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Last updated: 16 March 2010
1 February 2010
Q. Could you give an example of how a local community group can engage in local compacts and the benefits you think this will bring?
Community groups care passionately about decisions that are taken in the communities they serve, and by engaging at a local level they can help shape these decisions. The Compact can help this process bring about mutual benefit, and deliver real help for communities.
For example, many local areas have established Compact working groups. By engaging with the third sector representatives on these, usually the local CVS or infrastructure organisation, community groups can build useful relationships, come to a better understanding of what decisions are on the horizon, and what the process for those decisions will be. In this way, community groups can ensure the views of their beneficiaries are taken into account, and that decisions are being taken in a manner which reflects the interests of the community they serve. The key point is that both community groups and public bodies are trying to help communities. By working together, pooling resources and expertise, each can achieve more. This ensures that services and policies are being tailored as effectively as possible, to bring about the greatest benefit for groups and individuals.
Also, by using a local compact, community groups can find the best way to form partnerships with local authorities, and the most effective way to hold them to account. For example, if a decision is being made as to whether to turn land into a car park, and the community group cares for local homeless people, they can ensure that a segment of the community who might otherwise be overlooked are represented. The benefit for communities is clear: policies that serve the interests of all constituents, and which are not implemented at the expense of marginalised voices.
In short, one benefit that engaging with local compacts can have for community groups is being able to form partnerships which lead to better, more nuanced policy for the benefit of the community as a whole. One example where Compact principles will apply is in community engagement with Local Strategic Partnerships, responsible for identifying local needs and bringing together all sectors – public, private, and community and voluntary – to tackle these problems. The Compact contains important commitments to recognise the value of engaging community groups in policy development, ensuring that community groups are able to engage with decision-making in a way that suits their working methods. By engaging effectively with the expertise of all people who represent the community, the services will bring about the greatest possible benefit for the people we both serve.
Q. How would you sell the Compact to small community groups?
Small community groups often have a unique and clear understanding of the communities they serve. However, they sometimes find it difficult to ensure that this perspective is heard when policies impacting upon communities are being developed. The refreshed Compact sets out clear principles and commitments that will make it easier for community groups to be a part of policy development and implementation. This will be of great value to their beneficiaries.
As minister for the third sector, I am keenly aware that the majority of third sector organisations operate at the community level. That is why government worked with the Commission to ensure that the views of the community sector were carefully considered and factored in to the final refreshed Compact.
The Compact has been specifically designed to have a set of principles and commitments that are relevant to the whole of the third sector. Given the diversity of the sector, it is clear that some parts will have more relevance to community groups than others. For example, the shaping policy section is likely to be of interest, as most community groups have an interest in how policies impact upon their beneficiaries, and the Compact helps guide how this can be done most effectively. Many community groups are also interested in advancing equality. There is a central pillar of the refreshed Compact devoted to this topic, which will help guide community groups in achieving their objectives in partnership with Government.
The Commission for the Compact is currently producing a series of Implementation Guides which show how the Compact applies to particular groups. One of the first of these is the community groups guide. This will show exactly how the Compact can be of most use to community groups, and is being produced in close consultation with representatives of community groups. When taken with the community group implementation guide, the refreshed Compact should be a powerful tool to help develop partnerships with the public sector.
Particularly in the current economic climate, it is important to recognise that we can achieve more by working together towards shared objectives, and the Compact is a tool to make this happen on the ground.