How this year's funds have been used

The PtP central fund report 2009/11

Of 70 claims made against the fund the most popular activities were:

• Developing improved communications - 15.1%

• SCS development and/or review - 13.4%

• Away days for partnerships to focus on capicity building/team building/conferences - 13.4%

• Improved collaboration between LSPs - 7.1%

• Other - 7.1% (topics in this category included: training, environmental activities, climate change activities, opportunities to share best practice and media coverage)

Note: some LSPs completed multiple activities falling into more than one category.

The top eight themes presented in this years applications are detailed below along with a comparison from previous years.

Themes	2009/11	2008/09	2007/08
Developing improved communications	15.10%	19.60%	4.40%
SCS development or review	13.40%	13.00%	8.80%
Away days for partners to focus on capicity building/team building/buy in/conferences	13.40%	5.40%	11.00%
Improved collaboration between LSPs	7.10%	4.30%	2.90%
Other	7.10%	3.30%	11.00%
LSP structure and/or governance review	6.30%	4.30%	8.10%
Consultation or research reports	6.30%	15.20%	8.10%
Board member workshops	6.30%	16.30%	29.40%

To read the central fund report in full please download the PDF document: central fund report 2010  240Kb

Some key themes and outcomes taken from the central fund applications are detailed below:

Performance management initiatives

Analysis of central fund activity has shown a shift in direction as LSPs focus on the delivery, outcomes and shared learning for partnerships. Performance management is an emerging theme; it has not appeared in previous analyses and is now featured in 4.5% of bids. Some examples of performance management initiatives include:

• Basingstoke & Deane LSP will develop a performance management approach to the SCS. This will ensure that the county-wide LAA priorities that are most relevant in the borough, are integrated into a system of measuring progress, that will be underpinned by PtP’s analysis of performance management across Hampshire

• The Reigate and Banstead Partnership are using performance management to report progress and engage a wider audience in action planning, to improve efficiency and effectiveness within the partnership area

• Dartford & Gravesham are developing a joint consultation management system. This will ensure that partners will be able to identify opportunities for joint consultation activity and consultations which have already been carried out, but which contain information useful to them. This will be used in the development of their individual Local Development Frameworks to improve efficiency in the use of resources

• Arun LSP is investigating the value of the partnership in adding value, by examining its impact on the local area and where it had made the most difference. There is an opportunity for a case study to work out the value of the partnership in £’s and the outcomes that would be beneficial to other LSPs

Improved collaboration between LSPs

Four clusters of LSPs pooled their resources in order to align and join activities, ensuring services better meet the needs of the users in the wider community, and to expand the possibility of shared learning between partnerships.

• Joint Surrey County is pooling funds from Surrey’s LSPs for the provision of training their members to use a Local Information System (LIS) tool, sometimes known as a ‘data observatory’. The development of a data observatory for Surrey is one of the aims of Surrey’s Neighbourhood Engagement project

• South Oxfordshire Partnership (SOP) and Vale Partnership (VP) propose to work together to develop ‘place based working’ as a way of delivering added value through partnerships.

• Adur and Worthing have pooled their funds to offer training and learning regarding community development and neighbourhood action plans (NAPs). These two elements are crucial in the effective delivery of the SCS. Locally these are likely to be based on hearing the experience and good practice of areas where NAPs are already in place and successful. Facilitated workshops will then be put together to develop skills

• East Sussex pooled £1000 from five LSPs in the region: East Sussex Strategic Partnership, Eastbourne Strategic Partnership, Hastings & St Leonards Strategic Partnership, Rother Local Strategic Partnership and Wealden Local Strategic Partnership. This is to create the joint East Sussex application. The outcome of the application is to develop a strategy to facilitate delivery of local housing targets, in order to develop a clear and shared understanding of how LAA partners can work together to achieve this, and support the development of cross-sector relations and shared learning

Communications

Some LSPs have opted to use the central fund to support a variety of communication developments. Some of the proposed development initiatives include, improved website design and upgrade, to promote enhanced service delivery and efficiencies, as well as using the funds available to demonstrate that the LSP is interacting more effectively with the public and/or other partners. Other LSPs have looked at different forms of communication e.g. electronic and hard copy newsletter distribution and the production of a DVD, to drive change, publicise their work, showcase good practice and improve efficiency. PtP has seen a shift in attitudes from using the central fund allocation, to support basic communications strategies to LSPs, using the funds available to improve communication to promote the work of the LSP, and interact more effectively with partners and/or the wider community.

Examples of communications initiatives include:

• Aylesbury Vale will produce a dedicated website in order to increase awareness of the work the LSP are involved in, and increase the interaction between the LSP and the wider community. It will also produce a regular e-newsletter promoting its initiatives and achievements

• Bucks Strategic Partnership intends to use part of the £6000 for web development.  Part of this web development is devoted to improving information sharing between partners even further, so that they have a common evidence base for information about Bucks communities

• The Cherwell Local Strategic Partnership will produce a newsletter in order to regularly update all partners and the general public on delivery of the SCS.

• Spelthorne Together will produce an insert into their winter bulletin in order to increase media coverage of LSP activities and move forward the communication plans that will improve efficiency

• Mole Valley Community Planning Group will produce a DVD to show case the work they have been involved with, as their  IDeA Self Assessment and Area Assessment outlined the need for them to communicate more effectively with the wider community

If you require further information on any of the central fund activities please do Janine.