Big Society: change for the better?

So what are we to believe: is David Cameron's 'Big Society' a big idea to change public life for the better - or just a sweetener to ease the bitterness of sweeping cuts in public spending?

Whether the Big Society is either or both, our new PM is undoubtedly an agent for change although clearly not a Change Agent ready to tackle the organisational challenges of companies and the voluntary sector.

The Big Society certainly responds well to the view of many of us that Britain has been over-regulated, over-governed and overwhelmed by kilometres of double-sided super adhesive red tape. It's an idea that appeals to localism, community building, individual responsibility and the roll-back of the nanny state.

As with all concepts in their early stage, the Big Society is still just an idea. Big on philosophy but rather small in terms of empirical evidence.

It's in its formative stage and no one, not even David Cameron or his bemused followers at Conference, have really any idea what it's going to mean in practice - except of course cuts in public spending.

The Big Society is unquestionably a significant driver for change that is going to present significant challenges and opportunities for every sector.

It should bring about a more entrepreneurial environment for business linked to an expectation that companies will make higher levels of contribution to the communities in which they buy, work and sell. It's also going to challenge severely companies who have depended on the state for volume and margin. They will need new markets and new ways of doing things.

The impact on the voluntary sector is going to be profound. Over the past decade or so, many non-governmental organisations have forgotten how to fundraise and have financed their rapid growth by becoming sub-contractors to the state. The Big Society calls out for social enterprise: a dynamic third sector and a growth in volunteering but without being very clear about where the money or the extra volunteers are coming from.

The times have been a changing since long before Bob Dylan turned the thought into a lyric but these next few years could be exceptional.

In all the uncertainty, we can be sure of this. Change will be difficult for many and disastrous for some - particularly those who sit and wait or those without the resources to think and act effectively for themselves. It will great for those in every sector who take the time to consider the possibilities, develop their options and make them happen.

If we can make it work, the Big Society could herald the Innovation Era. If we fail, recession will become a fond memory of gentler times.