1. Co-operative Devolution
Member of GMC Authority
OUTLINE OF SESSION: Developments in Scotland and city regions in England provide a historic opportunity to break down the UK’s overly centralised system of political governance. But there is a danger that devolution simply transfers power from Whitehall to town halls, failing to empower local people. This event asks whether a cooperative approach to devolution – built on genuine partnership with citizens – can create economic growth but also reinvigorate local democracy and foster more prosperous and empowered communities.

2. GM devolution – in a nutshell
GM has always had a strong history of working together. The timeline shows a number of successful ventures throughout the life of AGMA and latterly the GMCA. This is about to move one step further with the devolution deal from Government and particularly the health aspect of this.
What does it mean?
Greater freedoms and flexibilities to work together to improve local services
Appointment of a GM Mayor
In November 2014 the GMCA agreed a devolution deal with government that provides the GMCA with additional powers and responsibilities around key issues like transport, housing and planning and allows them greater freedoms and flexibilities to work together to improve local services.
As part of the devolution agreement the GMCA has been given the following new powers and responsibilities:
Business Support – devolved responsibility for budgets to help businesses grow and innovate so we can join up services for businesses and make it easier for them to access the right support and the right time.
Further Education – the ability to work alongside government to reshape Further Education within Greater Manchester so that local residents have the skills to meet the needs of business.
Work programme – working alongside the Department of Work and Pensions to commission the next phase of the work programme so that it is tailored to the needs of Greater Manchester residents.
Complex dependency – the power and resources to scale up our work to support 50,000 local people into work
It is about radical public service reform, not just transferring powers.
And we have a strong history of working together…

3. GM: a strong history of co-operation
GM has always had a strong history of working together – co-operation was born in GM. The timeline shows a number of successful ventures throughout the life of AGMA and latterly the GMCA. This is about to move one step further with the devolution deal from Government and particularly the health aspect of this.
What does it mean?
Greater freedoms and flexibilities to work together to improve local services
Appointment of a GM Mayor
As part of the devolution agreement the GMCA has been given the following new powers and responsibilities:
Business Support – devolved responsibility for budgets to help businesses grow and innovate so we can join up services for businesses and make it easier for them to access the right support and the right time.
Further Education – the ability to work alongside government to reshape Further Education within Greater Manchester so that local residents have the skills to meet the needs of business.
Work programme – working alongside the Department of Work and Pensions to commission the next phase of the work programme so that it is tailored to the needs of Greater Manchester residents.
Complex dependency – the power and resources to scale up our work to support 50,000 local people into work
It is about radical public service reform, not just transferring powers.
And we have a strong history of working together…

4. GM Devolution – what should it be about
Central government
GM region
Local councils
Communities
Devolution poses serious questions to central and city-level government in terms of:
Purpose
Working cultures
Capacity
Accountability
But is also opportunity for great change:
Real levers to grow local economies
Greater ability to allocate resources to equip local people with skills and confidence to benefit from the growth
Hear new and different voices

5. Policy making – central style
Central government
% of influence and voice
GM region
Local councils
Without devolution central policy making is needed, however:
Under-appreciation of extent to which place matters
No consideration of impact on localised areas
Limits and constraints reduce ability to innovate, pioneer reform, respond to challenges appropriately
Closed system – bias on professional perspectives and voices – we know what is best
Insufficient weight placed on experience, knowledge and views of local people
* Quality of outcome and clarity of purpose
Communities

6. Policy making – devolved style
Central government
GM region
% of influence and voice
Local councils
Devolution allows for a more open, democratic and accountable approach:
Needs an intimate relationship with character, history and reality of local areas
Needs to be genuinely place-based, data-driven and outcome-focused
Strong evidence base rooted in deep understanding of place and context
Conversations with communities, public services, partner organisations to ask what is best
Communities

7. Policy making – co-operative style
Central government
GM region
% of influence and voice
Local councils
Communities
Co-operative policy-making builds on the principles of devolved approach:
Everybody doing their bit – mutual benefit
Values-based
Behaviour based
Ripple effect
Place
People
Public Services

8. Co-operative devolution – making it happen
Three elements
New Economy / New Society
Transforming the relationship between citizen, state and society
Co-operative deal
Everyone doing their bit
New model of Leadership
People of place, not of professions or organisations

9. We are already working together to make a difference…
Early help
This is a really good example of our ambition in action.
It is created on the following principles:
To change the profile of demand for services towards prevention and early help
To reconsider professional roles from working in a reactive system that focused on treating people and fixing things to working in a proactive system that informs and supports
To have effective ‘step up’ and ‘step down’ arrangements
To connect to networks and communities not simply services and systems
Our Early Help system is a great example of how we are looking to simplify the pathways into public services, identify early signs and teat people before they get into the high-cost end of services. If someone gets into the high cost service, we need to get them out again as quickly as possible.

10. Co-operative Councils Innovation Network
Interested in finding out more about co-operation and the work of the CCIN
Interested in joining a forward-thinking, member-driven network
Contact :
CCIN Team or E: