In every urban and rural area in England, local infrastructure
organisations (LIOs) work behind the scenes to ensure that local
third sector groups and organisations get the support they
need.
They provide their members with a range of services and
development support, and are the voice of the local third
sector.
LIOs differ greatly in character and size, from small rural
organisations with one or two paid staff, to large multi-million
pound operations. Each is part of a network that is in touch with
over 164,000 local third sector groups and organisations across the
country.
What does a local
infrastructure organisation do?
Local infrastructure organisations help the local third sector
in a variety of ways:
Identifying and filling the gaps
By
monitoring the services provided by the third sector in its local
area, an LIO is able to easily identify where the gaps are. It can
then work with new groups to address unmet needs and ensure that
existing groups are equipped to tailor their services to the
changing needs of the community.
Raising standards
LIOs are key
to a fully-functioning, high quality local sector. By providing
access to information on anything from funding and legal advice to
training and quality assurance standards, they ensure that local
groups and organisations have the knowledge, skills and resources
they need to support the local community.
Enabling communication and collaboration
Encouraging local groups to share resources and to work
collaboratively creates a more efficient way of working and helps
to build a stronger local sector. LIOs provide local groups and
organisations with a forum for networking, enabling them to share
good practice and expertise to form partnerships which can bid for
public service contracts.
Providing a voice
LIOs act as a conduit, representing the diverse views of local
groups and organisations to agencies such as the local authority
and other public bodies. They also promote two-way communication,
so that the local sector is consulted on policy developments and
can contribute to discussions and decision-making at a local level.
They often take the lead in establishing a local Compact - an
agreement between the sector, councils and other local public
bodies.
Promoting strategic involvement
The local third
sector has a vital role to play in local policy-making and
planning. LIOs make sure that the sector is represented and
involved in local strategic partnerships, local area agreements and
other influential planning groups, and actively work with
representatives to ensure they keep on top of key local
issues.