Aspiring Places; Community Projects in Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute Council · 26 September 2024
Back to Argyll and Bute Council — 26 September 2024 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE 26 September 2024 Aspiring Places; Community Projects in Argyll and Bute 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Further to the Policy and Resources Committee agreeing to a recommended approach to developing the Area Plans initiative, in light of the change of Council Administration, an opportunity was taken to pause and review the initiative with consideration as to how this may fit within any revision of the priorities for the organisation. 1.2 An alternative proposal is set out in this report and is deemed to meet the desired outcome of the initiative and aligned with the emerging priority for improved community engagement 1.3 Members are asked to note that this is a material change in approach to what was agreed by the Policy and Resources Committee in October 2023. 1.4 Recommendations. a) Rename the initiative as ‘Aspiring Places: Community Projects in Argyll and Bute’. b) Adopt Consul Democracy, a COSLA supported tool for civic participation, as a user friendly digital platform to which constituted community groups can promote their proposals (regardless of stage of development). c) Engage with all community groups over the same period of time rather than a phased approach on an area basis. d) Provide guidance to inform community groups of potential funding opportunities. e) With the emergence of a live community digital platform, no longer create the publication of 8 ‘Area Plan’ documents and subject to a trial period, alternatively report to members on a) the outcomes of the initiative through a formal evaluation and b) future recommendations on the long term viability and retention of the Aspiring Places – Community Projects in Argyll and Bute initiative.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE 26 September 2024 Aspiring Places - Community Projects in Argyll and Bute 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 Further to the Policy and Resources Committee agreeing 12 October 2023 to a recommended approach to developing Area Plans, in light of the change of administration in April 2024, a review of the initiative was undertaken to ensure that any approach is aligned with any revision to Council priorities. 2.2 Within the emerging theme of community engagement as a priority, this paper recommends an alternative approach considered to be of increased value as a long term proposition whilst increasing the likelihood of securing the desired outcome for increased funding for community projects in Argyll and Bute. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Members are asked to agree to: a) Rename the initiative as ‘Aspiring Places: Community Projects in Argyll and Bute’. b) Adopt Consul Democracy, a COSLA supported tool for civic participation, as a user friendly digital platform to which constituted community groups can promote their proposals (regardless of stage of development). c) Engage with all community groups over the same period of time rather than a phased approach on an area basis. d) Provide guidance to inform community groups of potential funding opportunities. e) With the emergence of a live community digital platform, no longer create the publication of 8 ‘Area Plan’ documents and subject to a trial period, alternatively report to members on a) the outcomes of the initiative through a formal evaluation and b) future recommendations on the long term viability and retention of the Aspiring Places – Community Projects in Argyll and Bute initiative.
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4.0 DETAIL 4.1 Members will recall a previous report considered by the Policy and Resources Committee 12 October 2023 on the ‘Development of Area Plans to Reflect Investment Opportunities’ in response to an action within the Corporate Plan 2023 – 2027. The Policy and Resources Committee agreed the following: a) That the number of locality plans covering Argyll and Bute was 8 plans (option A), as set out in paragraphs 4.31 to 4.33 of the submitted report; b) The principles on which the initiative would be designed and implemented as set out in paragraph 4.35 of the submitted report; c) The approach to the aforementioned initiative as set out in paragraphs 4.36 to 4.40 of the submitted report; d) The resourcing and timescales as set out in paragraphs 4.41 to 4.45 of the submitted report; e) To reflect any relevant outcomes from the Community Planning Partnership Community Wealth Building Review in the approach to producing area plans, noting that the report would be completed before the work started on the plans; and f) To an allocation of £200,000 from the Council’s Priorities Investment Fund to fund two temporary posts and associated costs to allow commencement of this initiative. 4.2 Following this approval, two full time Project Officers commenced temporary contracts on the 02 April 2024 and the arrangements for a project team and the board were as follows; a) The project officers operate under an existing Council manager within the Chief Executives Unit. b) The project manager in turn reports to the Council’s Communities & Partnerships Manager (within the Chief Executives Unit) who was appointed as the Senior Responsible Officer to ensure that this initiative is taken forward in alignment with activity under the theme of community planning. c) The Senior Responsible Officer (along with the Project Manager) is accountable to the Executive Leadership Team as the Project Board. 4.3 In light of the change of Council Administration on the 04 April 2024, a review of the project was undertaken with consideration as to how this may fit within any revision of the priorities for the organisation. An alternative approach is set out within this paper and is deemed to continue to meet the desired outcome and in line with the new administrations proposed priorities.
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Our Approach to ‘Aspiring Places - Community Projects in Argyll and Bute’ 4.4 The (Area Plans) approach previously agreed by the Policy and Resources Committee on 12 October 2023, was to develop 8 plans in 3 phases through the following stages; a) Collation of information and known existing plans and projects including community plans. b) Initial consultation; engage community councils, development trusts and any other identified community groups to a) test initial draft area plans, b) secure project submissions and c) identify gaps of opportunity. c) Share the draft area plans with Area Committees. d) Public consultation on draft area plans e) Publish analysis on feedback from engagement on draft area plans. f) Submit to the Council’s Policy and Resources Committee for consideration. 4.5 The proposed new approach, ‘Aspiring Places – Community Projects in Argyll and Bute’, is a single engagement phase using an existing and established community digital platform called CONSUL Democracy that allows community councils and groups to develop and submit their project proposals. Why CONSUL Democracy? 4.6 Parallel to the review is the coincidental and timeous redevelopment of an existing digital platform by the Council’s Community Engagement Strategy Group (CESG) as part of a wider and emerging strategy to improve community engagement. The CESG is an officer group established by the Head of Customer Support Services at the request of the Executive Leadership Team 4.7 Designed originally for participatory budgeting and adopted globally, CONSUL Democracy is an intuitive and easy to use platform with multiple functions to support civic participation and includes tools for the following activities; a) Debates. b) Citizen proposals. c) Voting polls. d) Participatory budgeting. e) Collaborative legislation. 4.8 Supported by COSLA and currently funded by Scottish Government for Scottish Local Authorities, CONSUL was used by the council previously in an innovative pilot project in relation to ‘Building Back Better’ (a consultation tool in relation to recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic) and its use is now being widened as part of a wider strategic approach to engaging communities and supporting participation.
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4.9 During the project review, CONSUL was adopted as the preferred option for the Aspiring Places approach as the platform has a number of functions and benefits as follows; a) Allows a creative and bespoke approach to creating proposals including use of images, documentation, videos, and location on a digital map. a) A central web-based source of information on community projects accessible by community groups, citizens, council, funders and partners. b) Tried and tested platform with national support from COSLA and Scottish Government. c) Accessible to all to view whilst maintaining security and monitoring of standards. d) Can capture projects at any stage with flexibility to add as little or as much detail as desired. e) Suitable for searching e.g. geographical area, types of projects, funding streams, gap analysis. f) Increased awareness of opportunities for individuals to get involved with existing groups (e.g. Community Councils) to help take forward project ideas. 4.10 With regards to costs, due to being open software created and promoted for public collaboration, annual license costs for CONSUL Democracy are currently low (circa £800) and at present these costs are being met by the Scottish Government. There is no indication of the Scottish Government either ceasing or continuing this commitment. Due to the license costs being low, taking potential increases into consideration, it is not anticipated that any license costs transferred back to the Council will be a barrier to its retention and use. 4.11 You can explore the platform at https://consuldemocracy.org Creating a Dynamic and Collaborative Space. 4.12 A particularly powerful feature of the platform is the search by category capability. As community groups submit their project proposals, they will as a minimum, be required to enter the project name and description, location on a map and contact details. They will also be encouraged to select pre-determined categories that improves searches by funders and other community groups to identify projects of shared interest. For example, a search for ‘climate action’ or ‘Bute’, would return a list of all projects with these categories. Examples of categories are as follows: a) Geographical place. b) Themes. c) Status of project. d) Strategic plans within which the project is aligned. 4.13 Funders (including the Council) may seek further project information and community groups will be encouraged to share additional information as they develop proposals. Below are examples of additional information funders may seek:
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a) Evidence of community engagement/ consensus. b) Alignment with existing plans and strategies. c) Description of benefits. d) Land ownership. e) Any consents in stage (e.g. town planning). f) Start and end date. g) Estimated cost. h) Funding applied for/ secured. i) Barriers to taking this proposal forward. 4.14 Due to the flexibility of the platform, proposals can be submitted at any stage of the project and community groups can decide the level of information they wish to share. Should the platform attain ‘critical mass’ (i.e. a live and information rich hub of community projects) where it becomes the ‘go to’ source of information, the project board is of the view that this has the scope to create an attractive and dynamic hub where community groups and funders can discover and collaborate on shared objectives in a shared safe space for improved outcomes for our communities. Expectations and Messaging 4.15 Since the inception of this initiative, there has been consistent and valid concerns on managing expectations of all stakeholders. The project vision is as follows; To create in one place, a comprehensive picture of all community projects to increase the likelihood of collaboration, securing external funding and implementation of projects in a planned approach to place. 4.16 Our draft guidance is clear that this initiative will not directly deliver/ provide: a) Funding. b) Support to develop projects and/or create business plans. c) Delivery plans. d) Will not supersede Council plans and priorities. 4.17 There is therefore a need to create a compelling reason for community groups to wish to participate in this initiative and the primary reasons are set out in our guidance as follows; a) We are creating a ‘shop window’ where community groups can promote their projects to a wider audience including funders and support agencies (including the Council). b) This will allow community groups to put forward proposals for their area. c) Allow everyone to see at a glance on a map all planned and aspirational projects in an area. d) The initiative will be helpful for all organisations including the Council and community groups in securing external funding in a highly competitive, complex and evolving funding landscape when it becomes available.
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4.18 Successful management of expectations will require the following; a) A robust and credible communications plan. b) Clear guidance for Members, staff and strategic partners. c) A multi media campaign that is upfront on key messages. d) A dedicated (and temporary) project team to reinforce messages and respond to queries. 4.19 Over the recent period the project team has developed an in-depth risk assessment and mitigations plan which has informed the project design and associated documentation which has been viewed by the project board who is assured of a robust and credible communications plan which will remain under review for the duration of the launch and establishment of the platform. Reporting 4.20 The previous approach was for a ‘one off exercise’ to capture and produce community projects in 8 Area Plans which is deemed to be of value for a limited time as the plans will quickly be out of date with regards to community projects. In our revised approach, the community projects will be situated on a continuous and live platform made dynamic by the ability of community groups to continue to update projects and showcase and promote to funders. Therefore, it is deemed that this makes the need for the production of 8 ‘Area Plan’ documents obsolete. 4.21 Resources are in place to establish and support the Aspiring Places initiative during the project period and further to an evaluation, a business case approach will be undertaken to assess the success of the platform, scope for growth and options for the long term viability and retention of the platform. 4.22 These outputs will be submitted for the consideration of Members in the autumn of 2025. As noted in section 3 above, this paper include a recommendation to no longer create the publication of 8 ‘Area Plan’ documents and alternatively report to members on the outcomes of the initiative through a formal evaluation and recommendations on the long term viability and retention of the Aspiring Places – Community Projects in Argyll and Bute initiative. Support for Community Groups 4.23 Further to the launch and promotion of the online platform, all community councils and groups will be able to immediately access the platform and commence creating their proposals. Online tutorials, extensive guidance and workshops facilitated by the project administrators on how to access and use the platform successfully will be promoted and made available to all community groups as part of the launch. Guidance will include information on the external funding landscape with particular regards to Government funding and signposting to other guidance and support available elsewhere.
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4.24 Extensive officer engagement has been undertaken internally with colleagues across the Council and HSCP including Community Development, Economic Growth and Education and consistent concerns about community groups have been captured as follows; a) Groups who are digitally excluded are not able to upload their project or view other project proposals. b) Some groups may experience technical difficulties with the platform. c) Level of detail on project proposals may be inconsistent and/or limited. d) Digital materials may not be compliant with a) accessibility legislation, b) where English is not a first language. 4.25 In collaboration with colleagues in our Community Development Team, targeted support is being designed for those groups identified as potentially digitally excluded, seldom heard, have limited capacity etc. While groups will be supported to upload their project proposals to Consul Democracy, groups who do not have access to the internet/ digital technology will not be able to participate directly. The project team will create/share resources for community, colleague and partner ‘Champions’ to assist groups to gain confidence and develop skills in using Consul. The project team will undertake quality assurance of each project proposal and provide real time feedback on ways to improve the information provided, promotion of tools available and signposting to other guidance and support available. 4.26 The project plan includes a period of testing and development of the site before launch to ensure that the site, online tools, guidance and tutorials work and are user friendly. This includes a planned interactive workshop at a Members Seminar in November at a stage when the site is operational and not yet public to allow Members to scrutinise the facility and be assured of its suitability. Timescales 4.27 The key milestones for the creation, launch and evaluation of the platform is set out in the table below. When Stage Activity September 2024 Approvals Secure mandate to launch initiative. October 2024 Construction Construct CONSUL Democracy portal. Nov’ to Dec’ 2024 Soft launch Testing and improvement in trials of portal. Hands on demonstration with live site at Members Seminar – November 2024.
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When Stage Activity January 2025 Go live. Public launch of platform and community support. Sept’ – Nov’ 2025 Report to Members Report to Members on Findings and Recommendations of Evaluation and Business Case on Longer Term Retention of the Site. February 2026 End project period. Implement decision by members on future retention of site and end project period. Assumption is that Aspiring Places platform becomes business as usual. 5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 Further to the agreement by the Policy and Resources Committee 12.10.23 to the approach of the Area Plans project to meet an objective for the Development of Area Plans to Reflect Investment Opportunities’, a review was undertaken with consideration as to how this may fit within any revision of the priorities for the organisation. 5.2 Parallel to the review is the coincidental and timeous redevelopment of the existing digital platform CONSUL Democracy by the Council’s Community Engagement Strategy Group as part of a wider and emerging strategy to improve community engagement 5.3 The revised approach ‘Aspiring Places – Community Projects in Argyll and Bute’, as set out in this report is deemed to be more sustainable, dynamic and an efficient way to not only capture community projects, but allow community groups to use CONSUL Democracy as a ‘shop window’ to attract funders and promote collaboration. In addition is the comfort that the proposed online tool is interactive, user friendly, tried and trusted, very low cost and easy to administrate. 5.4 Resources are in place to implement this initiative with extensive support available for community groups during the project period after which the outputs of a planned evaluation and recommendations on the long term viability and retention of the platform will come back to Members for future consideration. 5.5 Members are asked to note this is a material change to the decision by the Policy and Resources Committee on Area Plans on 12 October 2024. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy; seeks to implement an action within a) the Council’s Corporate Plan 2023 – 2027 to create area-based plans for all our communities, reflecting investment
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opportunities and local service prioritisation and b) a theme within emerging Council priorities on community engagement. 6.2 Financial; none. 6.3 Legal; none. 6.4 HR; none. 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: a Equality and Social Impact Assessment is being maintained for this endeavour and currently no negative impacts have been identified against the following areas. 6.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics; none. 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty; none. 6.5.3 Islands; none. 6.6 Climate Change; none. 6.7 Risk; none. 6.8 Customer Service; the initiative is being developed in consultation with the Council’s internal Community Engagement Strategy Group in order to ensure best practice and be an exemplar in community engagement. 6.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC); none Pippa Milne, Chief Executive Policy Lead, Councillor Jim Lynch. 02 September 2024 For further information contact: Rona Gold, Communities and Partnership Manager Email; rona.gold@argyll-bute.gov.uk Stuart Green, Corporate Support Manager, Chief Executives Unit Email; stuart.green@argyll-bute.gov.uk