Insight and latest updates from our team

BBC Northern Ireland has been breathing new life into its most venerable institution, the charity appeal. Scope reports.

Public discourse is peppered with bombast. It has no use and dilutes the quality of debate - if you want people to rethink their opinions then pick your words more carefully.

After gritty North Belfast, our Twitter tour sees us seeking out the MLAs of the idyllic countryside of Fermanagh and South Tyrone whose steeples are far from dreary.

Across the Irish Sea moves are afoot that could threaten the National Lottery and the charities in Northern Ireland that depend on its funding, Scope investigates

Following our look at how our politics may be set up to drive the local health system to ruin, Scope spoke with News Letter political correspondent Sam McBride about whether things can change.

Our next port of call as we trawl Twitter to see how our politicians are faring on social media is the hotly contested constituency of North Belfast, home to several big guns (metaphorically speaking).

The Work and Families (NI) Act deals with voluntary sharing of leave and pay after the birth or adoption of a child as well as extending the right to request flexible working to all.

US President Barack Obama reinvented social media as a tool for political success and his exploits have been copied across the world. Scope examines how our politicians are exploiting the new media.

Three weeks after the Donaldson report and it appears all is forgotten. Are local political dynamics driving our health system unstoppably to the brink and beyond? Scope investigates.

The Consideration Stage of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Bill (2012) took place at the Assembly on Tuesday and Wednesday 10 & 11 Feb. Some 78 amendments and opposition to 17 clauses were debated over the course of 19 hours.

Working in CollaborationNI-our challenge is to make partnerships work.  However, even with the best support, like with human partnerships, some fail. In the spirit of Valentine's here are some of my thoughts on why this happens.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) was established in 1958 with a remit to finance investment projects which contribute to EU policy objectives. 

Older Peoples’ Commissioner Claire Keatinge had some tough messages for the health service when she spoke to Scope.

Do you have a great idea to make a positive impact in your local community but have no idea how to start raising funds?  Or do you have a long-established community project but are striving to keep it going?  

The Donaldson report makes for uneasy reading. Amongst its barrage of criticisms comes disbelief that Ombudsman findings into HSC failings are held back from public view. Scope looks at the issue.

Influence is greater than access. Voluntary and community organisations have high levels of acess to decison makers. But do we have influence?

NICVA wants to reinvigorate how the voluntary and community sector engages in policy work and how we interact with our members on policy issues.

Our 12 policy fora are being revamped to become new Departmental Monitoring Groups (DMGs).

Policy hacks are new way of bringing people together to share ideas and develop solutions to some of Northern Irelands most pressing social, economic and environmental problems.

Cool FM’s training partnership with Start360 is the first whereby a private sector company receives funding from the Big Lottery, Scope checks on how it is shaping up.