Working in Partnership Professor Peter Lloyd Director Ecotec Research and Consulting

Structural Funds n Four key SF principles; u Partnership; Programming u Evaluation; Management n Partnership as critical to success (22 References in the SF Regulation) u Effective implementation depends on good governance and partnership

ESF Regulations n ESF Regulation Article 5 – Good Governance and Partnership The ESF shall promote good governance and partnership. Its support shall be designed and implemented at the appropriate territorial level taking into account the national, regional and local level according to the arrangements of the specific Member State

ESF Regulations n ESF Regulation Article 3; Scope of Assistance promoting partnerships, pacts and initiatives through networking of relevant stakeholders, such as the social partners and non-governmental organisations, at the transnational, national, regional and local levels in order to mobilize for reforms in the field of employment and labour market inclusiveness.

The Basic Framework n For Good Governance and Partnership you need; u The right sorts of players actively involved; u The right sorts of organisations doing the right sorts of things at the right levels; n Policy effects can arise both: u Spontaneously from player initiative u Instrumentally as an act of public policy n The key lies in the way things are connected

Multi Level Governance n Multi Level Governance (MLG) is the EU approach to managing this complexity through its system of governance; n Emerged in the 1988 Structural Funds when Member States agreed to administration through partnerships of EU, national, regional, local players plus the social partners; n A critical beginning for the partnership principle;

An Ordered System of Negotiation n MLG described as a system of continuous negotiation among nested governments at several territorial tiers; n Many levels (local, regional, national, supranational) connected together horizontally and vertically; n The key principle is subsidiarity - actions to be carried out at the lowest level consistent with efficiency and effectiveness;

Policy Actions in a Multilevel System n Policy actions can be CONCEIVED, MANAGED, DELIVERED nationally, regionally or locally ; n Multilevel policy demands some conscious strategic input to have each done at the right level to get the best outcome; n Partnership is the key – giving the right actions to the right people at the right level; n Connecting it all together horizontally and vertically in governance;

NationalRegionalLocal Conceived Managed Delivered L L L N N L N R L N R R R R L FUNCTIONS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS

Summary: Partnership at the Strategic Level n Making better sense of policies by connecting them up across different levels; n Creating a multi-stakeholder voice that will be listened to at higher levels in government; n Enabling strategic alliances between players of all kinds at all levels; n Building an ethos of trust to make change easier to handle;

Summary: Partnership at the Strategic Level Enabling thinking out of the organisational box - a vehicle for creative action; Mobilising planning and analysis horsepower to the highest possible level of sophistication; Capturing the benefits of specialisation and scale for key functions/ventures Facilitating the creation of new delivery partnerships and giving capacity to them

So Partnership Works Then? n Maybe – but just having the device does not deliver the function; n In reality – as difficult and slow as building and sustaining any partnership; n But, a powerful force for achieving imaginative results when it works;

What Promotes Effective Partnerships n Real strategic commitment to free up and empower partnership stakeholders; n Investing real resources in partnership development at all levels; n Common support bodies n Clear and focused objectives agreed and shared;

What Hinders Effective Partnerships n Not giving them enough time to grow the trust they need; n Pushing them too soon into delivery and driving faster change than can be handled; n Failing to design funding to support them properly; n Limiting them to targets set from outside;

Learning the Lessons Merseyside Pathways 2000 n Not enough time for pre-planning; n No time to foster partnership identity; n Hi-Jacked by bureaucracy and output fetishes too soon – suspicion; n New local elites often no more inclusive; n Action plans fail to fit real local priorities; n Partnerships try everything - lack focus;

Delivery Focus CED Level 1 (Capacity) Empowerment/Legitimacy Focus CED Level 2 (Limited Delivery) Mature Multi-Purpose Partnerships (Umbrella Bodies) Dedicated Social Businesses Partnership Trading Arms Complex Hybrid Forms Evolving Local Partnerships Under Construction Empowerment versus Delivery

Support Bodies: The Common Office Italian Law on Local Administrations - municipalities lay down a formal agreement for mutual commitments. Municipalities cooperate under the Local Development Project. Leading Local Administration but each administration confers human and financial resources Contracting works, local participation, private partnerships, investment schemes, monitoring, financial reporting.

The complexities of a working partnership: EQUAL North Cordoba

EQUAL NORTH CORDOBA COOPERATION OF MULTIPLIERS AND STAKEHOLDERS INTEGRATED IN OUR DP A total amount of 35 national partners involved on the development of the national working programme Face to a scatter institutional and organisational framework: A COMMON DP STRATEGY TO COVER THE GAPS AMONG THE 28 RURAL CITY TOWN AND 19 VILLAGES, involving its most important stakeholders and decision policy makers 10 Business Local Associations 12 Local Women Associations 2 Municipalities Associations 2 Agricultural Enterpreneurs Association 1Local Young Association 2 Local Association of handicaped people 1 Centré for Local Tourism Initiatives 1 Employment Andalusian Gouvernement 2 National Trade Unions in Andalusian Region 1 Cordoba City Council NETWORK: -31 local partners -1 province partner -3 regional partners 1 Rural Develop. Agency

…. But these results wouldnt have any effectiveness without a suitable MAINSTREAMING STRATEGY SPAIN ANDALUSIAN REGION CORDOBAPROVINCE..ON A FEED BACK PROCESS

Integration and Complementarity; Duhallow Ireland

Partnerships Planning Area and Client focused Agent of Development Key Development Strategy Brokerage Animation Complementarity of ProgrammesIntegration & Progression

Finally: Partnership as Pact n The Pact Approach u Declaration of principles and purpose; u Declare rights and obligations of partners; u Formally agreed - written down, signed up to; u Set rules of engagement with rights of challenge, language, equal opportunity etc;