The local decision making and funding landscape is complex across sectors, responsibilities, activities, and geographical boundaries. To make sense of this at a local level requires a forum for voices to be heard and a focus for decision making.

In order to give common purpose to local, regional, national, public, private, community and third sector partners, and to deliver a programme of varied activities over a long period,  there needs to be the equivalent of a local programme board. Who leads this will depend on local conditions and characteristics on the ground – though the roles of local authorities and community anchor organisations are likely to be pivotal.

For this local oversight to be meaningful and effective it needs to create the governance framework necessary to provide:

an Authorising Environment which has the support and trust of partners and the terms of reference to make decisions on their behalf;

a Stakeholder Engagement process which is transparent, well managed, and offers meaningful, empowered opportunities to influence decisions;

Policy Assurance that what is being done is for the right reasons and in the right way with the right outcomes.

At the heart of this oversight is the adoption of agreed  principles within a clear place based implementation process.  One which dovetails the needs of stakeholders with the needs of the place.

 

Core Questions:

What are our agreed shared principles?

 The core  criteria for what we do and how we work together.

2. How will we provide assurance?

A governance and operational framework that partners, stakeholders and funders can endorse.

3. What are our priorities for change?

A clear statement of what is most important, why that is, and how choices will be made.

4. How will we gain approvals? 

Respecting and ensuring that the requirements of partners are being met, individually and collectively.

  1. How do we assess our impact?

 Learning from the changes we deliver and their impact on the ground.