1 / 10

Lessons from the JRF Neighbourhood Programme

Presentation to Birkbeck/IVAR 2007 Seminar Series February 2007. Lessons from the JRF Neighbourhood Programme. Marilyn Taylor University of the West of England. JRF and neighbourhood renewal. Providing the evidence base National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal

elaine
Télécharger la présentation

Lessons from the JRF Neighbourhood Programme

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Presentation to Birkbeck/IVAR 2007 Seminar Series February 2007 Lessons from the JRF Neighbourhood Programme Marilyn Taylor University of the West of England

  2. JRF and neighbourhood renewal • Providing the evidence base • National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal • Putting research into practice

  3. A learning network • Testing out ‘light touch’ forms of support • Following the progress of 20 very different groups/organisations over 4 years • Across England, Scotland and Wales • Small/unfunded; large social enterprises • In and outside ‘priority neighbourhoods • A new role for the Foundation

  4. How the Programme worked • 20 neighbourhood organisations • Light touch support • Facilitation; credit; access to knowledge • Network events • Mediation and brokerage; JRF endorsement • Evaluation in from the start • An ambitious dissemination programme

  5. The challenges of action-research • Negotiating space for evaluation, alongside • Facilitators • Hands on Programme Manager • Methods • Familiar issues of attribution etc. • Outputs • Maintaining a distinctive perspective • Critique of Programme not personnel • Pressure for good news? • A one-off; how replicable?

  6. Addressing the challenges • Separating research from action • Separate accountability • Evaluation framed as a learning resource • Empowerment framework • Action planning • Joint projects • Network events as evaluation • Distance travelled • Snakes and ladders • External and internal reports

  7. The evaluation framework:Where groups most needed support • Analysis/understanding of local context • Spreading involvement • Organisational skills and leadership • Representing diverse and sometimes fragmented communities • Sustainability • Being taken seriously by power holders

  8. So what is the learning? • Value of light touch support: • But not for all and not for everything • A trusted ally; someone to turn to • Flexibility and continuity (not only when you have a problem) rather than control • Mediation and brokerage • Valuing community knowledge: individuals made great strides • Action planning (despite misgivings)

  9. Support for neighbourhoods • A useful account of ‘what happens in neighbourhoods’ • Need for realistic expectations of what are often fragile groups • Needs of pockets of disadvantage in more affluent areas • Importance of mediation • Light touch for public bodies too?

  10. But • Light touch needs to be part of a wider strategy – no substitute for investment in community development • Future of neighbourhood renewal • Still closing the gap? • Neighbourhood governance? • Future JRF role? From research to practice to promotion?

More Related