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Local and Regional Networks
It is important that as a learning provider, you establish good dialogue with the key partnerships within your local area, and that you are also engaged with regional partnerships and policy issues at the regional level.
Active membership of local networks can help to ensure that the different stakeholders are able to collaborate productively and that the sustainable development ethos is at the forefront of the local community’s aspiration. Examples of ways in which you can make a meaningful contribution towards relevant local networks include:
• Participating in “communities of practice” shared sectors, industries, activities etc.
• Contributing to local websites, newsletters or other media outlets
• Participating in local events, fundraising, or other communitywide projects.
• Developing your branding as a provider so that it actively promotes your links with the local community.
• Working with professional organisations, e.g. the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC) purchasing officers, to ensure best practice and to share experiences with other FE providers.
Examples where you can become effectively involved in wider, more strategic networks, partnerships and initiatives to both assert your own influence and to better understand what is happening at the local and regional level include:
• The Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) is a key stakeholder that providers could become involved with. LSPs represents a range of the most relevant interest groups they bring together organisations from the public, private, community and voluntary sector within a local authority area, with the objective of improving people's quality of life and will have also have direct links to regional debates, particularly through the development of Local Area Agreements.
• Local Area Agreements are three year agreements, based on local Sustainable Community Strategies that set out the priorities for a local area agreed between Central Government, represented by the Government Office (GO), and a local area, represented by the local authority and other key partners through Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs). Providers should be actively contributing to the development of a Local Area Agreement with the LSP, ensuring that new initiatives and ways in which the organisation can benefit or contribute are appropriate both for the provider and for its neighbours.
• Become involved in relevant planning decisions at the local level. For example, a provider can provide feedback on Local Development Framework documents (The Local Development Framework (LDF) is a non-statutory term used to describe a folder of documents, which includes all the local planning authority's local development documents) as well as related sustainability appraisals as part of the public consultation process.
• Help to shape other plans e.g. the Local Transport Plan (The plan sets out the resources predicted for delivery of the targets identified in the strategy. Local transport plans should be consistent with the policies and priorities set out in the Regional Transport Strategy as an integral part of the Regional Spatial Strategy). A five-year integrated transport strategy, prepared by local authorities in partnership with the community, seeking funding to help provide local transport projects .
Active membership of local networks can help to ensure that the different stakeholders are able to collaborate productively and that the sustainable development ethos is at the forefront of the local community’s aspiration. Examples of ways in which you can make a meaningful contribution towards relevant local networks include:
• Participating in “communities of practice” shared sectors, industries, activities etc.
• Contributing to local websites, newsletters or other media outlets
• Participating in local events, fundraising, or other communitywide projects.
• Developing your branding as a provider so that it actively promotes your links with the local community.
• Working with professional organisations, e.g. the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC) purchasing officers, to ensure best practice and to share experiences with other FE providers.
Examples where you can become effectively involved in wider, more strategic networks, partnerships and initiatives to both assert your own influence and to better understand what is happening at the local and regional level include:
• The Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) is a key stakeholder that providers could become involved with. LSPs represents a range of the most relevant interest groups they bring together organisations from the public, private, community and voluntary sector within a local authority area, with the objective of improving people's quality of life and will have also have direct links to regional debates, particularly through the development of Local Area Agreements.
• Local Area Agreements are three year agreements, based on local Sustainable Community Strategies that set out the priorities for a local area agreed between Central Government, represented by the Government Office (GO), and a local area, represented by the local authority and other key partners through Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs). Providers should be actively contributing to the development of a Local Area Agreement with the LSP, ensuring that new initiatives and ways in which the organisation can benefit or contribute are appropriate both for the provider and for its neighbours.
• Become involved in relevant planning decisions at the local level. For example, a provider can provide feedback on Local Development Framework documents (The Local Development Framework (LDF) is a non-statutory term used to describe a folder of documents, which includes all the local planning authority's local development documents) as well as related sustainability appraisals as part of the public consultation process.
• Help to shape other plans e.g. the Local Transport Plan (The plan sets out the resources predicted for delivery of the targets identified in the strategy. Local transport plans should be consistent with the policies and priorities set out in the Regional Transport Strategy as an integral part of the Regional Spatial Strategy). A five-year integrated transport strategy, prepared by local authorities in partnership with the community, seeking funding to help provide local transport projects .
