Partnerships

We will be looking at: 1) What do we mean by 'partnership'? 2) What are the barriers to effective partnerships - and what makes partnerships effective? 3) What are the key benefits and advantages of effective partnerships? 4) Partnership work within the National Standards and CLD Competences.  5) Partnership as a statutory requirement (2013) of local authorities in planning and delivering CLD services

What do we mean by ‘partnership’? Within Community Learning and Development, and many other areas across the spectrum of health and social services, community planning, regeneration and labour market inclusion, working 'in partnership' or 'with partners' has become almost a mandatory - and frequently even a statutory - requirement, much loved by policy makers, The Inspectorate, and funders.

'Partnership' is generally viewed as intrinsically good within the rhetoric of policy documents, and evidence of a partnership approach is frequently a funding requirement. The term is widely used, and yet difficult to define, as partnerships can be hugely different in both make-up and function.

Types of partnerships strategic or operational formal or informal statutory or non-statutory issue-based and time-limited, geographically large or very local: broad-ranging- long term goals short term and specific outcome -driven organisations with a common purpose but from different sectors - i.e. public, private, voluntary sector different organisational cultures round the table complex power dynamic.

Some functions/features of partnerships jointly apply for, and/or allocate funding plan or co-ordinate services at a local or regional level conduct joint needs assessments share data, resources provide shared CPD opportunities for staff of member organisations: share information and updating to enhance effective referral set up in response to external demand or be self-determining. 

The term 'partnership' is essentially ambiguous 'The term 'partnership' covers a multi-dimensional continuum of widely differing concepts and practices and is used to describe a variety of types of relationship in a myriad of circumstances and locations.' '........partnership remains a varied and ambiguous concept.' McQuaid, (2009)

An optimistic definition ?  'there is a consensus around a number of defining features: partnerships bring together a coalition of interests drawn from more than one sector to generate agreement; partnerships have common aims and strategy to achieve them; partnerships share risks, resources and skills; partnerships achieve mutual benefit and synergy.’ Hutchison and Campbell (1998) cited in McQuaid (2009),

Focus of CLD   In 2012 the Community Learning and Development Strategic Guidance for Community Planning Partnerships moved the focus of CLD to two key areas: improved life chances through learning, personal development and active citizenship building stronger communities   For a CLD partnership to be viewed as effective therefore, it would need to be able to evidence its impact in relation to one or both of the above areas of focus.

Barriers to effective partnerships No identified and agreed goals and outcomes, and a lack of shared vision. (What are we aiming to achieve?) No clear action plan to deliver targets and outcomes. (How will we achieve it?) No agreed measures through which to gather evidence of impact. (How will we know that we have achieved it? - part of self evaluation) Members do not feel the partnership enhances or adds value to the work of their organisation.

Very different organisational cultures Inadequate representation of community level stakeholders Complex power dynamics among members Not all members having the authority to make decisions

Funders and those they fund around the same table  Different organisational positions in relation to data sharing  Different management information and quality assurance systems  

The advantages and benefits of effective partnership working. allowing a multi-dimensional, cross-sectoral approach, with a greater capacity to meet complex, multi-layered needs, like urban regeneration or rural disadvantage sharing knowledge, expertise and resources achieving more coherence in planning services allowing effective data-sharing to inform planning and evaluation

enabling services to target need more effectively, and to identify gaps enabling organisations to work to their respective strengths, and avoid duplication of scarce resources enhancing effective referral between agencies bringing 'value added' across the spectrum of partners' delivery new ways of working

'Effective partnership-working therefore challenges existing approaches by bringing to bear experience from other sectors and organisations, and developing new ways of working.' (Nelson and Zadec, 2000 cited in McQuaid, 2009)  

Effective partnerships will also have in place agreed targets and performance indicators in order to evidence whether they are making an impact in these areas. See 'How Good is Our Community Learning and Development? Challenge questions for CLD services and partnerships'. HMIe

Partnership working National Standards for Community Engagement, both in the 'Working Together' Standard and the 'Working With Others' Standard. ('The Changing Picture for CLD' University of Aberdeen - Section 7 pp13-15). One of the key competences - 'Develop and support collaborative working' - for CLD. ('The competences for Community Learning and Development' (2009) in 'The Changing Picture for CLD' University of Aberdeen - Section 6)

The Requirements for CLD (Scotland) Regulations 2013 “Each local authority should have a clearly defined framework for planning and delivering CLD, through partnership, as a key element of its reformed public services.” CLD Strategic Guidance (p5) The Scottish Government, 2012

The aim of the regulations “........ is to ensure that a good CLD process takes place in each local area to identify how CLD provision is planned and delivered – that all those who deliver CLD talk to communities and each other when planning provision, and make their decisions transparent.” www.educationscotland.gov.uk/communitylearningnddevelopment/about/policy/regulations/asp Powerpoint file: The Requirements for CLD(Scotland) Regulations 2013

Why legislation? To ensure communities across Scotland have access to CLD support To strengthen the co-ordination between the full range of CLD providers To reinforce the role of communities and learners in the assessment, planning and evaluation processes To make CLD’s role and contribution more visible

Regulations 2 and 3 - Assessment of need The local authority needs to ensure that the following things happen in its area, regardless of who does them: Target individuals and groups most likely to benefit from the provision of CLD are identified The CLD needs of these individuals and groups are taken into account There is an assessment of the extent to which these needs are already being met Barriers to the efficient and adequate provision of CLD are identified

Elements of the plan How the local authority will co-ordinate its own provision of CLD with other providers of CLD in its area. What action the local authority will take to provide CLD over the period of the plan. What action other providers intend to take to provide CLD in the local authority’s area over the period of the plan. Statement of any needs for CLD that will not be met over the period of the plan.

The LA must ensure that the following are involved in and consulted on the plan: People representative of the target individuals and groups People and organisations representative of CLD providers in the LA area Anyone else the LA chooses

Who does what? Local authorities are responsible for developing and publishing the plan, in consultation. They cannot fulfil their duties without engaging with partners, learners and communities. HM Inspectors will expect to see partnerships implementing the CLD Regulations in advance of September 2015. Completed plans will be seen by the Local Area Network of scrutiny bodies (Care Commission, Education Scotland etc) and will feature on the LAN’s Shared Risk Assessment

What will be crucial to the development of this strategy is the effectiveness of these partnerships, as they roll out - all tasked with submitting a 3 year plan by September 2015.

Partnerships are not intrinsically good and effective: they need proper leadership, planning and clarity of purpose, without which elements of this policy initiative may be compromised.

Food for thought! Will the statutory requirement for partnerships serve to move the focus of CLD away from 'collective action' at a local level, in favour of a mechanism for more effective targeting of existing services - a useful but much less radical approach?? Will it run the risk of tokenistic or marginalised representation of community groups??