Improvement Service / Scottish Centre for Regeneration Project: Embedding an Outcomes Approach in Community Regeneration & Tackling Poverty Effectively Prioritising Key Outcomes for Tackling Poverty and Community Regeneration Andrew Noble 25 November 2010

Content of Presentation Project Support and Thematic Issues Challenges Why Prioritise? Agreeing Priority Outcomes- Key Considerations Potential Prioritisation Criteria Implementing Priority Outcomes- Key Considerations

Support on offer via Project Working with five Community Planning Partnerships- Dumfries and Galloway, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian and West Lothian No single prescriptive model – scope needs of partnership Focus on practical, hands on support Realism about what can be achieved within the timescale Work collaboratively to build capacity and sustainability

Thematic Project Issues Partnership working- Reviewing, structure role, remit, membership and links to the broader CPP and SOA. Developing an evidence based Poverty Profile. Linking the poverty agenda to the SOA- prioritisation and reviewing indicators and targets. Developing outcome focused action plans, drawing from the evidence base and linking to the SOA. Communication and dissemination of key messages and an understanding of the Outcomes approach.

Challenges Significant scale of public sector resource challenges- funding reduction for all Community Planning Partnerships over the medium term Against a context of rising demand /expectations for many services- particularly social care Impact of the public sector funding cuts on poor and deprived communities and individuals Significant reductions in Benefits- £18 billion across the UK

Challenges More of the same’ won’t do it- and isn’t sustainable Fitness for purpose of existing partnerships- Risk of a return to organisational silos Implementation of the Outcomes approach is still patchy across CPPs Lack of capacity within CPPs to deliver on anti-poverty themes within the SOA Need for hard prioritisation / improved effectiveness / more innovative service models to deliver on SOAs

Why is there a need for Prioritisation? Significant reduction in public sector resources:- –Staff –Budgets –Impact on range of stakeholders Increasing demand for many services (due to recession / demographic change) “If everything is a priority, nothing is a priority”

What does it mean to have priorities? Prioritisation is inevitably a “political” issue, and consensus and in some cases compromise will need to be reached by partnerships. Little point in a partnership agreeing a set of priorities if it doesn’t actually influence anything. Priorities should be:- Understood and agreed by stakeholders Reflected in key strategy documents Reflected in operational plans Reflected in performance management systems Reflected in resource allocation (incl. Budgets / Staffing / Equipment) All of these are required

Sphere of influence Can the partnership maximise its impact by seeking to:- Cover a wide range of issues (but potentially risk ‘spreading the jam too thinly’) or Focus on having a major impact on a relatively small number of issues (but potentially missing opportunities to influence some areas)

What Information do we need to prioritise? Is there agreement on the evidence base / key issues / challenges / opportunities / what’s important? Do we actually know ‘what works’ (which interventions have an effective and sustainable impact, represent good value for money) Limitations placed on individual partners due to funding, etc Help to take demand out of the system- prevention and early intervention

Agreeing Priority Outcomes - Key Considerations Utilise the leadership structures to explicitly recognise that the partnership simply cannot do everything and that there is both a need for and clear benefits to be gained from further prioritisation. Agree a clear process for decision-making on priorities, based upon the appropriate governance arrangements for the organisation / partnership. Draw upon the available evidence base to better understand what the partnership can influence and to help inform decisions about what is considered to be important. Engage the views of a wide range of stakeholders. Understand individual partners’ priorities, flexibilities and restrictions.

Agreeing Priority Outcomes - Key Considerations Agree criteria and weighting to assist in ranking priorities. Appraise potential options against the agreed criteria. Use the results of the appraisal / review of evidence, etc to support decision-making on priorities within the context of the governance arrangements. Agree a relatively small number of key outcomes as the partnership’s priorities. Be as specific as possible about what these priorities are. Be equally clear about what is no longer deemed to be priority. Agree clear targets / milestones for the priorities.

Potential Prioritisation Criteria Strong Strategic fit (Including contribution to SOA Outcomes, Objectives and Targets) Evidence of need and demand Likely Impact / difference made in the short, medium and long term Value for money (ratio of inputs to outputs / outcomes) Sustainability of impact (Early intervention / provision / downstream savings) Adding value (collaborative gain / complementarity with other activities) Innovative approaches

Implementing Priority Outcomes - Key Considerations Effectively communicate agreed priority outcomes to stakeholders Ensure agreed priority outcomes are reflected in the strategic / operational plans and in the resource allocation decisions of partners Utilise partnership structures to consider the most effective mix of interventions and delivery mechanisms for achieving the desired outcomes. Consider how best to achieve a shift of activities towards a greater focus on prevention and early intervention.

Implementing Priority Outcomes - Key Considerations Develop detailed action plans, which set out the agreed interventions that are designed to deliver on the agreed priority outcomes. Scale back / cease non-priority activities. Track and assess progress against the agreed targets / milestones for priorities. Keep priorities under review and re-assess them at regular periods and also following significant developments.

Contact Details Andrew Noble Project Manager Embedding an Outcomes Approach in Community Regeneration & Tackling Poverty Improvement Service