with NGOs and volunteer work in public administration.

Such report presents data regarding financial cooperation, i.e. commissioning public tasks under open tender competition and under other procedures (number of competitions, number of bids, number of signed contracts, number of multiannual contracts, amount of contributed funds and the volume of resources from Structural Funds). It also presents information on the number of terminated or cancelled contracts and the reasons for their cancellation, and lists public benefit areas where tasks are most often commissioned. Moreover, the report includes data providing insight into financial plans of offices for the next year in terms of commissioning tasks to NGOs or other public benefit entities. The report also constitutes a valuable source of knowledge about the non-financial cooperation, including data on providing access to real property on special conditions, operation of common advisory and initiative teams, consultation of draft legal acts, mutual notification of the planned measures, as well as other non-financial forms of cooperation. The questionnaire also includes questions regarding the programme of cooperation with NGOs (whether such programme has been adopted; if yes, whether NGOs participated in its creation, if not, why was it so) and volunteer work in public administration (e.g. the number of signed agreements, their age, sex and education).

The questionnaire is sent to approximately 3,000 offices throughout Poland. The offices gather data from their all departments, sections and reporting and supervised units. Once all data has been gathered, a designated officer fills in the questionnaire regarding the cooperation of the office with the third sector.

In 2005-2008, questionnaires were sent in hard copies, by traditional mail. The questionnaires, along with the cover letter, were sent to government administration and territorial self-government offices. The offices sent back the completed questionnaires also by traditional mail. In order to accelerate and facilitate data gathering, since 2009 the system allowing for the creation of an online questionnaire has been used. In 2010 the Department of Public Benefit, with the use of a specialised software, conducted the survey in territorial self-government units from 8 voivodeships. In the remaining regions, the data was gathered by Klon/Jawor Association. In addition, measures aimed at assisting officers in completing the questionnaire were provided, such as an information brochure entitled Guidebook for public administration. How to complete the questionnaire monitoring cooperation between the offices and NGOs and substantial and technical hotline. Moreover, trainings regarding the rules of cooperation with NGOs and completion of the questionnaire addressed to public officers were also organised. As many as 980 persons from 8 voivodeships have been trained.