connected communities or “building the big society” presentation by dr bert provan, deputy...

Connected Communities

OR

“Building the Big Society”

Dr Bert Provan

Deputy Director and Head of Profession for Social Research

Department of Communities and Local Government

For discussion only: This does not present Government policy

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State support has discouraged

personal and social responsibility

“I am certain that government is a big part of the problem – its size has now

reached a point where it is actually making our social problems worse. That‟s

because by trying to do too much, it has drained the lifeblood of a strong

society – personal and social responsibility.”2

2. Speech, Let‟s mend our broken society, 27 April 2010


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The Big Society

This will be a society with

• localism – high levels of decentralisation, transparency and accountability

• Self reliance and mass engagement in social action

• Much reduced role of the central and local state

• fewer programmes

• fewer targets (CAA gone)

“The Big Society is a society where the leading force for progress is social

responsibility not state control.” 1.

1. David Cameron

“Neighbourhoods are the building blocks for everything we do”


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The Guiding Principles

Can individuals do it? Give them the power and the resources

Can communities do it? Give them the power and the resources

Can local authorities do it? Give them the power and the resources

Must the centre intervene to persuade, prescribe, or fund?


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Restoring personal and social responsibility:

role of citizens and communities

• Playing an active role in civic life

• Holding service providers and politicians to account

• Looking out for neighbours and the vulnerable

• Identifying opportunities for self-help and community responsibility

• Taking over the running of community assets

“Real change is not what government can do on its own – real change is when everyone

pulls together, comes together, works together, where we all exercise our

responsibilities to ourselves, to our families, to our communities and to others.”8

8. David Cameron, 12th May, 10 Downing Street


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Restoring personal and social responsibility:

role of charities, community organisations and

social enterprises

• Identifying community needs

• Bringing communities together to solve problems

• Raising funds

• Co-ordinating community events

• Co-designing and delivering services

“The challenge

for any

government is

how to help

communities to

help themselves -

to support rather

than stifle

grassroots

community

action.”9

9. Community Sector Coalition


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Restoring personal and social

responsibility: role of the state

“directly agitating for, catalysing and galvanising social renewal”10

10. Speech, The Big Society, Hugo Young Lecture, 10 November 2009

1. Giving away power (not money)

2. Removing barriers to civic action

(including lack of capacity and

transparent information)

3. Facilitating change (including Big

Society Bank and providing

government contracts to social

enterprises)

4. Empowering others (including

through intermediaries and

institutions)

5. Being the change we want to see

(including civic service for civil

servants)


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So the question is :

How, where, and how fast can

this happen?

Some pointers and options….


9

Community events Voluntary organisations

Community footballMutual support

Institutions

“We want to build up strong local

institutions which are tangible and

where people – literally – come together

to meet and mingle.”3

3. David Cameron


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Data transparency and accountability

“By giving people more information, we give them more

power”4

Holding providers and politicians to account

Contacting local government and services Practical politics

Information & Influence

4. David Cameron


11Schools

“We need to enable more ownership, offering local people who see a

derelict building or a local service the chance to think „we can take

over and we can turn it into something really special.‟”5

Running local services Community allotments

Community centres Community pubs

Pride in place

Community space

5. David Cameron, From Central Power to People Power, speech, February 2010


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Delegated and participatory budgets Business sponsorship

“We want social entrepreneurs to have better access to

the strategic capital they need.”6

Social enterpriseFund raisingAccess to finance

6. Big Society, Not Big Government

Local Funds


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Sharing ideas

Online Offline

“… non-state collective action is more effective than centralised

state solutions in solving community problems.” 7

7. David Cameron, Hugo Young Lecture


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Issue 1: Dissemination and

transmission of knowledge

To Citizens

New challenge – passing on understanding to local

non specialists

Making a coherent and cross discipline set of

narratives

Working with intermediaries (Big Society Network,

Vol orgs)

Conscious of “what‟s in it for me?”

Supporting their knowledge networks – and using

ICT

This involves engagement to make it happen……


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Issue 2: Definitions and ideas

What do we mean by• Neighbourhoods• Connected communities• Empowerment• Social capital• Nudge• Social responsibility• Civic responsibility• Volunteering• Localism • Engagement• Meaningful interaction• Multiple deprivation• Area effects• Benefit dependency• Integration• Cohesion

And how do they

relate to each

other?


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Issue 3: Evidence

What is the baseline?

Who is engaged? Self reliant?

Where are the cohesive communities? Those with social

capital?

Where are the communities who will find it most difficult to

engage?

How do we map this at small area level?

How to we measure change?

How do we monitor individuals and their journey?

How do we measure communities in flux?

What are our criteria to judge that the “Big Society” has

arrived?

How to we recognise risks and triumphs?

Is it cost effective?

Surely you know lots of this already?


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Issue 4: Understanding Change

•What works in getting communities engaged,

connected and active?

•What stimulates and motivates?

•What gets in the way?

•Are drivers primarily socieo-economic? Or

educational?

•What is the role of cultural factors?

•Is change tactical or fundamental?

•Do we have a theory of change?

How will it be made to work this time?


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Issue 5: Methodology and approach

Challenge of getting good evidence in a localised world – no

more national mega evaluations

Research methods appropriate with constrained budgets

Innovative in how collect and present info – electronic

surveys and interactive presentation

Cross discipline – demographics, behavioural economics,

qualitative social research, wild ideas

Get value out of what already have

Informing the Big Society……..


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Scotland

We would hope to see bids to the programme that both took

account of:

• generalities of Scottish difference (our income distribution, our

rural and remote population dispersal),

• specifics (e.g our built environment, our housing stock, our

minority ethnic population).

• We would welcome partnerships and collaborations that draw

in expertise of Scotland.

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Scotland

Scottish national performance framework,

„where all can flourish‟.

• We realise our full economic potential with more and better

employment opportunities.

• Our children have the best start in life and are ready to

succeed.

• We live longer, healthier lives.

• We have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society.

• We live our lives safe from crime, disorder and danger.

• We live in well designed, sustainable places where we are able

to access the amenities and services we need.

• We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where

people take responsibility for their own actions and how they

affect others.

• We value and enjoy our built environment and protect and

enhance it for future generations.

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Scotland

It is also important to note that following the „concordat‟, the majority of spend and decision making is conducted through Community Planning Partnerships, operating at local level, and therefore requiring local level information.

In terms of regeneration policy, activity focuses on three key areas:Policy development through working with Ministers and key stakeholders.Supporting the delivery of regeneration through providing funding and adviceBuilding capacity though identifying, sharing and getting people to act on good practice.

Key objectives that we‟d seek to meet through knowledge generated in the programme are:

to support community-led regeneration and, in particular, how communities can have more control over how their neighbourhood is regenerated, building on their own asset base and infrastructure.

to ensure we achieve greater value for money from existing interventions and where other sources of finance besides government grant can be harnessed, and

to work more closely with key sectors to facilitate consideration of where innovative approaches can be made to work.

In planning,• how to use the Scottish planning system to engender earlier, and better community

involvement, and • how the use of mediation can resolve planning disputes, and achieve better

outcomes.

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Scotland

Key questions therefore to consider when

designing your bid, to provide policy value in

Scotland would be:

• Does this apply equally to Scotland?

• Is this a uniquely Scottish situation/issue/finding?

• Do the government arrangements in Scotland make

a difference to the policy implications I draw?

• Are there particular communities and places in

Scotland that can tell me something particular about

this issue?

connected communities or “building the big society” presentation by dr bert provan, deputy...

Business

present government

big society

social responsibility

david cameron

built environment

government

society

people