Community Development, Evidence, Whose Evidence? Professor Mark Boyle, NIRSA, Maynooth University Embedding Research Evidence in Community Development Conference, CRiSP, SLIGO IT, DEC 4th 2015

Evidence: The need for evidence, useful evidence, and AIRO. Community Development, Evidence, Whose Evidence? Professor Mark Boyle, NIRSA, Maynooth University ________________________________________________ Local Government Reform Act 2014: Framing a new generation of community development planning Evidence: The need for evidence, useful evidence, and AIRO. The limits of current practice: Whose Evidence: Community perspectives on the production and embedding of evidence.

The Local Government Reform Act 2014 provides a stronger and clearer role for local government in economic development and community development. “that local government will be the main vehicle of governance and public service at local level, leading economic, social and community development”.

Local Government Reform Act 2014 Reform of 2nd and 3rd tier government structures – 31 local government entities, 95 municipal districts. Establishment of CEOs and a rebalancing of reserved and executive functions. A broader revenue base for Local Government, including via a new property tax. Strengthened leadership of economic, social and community development, including the preparation of Local Economic and Community Plans (SPC for Economic Plan, LCDC for Community Plan)

Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) ADVISORY STEERING GROUP and LCDCs will contribute to the development and implementation of the LECP (to last from 2016-2021). LCDCs also have responsibility for managing national local development programmes including SICAP (€28 million in 2015) and are likely to also perform a similar role in respect of the LEADER programme (ca. €220 million 2015-2020).

Public Participation Networks THREE PILLARS Voluntary/Community -improvement of quality of life and community well-being Social Inclusion - social inclusion, social justice and equality Environment - environmental protection/sustainability .

USEFUL EVIDENCE DATA DREDGING........... SELECTING INDICATORS........ ASG, LCDC (PPNs), SPC, MD, Regions National Policy Documents Funding Opportunities (ERDF, ESF, Interreg, Urban Innovative Actions, Rural Development Fund) .

Types of Evidence http://airo.maynoothuniversity.ie/news/guidance-data-sources-and-tools-preparation-stage-lecps

Data Days - QGIS

Key Issues Capacity of/Support for LCDCs Focus upon pre plan evidence but not post plan monitoring data Boundary/Scalar Issues; No room for shared services? Whose evidence: is the voice of community groups being heard?

CAN/Rialto Rights in Action Group Rights-based approach to Community Development Emphasizes realizing rights Recognizes individual and group rights as claims towards legal and moral duty bearers Individuals and groups are empowered to claim their rights Individuals are entitled to assistance

Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) 1. Selection of the human rights issues 2. Evidence gathering 3. Setting indicators 4. Human Rights Hearing 5. Enaging with duty bearing officers 6. Monitoring

Selection of Human Rights Issues Housing relating to issues of sewage and dampness. Health relating to drug addiction treatments. Substandard play and youth facilities.

Setting Indicators Number of residents reporting dampness Number of residents reporting mould Number of residents reporting sewerage invasion/smells Number of residents concerned about health because of sewerage or damp Number of residents reporting dissatisfaction with response to issues of sewerage and damp Number of residents given no satisfactory information/ explanation as to why problems occur Number of residents reporting no information given on how issues of dampness and sewerage are to be addressed Number of residents reporting that they are not included in decisions affecting them regarding dampness and sewerage

Gathering Evidence • A door-to-door survey of 70 tenants in April 2010 which was repeated in September 2010 and March 2011. • Scientific testing of the waste water, the spores from the mould and dampness. • A short documentary of interviews with those directly affected, recorded by Dublin Community TV. • Photographic evidence of the mould, damp and sewage overflows in affected flats.