602-05 LOCAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Community Learning Development Resource 602 – 05

LOCAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

 

SUMMARY

The context in which community learning and community development work is developed and operates usually includes accountability to some form of over-arching strategic body. There are implications for the direction and organisation of the work on the ground. This resource provides an example of a local strategic body. Such bodies have a variable lifespan usually subject to political will and change.

 

EXTRACTS: COMMUNITY LEARNING AND NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL (NIACE – February 2003)

 

LSPs are seen as the main mechanism for co-ordinating the delivery of better local services.  These cross-agency, cross-sector umbrella bodies are intended to support local collaboration in the pursuit of community well-being and good governance.  The exact composition will vary according to local circumstances.

 

The LSP core tasks are to:

  • prepare and implement a community strategy
  • develop and deliver a Local Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy (LNRS)
  • bring together local plans, partnerships and initiatives
  • work with local authorities that are developing local Public Service Agreements (PSAs) AND SLAs – Service Level Agreements, to devise and meet suitable targets.

PARTNERSHIPS AND PARTICIPATION – Voluntary and Community sector involvement.

The benchmarks for participation are:

a)       Representation from voluntary and community sector should be on the basis of equal partnership with other representatives at board and sub-group level (Evidence – equal voting rights)

b)       Representation from either voluntary sector or community sector must be justified (Evidence – agreed benchmarks)

c)        Representation must come from recognised, inclusive, democratic organisations (Evidence – constitution/evidence of practice)

d)       Community representation must be from a recognised geographic area defined by the community (Evidence – Community sector forum minutes)

e)       Voluntary sector representation must be defined by a community of interest (Evidence –Constitution)

f)          The community sector will collectively determine representation to board and sub-groups (Evidence – Community sector forum minutes)

g)       The voluntary sector will collectively determine representation to board and sub-groups (Evidence –Voluntary sector minutes)

h)        The role of community representatives and voluntary sector representatives will include dissemination of information back to their respective organisations (Evidence – practice)

i)          The roles and responsibilities of community and voluntary sector representatives must be clearly defined (Evidence – written description of roles and responsibilities).

 

PROMPTS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

  • Participation by local people in the LSP Community Strategy – does this require local residents to be members of constituted community organisations in order to have a voice?
  • How might workers seek to give their clients a collective voice in the LSP community strategy and planning?
  • How applicable and appropriate are the ‘benchmarks for participation’ outlined here when we are seeking to capture the voice of excluded individuals from priority areas?