vcs engagement with regional and sub-region public sector decision-making katie schmuecker research...
TRANSCRIPT
VCS engagement with regional and sub-region public
sector decision-making
Katie SchmueckerResearch Fellow, ippr north
This research is made possible by support from
Context
• New governance spaces at the regional and sub-regional levels
• Opportunity to develop a more deliberative democracy?
• Policy developments both regionally… – SNR
• …and sub-regionally – City regions
• Uncertain future following Conservative Green Paper Control Shift?– Unlikely in practice to herald end of regional / sub-
regional tier
Background
• Part of wider ippr north programme of work on regional / sub-regional governance
• Main focus: economic development (broadly interpreted)
• Rhetorical commitment to the engagement of the VCS in policy-making
Key research questions
• What is rationale for VCS engagement with strategic partnerships at the regional and sub-regional levels in England?
• What is the perception of strategic partnership working at the regional and sub-regional level among VCS leaders and infrastructure organisations? And in the public and private sectors?
• What steps does the public sector need to take to engage with the VCS more successfully?
• What steps does the VCS need to take to further develop engagement with the public sector at the regional and sub-regional levels?
• What skills, traits and competencies should be displayed by VCS leaders in order to engage more effectively?
Methodology
• Desk based research• Focus groups
– 1 x frontline organisations; 1 x infrastructure organisations
• Interviews– VCS, Public and private sector
• Online Survey– 137 responses– Good spread of respondents, although highly
engaged
Why the research matters?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Very important Quite important Not veryimportant
Not important atall
Regional Sub-regional
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60%
Very important Quite important Not veryimportant
Not important atall
Regional Sub-regional
…and for work of organisation…
Regions / Sub-regions regarded as Important for policy making…
Why the research matters?
…but don’t feel able to feed in views and experience
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Very easily Quite easily Not very easily Not at all easily
Regional Sub-regional
Emerging findings-Why engage?
VCS believes has much to offer…
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50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Bet
ter
unde
rsta
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com
mun
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ight
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em
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ert
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Emerging findings-Why engage?
…and potentially to gain.
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Imp
rove
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etw
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en
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Co
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om
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ove Oth
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Regional Sub-Regional
• Input is valued by the public sector– Especially in relation to employability and
skills– But how deeply rooted?
• Argument needs to be that engagement will improve policy outcomes
Emerging findings-Why engage?
Emerging findings- Perspectives on strategic engagement
Relationship has improved……but still concerns about tokenism• Complexity and capacity two key issues:
– Complexity of the public sector structures– Resourcing and capacity of VCS infrastructure
organisations a concern…– …as is their complexity– And the myriad of VCS voices makes
representation challenging
Emerging findings- Perspectives on strategic engagement
• Relationship between large VCS organisations and infrastructure organisations?
• Power relations with the public sector
• Personal relations with the public sector
Emerging findings- Skills for strategic engagement
0%
10%
20%
30%
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50%
60%
70%
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Str
ate
gic
th
inki
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ole
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Region Sub-region
Emerging findings- Skills for strategic engagement
• Broadly in line with VCS Skills Survey 2007– Information/research/policy; partnership
working; negotiating and influencing; communication
• Public sector also highlighted:– Strategic thinking; interpersonal skills;
awareness of other organisations’ limitations; understanding of politics
Tentative conclusions- Collective actions
• Joint responsibility for developing greater stakeholder engagement?
• Shared approaches to deepening understanding?– Movement between sectors?– Inter-organisational rather than inter-personal
relationships?– Joint training?
Tentative conclusions-Actions for the public sector
• Survey respondents would like to see engagement through:– VCS infrastructure organisations (73%)– Inviting VCS representatives onto boards and
partnerships (72%)– Regular outreach sessions and events
specifically for the VCS (70%)
Tentative conclusions- Actions for the public sector
• Accessible information? • Dedicated resources to support VCS
engagement?• Structured engagement – duty to engage; LSP-
type model?• A corporate approach to the VCS - implementing
the compact?• Simplifying the regional and sub-regional
processes of strategy development?• Simplifying the regional and sub-regional
bureaucracy?
Tentative conclusions- Actions for the VCS
• Skills development?• Invest in more policy officers - perhaps shared?• How can feedback and representation
mechanisms be further developed?• Moving beyond individuals?
– Succession planning; career development
• Streamline own bureaucracy?• Share good practice?• Develop a concept of ‘VCS citizenship’?