Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to focus on compacts and their effectiveness in ensuring that non-government organisations (NGOs) are able to remain independent, critical checks on government. Design/methodology/approach -The experiences of the English Compact and the Working Together for NSW agreement, created in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). The analysis of Working Together relies upon interviews conducted with key informants involved in its negotiation. Using these cases the effectiveness of compacts in supporting NGOs, particularly in their role as advocates is examined. Findings -The paper finds that, despite the similarities between the English Compact and Working Together, the NSW government has not produced similar supporting structures or mechanisms and that no champion exists to drive it within government. As a result, awareness of Working Together is low in both the NSW government and among NGOs, and, unlike the English Compact, it has had little effect on the ability of NGOs to advocate independently. As such, it is suggested that compacts do not offer long-term solutions to the difficulties in the relationship between governments and NGOs. This is because their efficacy is reliant upon the support of government.Research limitations/implications -The list of interviewees is by no means exhaustive. Despite numerous attempts, the authors were unable to obtain interviews from a number of figures approached from middle-level departments within the NSW state government. Originality/value -The interviews are original and new to the literature on compacts. This interview material is especially useful as little literature exists that analyses the Working Together for NSW agreement.