The Communities First Programme

1
The Communities First Programme

• Paul Dear
• Head of Communities First Unit
• Communities Directorate
• Welsh Assembly Government

2
Overview of Presentation

• Background to the programme
• Key Challenges
• Communities Next
• Lessons Learned Ideas for Others
• Contact Details

3
I. Background to the programme

• Communities First is the Welsh Assembly
  Governments flagship programme to address issues
  of poverty and social exclusion.
• Rationale
• to raise the capacity of disadvantaged groups
  and of people and organisations living and
  working in the most deprived communities to
  develop activities and projects of communal
  benefit and to harness mainstream funding to
  deliver economic and social regeneration.
• (Interim Evaluation of Communities First Final
  Report 4.1.1 Nov.2006)

4
Key Principles

• Long term 10-20 year / generational (began
  2001).
• Creative, flexible non-prescriptive therefore
  complex and varied.
• Enabling and facilitating.
• Bottom up Community Driven.
• Work overseen and driven by local partnerships on
  a three thirds basis public, voluntary/business,
  community.
• Focus on capacity building and participation by
  local people.
• Core programme budget must be supported by other
  funds.
• Spatially targeted on most deprived communities
  in Wales.

5
The Communities

• Eligibility based on the Welsh Index of Multiple
  Deprivation 2000.
• 100 most deprived electoral wards in Wales.
• 32 additional sub-ward pockets of deprivation.
• 10 communities of interest / imaginative
  proposals.
• Currently 137 CF partnerships in operation.
• At least one CF area in each of 22 local
  authority areas in Wales.
• Heavy concentration in South East Wales,
  especially in former. mining valleys areas 60
  of the programme in the SE.

6
Community Vision Framework

• Preparatory Activity ? Capacity Building ?
  Community Action Plans
• Jobs and Business
• Education and Training
• Environment
• Health and Well Being
• Community Safety
• Active Community

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• Capacity building Aims
• To build confidence and raise the self-esteem of
  people living in the community.
• To enable people to planning and delivery of
  regeneration in their own communities.
• To ensure public services are delivered in more
  responsive and accountable ways.
• To encourage active citizenship.

• Regeneration Aims
• To increase the incomes of local people.
• To create jobs.
• To make communities safe, secure and crime free.
• To improve housing and quality of environment.
• To encourage and improve education and skills
  training.
• To improve health and well-being.

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Management of the Programme

• Minister Deputy Minister
• Welsh Assembly Government.
• Communities Directorate Communities First Unit
  (CFU).
• CFU 5 Regional Teams (North, West, 3xSE)
  Policy Unit.
• Communities First Support Network (CFSN) and
  other support organisations funded nationally or
  regionally.
• Local management by Grant Recipient Bodies (GRBs)
  predominantly local authorities but also
  voluntary organisations.
• Process driven by local partnerships with support
  from all the above.

9
The Money (all figures approximate)

• Over 160 million since 2001.
• Current annual budget approximately 45million.
• Average budget for local partnerships 200,000
  (ranging between 150,000 750,000)
• Staff teams and local offices.
• Training, publicity and key project funds.
• GRB management costs.
• CFSN and other support over 5million p/a.
• Communities First Trust Fund for small projects
  in CF areas 3m/yr.

10
The Typical Local View

• Local partnership meets monthly to review
  progress and make plans.
• Staff team consisting of a coordinator,
  development worker, youth worker and
  administrator work from an office in the
  community.
• Staff are employed by the local Council, who
  manage people and money and are actively involved
  in the partnership.
• Other partnership members include residents,
  police, health representatives, members of local
  voluntary groups etc.
• CFSN, WAG and other agencies provide support and
  advice.
• Constant stream of projects, activities and
  discussion with service providers to address
  local issues and increase participation.

11
Expansion of the programme

• Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD)
  revised 2005.
• Issue for CF change with new index or stick
  with existing areas?
• Decision 1 all existing areas remain in the
  programme.
• Decision 2 areas now in the most deprived 10
  not already in the programme are now eligible for
  inclusion.
• Local consultation over 46 potential new areas
  now underway.
• Up to 30 new partnerships anticipated by April
  2009.
• No immediate further revision following WIMD
  3008.

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II. Key Challenges (i)

• Managing an innovative, flexible and
  non-prescriptive bottom-up programme without
  losing all coherence.
• Logistical and financial challenges of a
  programme on this scale.
• Finding the right levels for support and
  guidance.
• Balancing capacity building and regeneration.
• Working between sectors and agencies.
• Demonstrating progress and value for money
  without losing sight of long-term aims.

13
Key Challenges (ii)

• Striking the appropriate balance between local
  authorities and communities representative and
  participatory democracy.
• Dealing fairly with communities starting from
  very different levels of community development.
• Getting beyond the key activists in some areas.
• Lack of trained staff for such a large and
  complex programme
• Sustaining interest and confidence at all levels
  over a long period.
• Drawing in other funding programme bending.

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III. Communities Next

• Continuity and Change the Vision for
  Communities Next
• A programme which is the next phase of the
  Communities First Programme and will mobilise and
  enable local people to contribute to the
  regeneration of their communities in practical
  ways , in line with their local priorities and
  those of statutory bodies such as the Assembly
  Government, local authorities and health bodies.
• Communities Next Consultation Document 4.1.3

15
The Road to Communities Next

• Interim Evaluation of the programme published
  October 2006.
• Assembly elections May 2007 leading to
  Labour/Plaid Coalition.
• One Wales agreement includes commitment
  develop Communities First into its Communities
  Next phase.
• Consultation on Communities Next February to
  April 2008.
• No fundamental changes 2008-09.
• Revised Programme Guidance and Funding Criteria
  Summer 2008.
• Next phase of the Programme 2009-12.

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Key Features of Communities Next

• A new focus on tangible regeneration outcomes and
  achievements.
• Stronger links to the Assembly Governments wider
  agenda for regeneration and other priorities such
  as child poverty.
• Increased prioritisation of economic development
  within a continuing broad approach to
  regeneration.
• Expectation of and support for increased
  programme bending and mainstreaming through joint
  work with service providers.
• Maximising the benefit of new European Structural
  Funds.
• Reconfigured support structures for the Programme.

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IV. Lessons Learned Ideas for Others

• Meetings matter, but people matter more
  communities mostly dont work through formal
  structures.
• Dont try to do too much, but do try to do
  something.
• Provide strong support when the going gets tough.
• If you dont know or cant agree what you
  want to achieve, money will only fuel the
  problem, not provide a solution.
• Good staff are vital and precious. They need
  support, but ultimately community development is
  not about them.
• Partnerships are very hard work, especially in
  communities!

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• THANK YOU
• Paul Dear
• Head of Communities First Unit
• Welsh Assembly Government
• Merthyr Tydfil Office
• Rhydycar
• Merthyr Tydfil
• CF48 1UZ
• Tel. [phone]
• paul.dear_at_wales.gsi.gov.uk
• www.wales.gov.uk (housing and communities)