Navigating Third Sector Engagement in Local Governance

1. 8th REGENERATION MANAGEMENT RESEARCH NETWORK Matching rhetoric with reality: the challenge for third sector involvement in local governance Wednesday 18th June 2008 Matthew Jackson, Senior Policy Researcher

2. About CLES and our work on local governance • Information and publications service • Training and events • Policy Research • Consultancy • Policy Advice

3. The role of the third sector in local governance? ‘The voluntary sector, described by Kendall and Knapp (1995) as a ‘loose and baggy monster’, is made up of many diverse organisations ranging from the multitude of unregistered and unincorporated associations through national and international service providers and multi-million pound organisations, but there is no universal agreement on the exact nature of the beast’ (Myers and Sacks, 2001)

4. Why are CLES bothered about the third sector? • local economic contributors • service delivery fairness • social equality and justice • local knowledge – local solutions • compliment the local authority • some strategic skills • a variety and diversity • local government modernisation

5. The changing view of the third sector • Not fluffy but hard • Not grants but contracts • Not peripheral but central • Not just volunteering but employment • Not necessarily small scale • Not disorganised but professional

6. The waves of third sector involvement in local governance Two Waves? • Increasing central value of their role • Wave 1 – ‘voice’ • Major regeneration programmes • City Challenge • SRB • Community Empowerment Networks • Local Strategic Partnerships • Wave 2 – ‘strategic engager and deliverer’ • Strategic governance • contracts AND grants • Sustainable Community Strategies • Local Area Agreements

7. What are Local Area Agreements? Funding Sustainable Communities Strategy LSP National Priorities LAA Enterprise & Economic Development Healthier communities, and older people Safer and stronger communities Children and young people --------------------------------------------------- LAA Reward Grant Local Community Local Community Local Partners Commissioning Monitoring and Reporting Scrutiny Outcomes

8. The policy rhetoric • Delivery focused PSA Target • Funding for infrastructure, knowledge and capacity • Statements of involvement for LSP/LAA/LDF/ • A central commitment • ‘grants’ to ‘contracts’ • Efficiency AND effectiveness

9. The reality • A mixed picture across the country • Involvement dependent upon • quality of umbrella representative bodies • approach of local authority • time and capacity • size of organisation • Understanding of the role of the sector • aspirations around funding

10. Barriers to engagement A range of barriers to engagement • Lack of trust • Poor communication • ‘junior partners’ • What do the third sector do? • Low levels of professional skills • Perceived reliance upon grants

11. Good practice in reality • Playing the local governance game • A build upon existing strong relationships • Play to your strengths • Base involvement upon effective delivery • Co-ordinate and deliver • The benefits of involvement • Growth and influence • Delivery sustainability • An opportunity for engagement • An opportunity to communicate

12. National indicators, new LAAs and the third sector • Local Government White Paper Ramped Up Importance of Local Area Agreements: • role of local authority • New Duties for development, negotiation and delivery • New performance indicators • The Third Sector • Funding the LAA

13. Performance indicators • A typology of indicators • 1. Easy to measure through national data sources • NI 151 – Overall employment rate • 2. Partner dependent • 2. N1 152 – Working age people on out of work benefits • 3. Perceptive and service user focused • 3. NI 1 - % of people who believe people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area • 4. Strong link to policy priorities • 4. NI 117 – 16 – 18 year olds who are not in education, training or employment • 5. National priority focused • NI 35 – Building resilience to violent extremism • 6. Difficult to measure • NI 7 – environment for a thriving third sector

14. Level 1 As a Communicator of activities Level 2 As a Local Authority/ Community Broker Level 3 As an advocate of policy Level 4 Through a Third Sector Infrastructure Body Level 5 As a Thematic Partner Level 6 As a Strategic Partner / Lead Level 7 As a Service Deliverer Level 8 As a Strategic Deliverer The spectrum of third sector involvement How could the third sector be involved in local governance – a spectrum of roles:

15. The future role – what do the sector need to do? • Organisations need to ask themselves a series of questions: • Does the organisation have the capacity to be involved in local governance activities? • Does the organisation have the strategic capacity? • Does involvement in local governance distract from project activity? • Does involvement in local governance correlate with the ethos, aims and objectives of the organisation? • Does involvement in local governance come based upon strong existing links or is the organisation in effect moving into new themes and arenas and geographical areas? • How will involvement in local governance affect the organisations service users and members?

16. The future role – what do local governance mechanisms need to do? • Local governance mechanisms need to: • Understand the diversity of the sector • Understand the variety of the sector • Assess the strategic capacity of the third sector • Look beyond the usual suspects • Build up relations with and listen to third sector umbrella bodies • Engage the third sector in service planning as well as strategic governance

17. Conclusion • Are the third sector ready for this? • Is there the local authority commitment to third sector delivery? • Does it really mean better outcomes and more effective delivery? • Are the third sector really a loose and baggy monster? • Further information • 0161 236 7036 matthewjackson@cles.org.uk