New support service for Local Economic Assessments
21 September 2009
Support for Places is a new service established by the consultancy teams that developed the sector-led guidance for the Local Economic Assessment (LEA) on behalf of the Improvement and Development Agency.
Rocket Science UK Ltd and Globe Regeneration Ltd have formalised their working relationship through Support for Places, bringing together their collective skills and experience across urban and rural local economic development. The organisations have worked together closely over the past twelve months working on the IDeA project, as well as for Government offices, regional agencies and local authorities in evaluating and providing capacity building and support around economies.
Commenting on the partnership, Caroline Masundire Associate Director of Rocket Science who has led development said "Our founding principle around Support for Places is to help authorities and their partners build their internal capacity to deliver LEAs. Working so closely on the guidance has really highlighted that the LEA must not be seen as a traditional data and analysis exercise. The importance of the LEA in informing the Sustainable Community Strategy and the Local Area Agreement and being the conduit between Local Development Frameworks, requires a high degree of cross departmental and authority working. We see the LEA as an enabling tool to support the improvement and efficiency agenda internally as well as help bring coherence to strategy and targeted services as part of a single evidence base."
Both the sector-led guidance and pre-consultation draft statutory guidance published by Communities and Local Government are currently out for consultation with the duty to produce the LEA falling to top-tier authorities from April 2010.
Ivan Annibal Managing Director of Globe and Chair of the IED Educational Trust said "This is the first time that economic development has been given a statutory footing - And a great opportunity to cement councils' roles in Place Making, more importantly to bring strategy and services together to improve the economic wellbeing of our communities."
"Support for Places offers traditional consultancy services as well as interim management, capacity building and training activity to help authorities respond and develop their capability and skills. With requirements for an annual refresh and full update every three years, it is in authorities' interests to invest in their people, systems and structures now to integrate new ways of working, it offers far better value for money longer term. In an increasingly tight fiscal environment councils need to drive efficiency and value for money."
Of particular interest to authorities that have limited capacity at present, Support for Places offers specialists to be housed within the authority on an interim basis to help build their internal capacity and expertise. This is backed up by a larger consultancy team if required and uniquely different than traditional research and consultancy offers.
Masundire explains, "The danger with the LEA is that the focus will be purely about data collection and analysis and production of a report. The assessment is an iterative process, requiring high level support and engagement backed up with 'real' evidence and practical application. Support for Places brings together both practitioner and consultancy expertise to help authorities use this as part of broader transformational change to articulate needs and join up services that result in real economic benefits to business, individuals and communities."
Visit the dedicated website at: www.supportforplaces.co.uk
Independence Research Study Findings
22 October 2008
According to the findings of a recent research study undertaken by Rocket Science, the Commission for the Compact has been successful in creating an environment which encourages and supports central government departments in their efforts to observe the independence of third sector organisations and their right to campaign, but there are still challenges ahead.
The research study, entitled The State of Independence (download), involved eight central government departments including the Department of Health (DoH), Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), Communities and Local Government (CLG), Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The information and findings presented in the report were drawn from a number of complementary pieces of research. Data was gathered from one-to-one interviews with a sample of civil servants working in the eight departments in order to assess their understanding and commitment to the Compact. This analysis was also informed by an e-survey.
The report findings are also based on a Literature Review by Rocket Science (download), which looked historically at the importance of independence to the third sector and, since 1998, the role of the Compact in safeguarding that independence.
A brief summary of the findings:
- The third sector and its advocates see independence from government as one of its key values and fear that this will be put at risk if the sector becomes over-dependent on government funding. Receiving government money should not reduce an organisation's ability to campaign on behalf of the communities it serves.
- 84 per cent of survey respondents said that their government department either 'mostly' or 'fully' recognised and supported the sector's right to campaign and to challenge government policy, irrespective of any funding relationship that might exist.
- A high level of awareness of the Compact was reported in government third sector teams and divisions of officers that regularly deal with the third sector; however, awareness has not been developed consistently or reliably across all departments.
- There is no uniform approach to respecting the independence of the third sector in government but there are lots of examples of different good practice approaches.
- Within government departments, understanding of the importance and value of the third sector's independence is patchy beyond those whose job requires involvement with the sector.
- The report argues that in reality no organisation, whatever the sector, is entirely independent in the strictest sense of the word. There is a discussion in the report and the associated literature review about the concept of interdependence between government and the sector rather than independence.
For more information on the study contact John Griffiths on 020 7253 6289 or email john.griffiths@rocketsciencelab.co.uk.
e-HIT
16 September 2008
Rocket Science recently completed work with the e-Health Unit, based at University College London, to develop an e-Health Implementation Toolkit (e-HIT). This online toolkit is designed to support senior managers to plan more effectively for the implementation of any new initiative which uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in a health service context. It helps guide users towards a decision on whether to embark on an e-Health implementation initiative and, if they decide to go ahead, to identify the strengths of the organisation and the intervention along with any potential pitfalls and problems which they may encounter.
You can find out more about the e-HIT and download it by clicking here >>