Community Planning Framework Introduction

Rationale for Community Planning

The impetus for Community Planning came in 1998 when the Scottish Executive and COSLA produced guidance to steer Councils in the development of Community Planning Partnerships.

‘Community planning is a process through which a council and its public sector partners, in consultation with the voluntary and private sector, and the community, can agree a strategic vision for the area and the action which each of the partners will take in pursuit of that vision.’

Taken from the Scottish Government/CoSLA Task Force report 1998.

The main objectives for Community Planning were described in the 1998 report as: -

To improve the services provided by local service providers through closer, more co-ordinated working.
To provide a process through which local partners, in consultation with the voluntary and private sector and the community can agree both a strategic vision for the area and the action which each partner will take in pursuit of that vision.
To help councils and their public sector partners collectively to identify the needs and views of individuals and communities and to assess how they can best be delivered and addressed.

Responding to the concern about the fragmented landscape of partnerships and strategic planning, Community Planning was seen as a way of rationalising these partnerships, making sure that accountability was established.

Local Government in Scotland Act (2003)

There has been significant developments in Community Planning both nationally and locally. The introduction of the Local Government in Scotland Act (2003) gave Community Planning a legislative base and established The Power to Advance Wellbeing and Best Value.

The Act provides the basic framework for Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) and sets out the minimum requirements of CPPs.

Taken from the Act Part 2 Section 15: -

It is the duty of a local authority to initiate and, having done so, to maintain and facilitate a process (in this Act, called “community planning by which the public services provided in the area of the local authority are provided and the planning of that provision takes place – a) after consultation I) among all the public bodies (included the local authority) responsible for providing those services; and ii) with such community bodies and other bodies or persons as is appropriate; and b) after and by way of such co-operation among those bodies and persons as appropriate.

Taken from the Statutory Guidance:-

Improving public services and making a difference to the lives of people who use them are the most important challenges for the Scottish Executive, local government, voluntary and community groups and other public bodies in Scotland. The Community Planning process in acting as a framework for making public services responsive to, and organised around, the needs of communities, has a key role in ensuring these challenges are met.

Aims of Community Planning:-

The two main aims of Community Planning can be described as:

Making sure people and communities are genuinely engaged in the decisions made on public services which affect them; allied to
A commitment from organisations to work together, not apart, in providing better public services.

Taken from Advice Notes:-

The emphasis of the Community Planning process goes beyond the establishment of joint vision in a plan and expects a Community Planning partnership to agree on what they intend to achieve together based on both national and local priorities; how they will achieve these priorities through the actions of the4 individual partners; (and) how they will track progress.

The Act placed a duty of Community Planning on local authorities, the NHS, the Police Service, the Fire and Rescue Service and local Enterprise Company. Local Authorities were given the role to facilitate and support Community Planning for their area, with the other statutory partners given the role to support the Local Authority.

The Act also requires Community Planning Partnerships to ensure that all partners integrate equalities into their development plans and into mainstream service provision.

Best Value

Taken from the Statutory Guidance:-

the duty of Best Value, being to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in performance (while maintaining an appropriate balance between quality and cost); and in making those arrangements and securing that balance, to have regard to economy, efficiency, effectiveness, the equal opportunities requirements and to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development;
the duty to achieve break-even in trading accounts subject to mandatory disclosure;
the duty to observe proper accounting practices;
the duty to make arrangements for the reporting to the public of the outcome of the performance of functions.

10 criteria have been developed against which Local Authorities will be measured – commitment and leadership; responsiveness and consultation;sound governance at a strategic, financial and operational level; sound management of resources; use of review and options appraisal; competitiveness, trading and the discharge of authority functions; sustainable development; equal opportunities arrangements; joint working and accountability.

The process of Community Planning and its effectiveness will be assessed within the Best Value Audit due to be carried out by Audit Scotland in Aberdeen in 2006.

The Power to Advance Wellbeing

Taken from the Statutory Guidance:-

2.2 The power to advance well-being has been provided to encourage innovation and closer partnership working between local authorities and other bodies in better responding to the needs of communities. The new power is wide-ranging and enables local authorities to do anything that they consider is likely to promote or improve the well-being of their area and/or persons in it.

To access the Act and accompanying guidance, see below.

Aberdeen City's Community Planning framework

The Aberdeen City Alliance (TACA) was established in June 2002. This was a key action in the Community Plan which was launched in November 2001 (Leading the City). Five new partners were included at this time, whilst two departed. There are now fifteen participating partners who are listed below: -

Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Centre Association
Aberdeen Civic Forum
Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce
Aberdeen College
Aberdeen Council of Voluntary Organisations
Aberdeen Harbour Board
Aberdeen Trades Council
Aberdeen University
Federation of Small Businesses
Grampian Fire and Rescue Service
Grampian Police
NESTRANS
NHS Grampian
Robert Gordon University
Scottish Enterprise
The Regional Ecumenical Team

TACA has agreed a paper detailing the aspirations of the partnership.

Aberdeen Civic Forum was launched in May 2002. Again, this was a direct action from Leading the City (as above). The Civic Forum draws together representatives from neighbourhoods and community councils throughout the City and Communities of Interest and is the communities' input into the Community Planning process.

The Civic Forum has a lead group which meets regularly to co-ordinate input into the Challenge Forums and The Aberdeen City Alliance (TACA).

Since the launch of our first Community Plan in 2001, we have been developing the Community Planning framework across the City and a framework to improve public and other services across the North East.

Each of the themes established by our original Community Plan

had a Challenge Forums taking forward strategies and action plans on behalf of the City (Leading the City is taken forward by The Aberdeen City Alliance (TACA).

Challenge Forums draw their membership from the participating partners within The Aberdeen City Alliance (TACA) and from associated services, voluntary organisations and community groups. Forums each have their own action plan to deliver what was stated in the first Community Plan. There is an annual process of review, target setting and action plans - read Our Community Plan and Annual Reports.

Three members of Aberdeen Civic Forum sit on each of the Challenge Forums, offering a community perspective and fulfilling a community monitoring role.

The North East Networks bring together the relevant officers from participating partners to develop joint plans in the following areas: -

Finance
Personnel
Datashare
ICT (Information and Communications Technology)
Property
Performance Management

By sharing best practice and supporting Community Planning, these resources can be co-ordinated and used more efficiently across the North East.

Lead Officers Group

A group of lead officers who are facilitating Challenge Forums and Networks and/or representing the main partners have been he co-ordination and management of The Aberdeen City Alliance (TACA). The group also undertakes action on behalf of The Aberdeen City Alliance.

2008 Update

In 2008, the Community Plan was updated and combined with the City's Single Outcome Agreement (click here for the combined Community Plan and SOA). The Aberdeen City Alliance (TACA) is responsible for the delivery of the Single Outcome Agreement (SOA). The existing framework of Challenge Forums will monitor the progress of the SOA and report by exception to The Aberdeen City Alliance on a regular basis. TACA will report annually to the Scottish Government.

In June 2008, TACA agreed to approach the Scottish Government to seek the appropriate approval to incorporate the partnership under Section 19 of the Local Government in Scotland Act (2003).

Local Government in Scotland Act (2003) - Community Planning: Statutory Guidance and Advice Notes

The Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 provides a framework to enable the delivery of better, more responsive public services. The guidance on Community Planning should be read in conjunction with the Best Value guidance and the Power to Advance Well Being guidance. All the guidance is available on the Scottish Government website at the links below:

Statutory Guidance

Advice Notes
Power to Advance Wellbeing

Best Value Guidance

Community Planning