Improving Local Partnerships InfoBank

The direction of travel for much of the Government's current policy is towards devolving decision making power to local people. This localisation agenda is set out in the Community Empowerment white paper,
Communities in control - Real people, real power.

LIOs and the third sector have a vital role to play in giving a voice to under-represented groups and in representing community interest.

Policy Background

Find out more about the policy and legislative landscape

What support for the third sector is available from NAVCA?

Links to information and tools

• Citizen involvement in local governance, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in June 2009, is a round-up of the issues faced by central government, local government and individual citizens in developing partnerships to design, deliver and assess local public services, and tackle local challenges.
• Principles of Representation or "How principled is your partnership?" - A summary of the Principles of Representation including a checklist for third sector engagement in the design and delivery of public services.
• Tools for representation - A series of guidance sheets to support colleagues involved in developing representational structures in partnership working.
• Principles of representation: A framework for effective third sector representation in local strategic partnerships was published by CLG in August 2008, after consultation. It suggests principles by which the sector can organise itself for authentic, effective and accountable representation on Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) and other local paublic bodies.
• The Local Wellbeing Project, a joint initiative led by the Young Foundation, IDeA and Richard Layard from the LSE have published a new report. Entitled 'Neighbourliness+Empowerment=Wellbeing' the report shows how neighbourhood and community empowerment can improve wellbeing.
• Knowing your communities toolkit developed by the Audit Commission.
• People and participation: How to put citizens at the heart of decision-making - a tool developed by Involve.
• The Community Power Pack has been created by CLG and Involve, to help local groups organise and facilitate discussion around the Empowerment White Paper.
• Further information is available from IDeA about participatory budgeting.
• Closing the Gap: Women Take Part is a report from the Government Equalities Office looking at participation of women in governance and decision making, in both community and public life. An executive summary is also available.