Community-led VDS Toolkit –
A Step by Step Process
Alison Harvey
The Heritage Council
VDS Toolkit – Structure
Foreword
From Conor Newman and Michael Starrett
Part 1
Background and Introduction to the Community-led VDS
Toolkit – 9 sections
Part 2
Community-led Village Design Statements – Eight Distinct and
critical steps
Part 3
Further Information and contact details
Appendices:
Appendix 1: People involved…
Appendix 2: Bibliography and further reading
Fact Sheets
No. 1 - LA Heritage Officers (28 no.) contact details
No. 2 - Glossary of Terms
No. 3 - Overview of collaborative and participative process
No. 4 - Useful Websites
No. 5 - Project Charter Template
No. 6 - Template for VDS brief - Julianstown Brief, June 2009
No. 7 - Julianstown VDS scoring matrix
No. 8 - Sources of potential funding - funding streams
Part 1 - Background and Introduction to the Community-led VDS Toolkit
Page 3
•
•
•
•
•
•
Historic village form and settlement pattern: shape, layout and setting in the landscape –
unique geology, topography and morphology – rural and/or urban – links and connections to
surrounding area – role of village – past and present.
Villagescape, historic streetscape and character areas: architectural types, styles and forms –
age range of buildings – height, scale and density of buildings – architectural conservation
areas (ACAs).
Key approaches to the village: arrival and departure experiences – views and vistas – historic
landscapes – urban and rural.
Landmarks: key buildings/structures – hierarchy of public spaces, parks and historic gardens –
protected structures – relationships and links - local materials/textures – gateposts, walls,
railings, lamps.
Green Infrastructure (GI) and natural heritage: existing and potential areas – including Special
Protection Areas (SPAs) or Candidate Special Protection Areas (cSPAs) and Special Areas of
Conservation (SACs) or Candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs) – Natura 2000 sites including coastlines, loughs, estuaries, rivers and streams.
National Monuments: archaeological sites and remains and their setting – views to and from –
important memorials and statues.
List above, Page 3
Part 1 - Background and Introduction to the Community-led VDS Toolkit
Page 4
Recommended Outputs (pg 4):
1. A ‘Shared’ Vision – setting out the community’s overall
and collective vision for their village for the next 15-20
yrs.
2. Agreed Design Principles – that relate specifically to the
village – to ensure that existing character and
distinctiveness identified through the process is
conserved, celebrated and enhanced.
3. Agreed VDS Action Plan – specific and phased projects
that should be delivered by the community and its
partners – enhance ‘sense of place’ + poster.
Part 1 - Background and Introduction to the Community-led VDS Toolkit
Page 5
Key Outcomes (pg 5):
• Builds on existing community knowledge base – unique
landscape, environment and heritage features within the
historic core and surrounding area of their village
• Provides a community with a valuable planning and
management ‘tool’ to ensure that changes are
sustainable
• Creates a Shared Vision, Agreed Design Principles and
Agreed VDS Action Plan to enhance a village’s historic
form and fabric, and sense of place
• Fosters community capacity building – promotes
participative democracy
• Generates social capital and revitalises local networks
and partnerships
• Enhances quality of life and sense of belonging for village
communities
Part 2 - Community-led Village Design Statements – Eight Distinct and critical steps
Page 10
Step 1 - Getting started
Page 12
Step 1 – Q2 – Strong Community Infrastructure - is the
Community Good to Go? (Pg 12)
Undertake local research – identify community
infrastructure, activity, skills, interests and talents: Ask Q.
Q.
Q.
Q.
What stage are the various groups at?
How long have they existed?
How many members do they have?
Have they any experience of setting up and running
local projects?
Do these groups collaborate and co-operate with each
other? Is there an appetite to collaborate with one another
for the common good?
Step 1 – Q2 The following local Skills, Interest and Talents are
extremely useful for community-led VDS projects (Pg 13):
Step 1 – Q3 What is our national heritage?
Page 14
Examine the evolution of your village and its heritage features
Assess the character of village – see pages 15 and 16 of Toolkit
Step 1 – Answering the 3 Key Questions?
Page 17
Present results from:
- Q1 – is there a Policy Fit?
- Q2 – is there a Strong Community Infrastructure – Good to
Go?
- Q3 – what is the Heritage base within the village?
Answer the 3 Questions as honestly as you can with your
partners - Local Authorities, LEADER and others:
YES – move onto next step Step 2 – Getting going
NO/NOT SURE - talk to your partners and get support to
move forward, e.g. workshops to bring people together
Step 2 – Getting going
Pages 19-28
Tasks:
1. Est. effective VDS Management Structures – 2 parts – VDS Inter-Agency
Group and VDS Local Working Group – chair is from the community (see page
23)
2. Est. effective communication and publicity structures (internal and external)
3. Identify supporting technical resources including graduate interns
4. Consider and select preferred business/organisational structure.
Identify key messages - why is your group
undertaking a community-led VDS , what are
the likely benefits and outcomes?
Key Messages are
useful for
press
statements, websites, workshops, etc.
Useful words: community-led, character,
value, civic pride and heritage.
Step 3 – Getting into your stride
Pages 29-35
Tasks:
1. Identify community issues and aspirations – VDS Stakeholder Workshop
2. Write up key issues arising from the first VDS Stakeholder Workshop
3. Finalise the Stakeholder Workshop Feedback Report
4. Confirm status and structure of VDS Inter-Agency Group – and VDS Local
Working Group
5. Agree and Sign Project Charter.
Tips:
• Highlight - Workshop is a completely different idea to a conventional public meeting
• Public meeting creates a ‘them’ and ‘us ‘ dynamic – can be disastrous – impacts on ‘trust’
• Table 4 – page 30 – Planning the workshop – start around 8 weeks before the event
• Project Charter – see Fact Sheet No. 5
• Project Review before starting Step 4 – are the PM structures in place, are they
functioning, has the Project Charter been signed.
Step 4 – Striding out
Pages 36-40
Step 4 – Tasks
1. Project partners prepare and agree brief for consultants
See Fact Sheet No. 6 – the Julianstown Brief was given to LEADER in Meath by the
Heritage Council re. to inform LEADER Village Renaissance Programme (started in
2011).
2. Prepare scoring matrix – see Fact Sheet No. 7
3. Advertise for consultants - public procurement
4. Short-listing of cons – evaluation of tender submissions
5. Select preferred consultants – MEAT – most economically advantageous tender
6. Appoint cons and sign contracts with cons.
Step 5 – Getting over the jumps (Pages 41-52)
A: Grafting, drafting and finalisng the VDS
1. Training and detailed village appraisal by cons with community – preferably with both
PM groups
2. Community engagement and public participation – Community workshops, photo
surveys, community plays, video soapbox, etc. – group exercise
3. Gathering ideas from the community
4. Analysing community ideas
5. Create a shared vision, draft design principals and draft VDS action plan
6. Testing and agreement of Shared Vision, Agreed Design Principles and Agreed Action
Plan
7. Summary of above – Programme provided on page 49.
B: Finalising and printing the community-led VDS (incl. poster)
1. Writing and editing the VDS – important to streamline writing/editing – structure?
2. Finalising the VDS for printing – sign off on word before starting graphic layout
3. Final sign off of VDS by project management team/project partners – allow 3 weeks!!
4. Adoption by local authority – city/county council
5. Printing arrangements – either LA or external printers
Step 6 – A clear round – organise and deliver the Big Launch Night
Step 7 – Implement community-led VDS – reality bites!
Step 8 – The winners’ enclosure
Step 6 (pg 53)
Step 7 (pg 58)
Step 8 (pg 61)
1. Organise work plan
1. Continuation of VDS
Inter-Agency Group &
VDS Local Working Group
1. Project Monitoring
- Before Step 4
- 6 months in
- After 1 year
2. Prepare programme and 2. Preparation of a
deliver launch
summary VDS
Implementation Plan
(see Table 7, page 50 in
Toolkit)
2. Project Evaluation –
process and output
3. Take some time off after 3. Prepare Funding
launch!
Applications
Table 10 – Suitable
Sustainability Indicators
See Fact Sheet No. 8
Step 8 – The winners’ enclosure
Summary of Community-led VDS Toolkit
• Structure – 3 Parts, Appendices and 8 no.
Fact Sheets
• Part 1 – What is a VDS, Outputs and
Outcomes
• Part 2 - Eight Steps – Are ye Good to Go?
• Part 3 – Further information and contact
details