Brian Harvey
Kilkenny
19th November 2014
brharvey@iol.ie
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Influencing policy, from local to national: principles
and key steps
◦ See Working for change
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How to use local government effectively
Experience of representation: how to use ‘the place at
the table’ effectively
Being accountable
Making PPN (SPC, LCDC) experience work
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Voluntary and community organizations can be
effective in using local, national political mechanisms
to influence policy, resources, practice:
◦ Working with councillors, deputies, senators, MEPs
◦ Working through government departments, state agencies
(bilateral engagement)
◦ Getting places on decision-making bodies
◦ Using media, publications
◦ Some also use direct action
◦ Many work in coalitions (multi-lateral engagement)
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Permeable
◦ Relatively easy to meet politicians, officials
◦ Premium on skills to build up informal relationships
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Accessibility of information
◦ Good volume, quality at national, governmental level
◦ Premium on NGO skills in searching, sharing
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Problem of secrecy, transparency
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◦ How much of local decisions is shared?! What’s not there.
Smaller, weaker civil, public service: ‘incompetent state’
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Limited concept of consultation
◦ Mono-dimensional: ‘send us your submission’ (over)
A public notice must be published
inviting people to make
submissions or observations in
writing. The steering committee
must prepare a report on these
submissions.
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Defining the issue, ‘what the problem/issue is’
Getting it on the political agenda
Shaping a local/national government response: solutions
◦ Coming up with solutions is our responsibility
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Implementation
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This requires:
◦ Knowing what issues you want to get across, ability to define them,
write and talk about them
◦ Knowing what the political system can do about them (or not)
◦ Knowing who is being asked to do what
◦ Knowing what the solution will look like?
◦ Setting up systems of implementation, checking that it is done (and
who does so, how)
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New behaviour: cycle ways, library bus, speed bumps
Ceased behaviour: no-warning evictions
New spending priorities: solar panel grants; insulation
schemes, reduced tax low-emission cars; community trust
Stopping behaviour: incinerator, housing (DCC), pylons,
anti-cycle notices
Consulting people who weren’t consulted before: Ballymun
Community Facilities Forum, homeless forums, HSE
consultative forums
‘Raising awareness’ is not changing
behaviour!
Once you change who decides
the policy, you change the
policy itself
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Slovenian NGO
Examples:
SHRAC, working group direct provision, prison
strategy group, Keane report
Assumption: change from inside possible
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Governments need solutions to problems
◦ Convince them it’s part of their agenda too
◦ Which means familiarity with policies of national, local government
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Wish to be seen to be responsive
◦ Do not want to be in perpetual stand-off
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It becomes more expensive to continue current policy than
to change: tipping point is reached (e.g. water charges)
◦ Not always clear which intervention is decisive
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Champions run with issues (public servants, elected reps)
Country likes to be seen as modern, progressive, up to date,
internationally in line, so do local authorities
◦ e.g Age-friendly county, Louth.
◦ Dun Laoghaire processes community consultation (SPAN)
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Good time, with new councillors 2014
Responsibilities
◦ Planning/development plan; roads, housing, recreation,
amenities, libraries, water, sewers, environment
◦ From 1996, ‘community’ functions, SPCs
◦ Important to know what they can and can’t do
◦ What manager can do (reserved functions), councillors
◦ But limited powers, limited funds (rates, LPT)
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Importance of manager, mayor (annual),
cathaoirleach. Do you know them?
Introducing yourself to the key people
But well-established circles of power of officials,
councillors, state agencies, businesses don’t like disruption.
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Meet monthly. [Who here has been?!]
◦ Kilkenny, 3rd Monday of each month
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Formal decisions e.g. Development plan
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Question manager, debate motions, take presentations
Anyone may attend, with ticket from councillor + press
You could ask for your own press pass
Role of functional committees (councillors only)
Staffing hierarchy:
◦ Directors of services e.g. Environment, housing, planning
◦ Professional staff e.g. engineers, executive officers,
administrative officers
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How familiar with publications, products?
◦ www.kilkennycoco.ie, IPA Yearbook
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Question manager
 By letter
 Formally at council meetings, ‘send for a report’
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Ask for opportunities for you to make presentations
Motions
Approve, amend development plan
Write letters for you
Get you access to managers, officials
Advice and contacts
Raise issues inside their parties
Some will be interested to champion particular issues
Note: they are replaced by nomination, not by-election
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All must have SPCs: most have 3 to 5
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◦ Titles: development & planning; environment; transport
& infrastructure; education & heritage; housing, social &
cultural. Led by Director of Services.
◦ One third must be community. Meet 4-5 times/year.
◦ Expected to involve voluntary, community organizations
and promote social inclusion.
Access to officials, other state agencies
◦ ‘Secondary gains’
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Opportunities for representation, presentations,
engagement, but some experienced difficulties (later).
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Provides an opening, but does not shift balance of
power in local authorities
◦ Gains may be secondary rather than primary e.g. access
◦ Deals with lowest level of citizen participation pyramid
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You could put in a lot of effort for little evident gain
◦ Need to make assessment of value, participation
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Critical success factor: secretariat
◦ Rules of engagement? Efficient? Facilitative? Open-door?
◦ Resource worker?
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Well-being plan provides opportunities for important
aspirational statement with substance
◦ So does community part of LECP
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Why do you want to be there?
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Change policy/practice/funding/priorities?
Influence decisions further up the chain?
Access officials?
Accountability
Where do you want to be in 1/3/5 years?
◦ What would you like it to achieve by then?
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What specific impact can I make?
◦ One specific, selected area to make a distinct impact
◦ Have a participation plan
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Problems
◦ Issues over NGO selection
◦ Meetings short, infrequent
◦ Agendas decided by local authorities, secretariat
 No obvious place for NGO intervention
◦ Domineering, hierarchical approach by officials, councillors
◦ Documentation late, technical
◦ Decisions not minuted, followed up: recommendations ‘ran
into the sand’
◦ Important decisions made by others, between meetings
◦ Most participants are older men familiar, confident with using
authority, procedure and negotiation, may not welcome
disruption to well-established ways of doing things.
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Found them good for:
◦ Access, information, allies
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But they did not challenge:
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Standing orders
Lack of follow-up, recording issues
Agendas and priorities therein
Unexpected, invited presentations and their focus
Frequency of meetings
Bad behaviour e.g. late documentation
Decisions between meeting, not reaching meetings
No instance of bad behaviour ever censured
Why not?
◦ Deferential? Knowledge of rules and procedures? Did
not have regulations? Wanting to be loved?
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Standing orders/rules of procedure
◦ Opportunity to agree/disagree/amend?
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Agenda?
◦ And where your issues are taken
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Frequency? Issues between meetings
Where do views/findings go? What happens?
Transparency
◦ Are proceedings recorded, published?
Committees can be a positive experience with productive outcomes,
with a clear plan. If they are frustrating, analyze why, devise plan to
address the problems.
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Knowledge procedure, functions, rules
Mastery of own issues
Read documentation (critically)
Get there early; greet, introduce self to others
Don’t sit in group: ‘diamond’ the meeting (Nixon)
Be prepared to challenge bad behaviour, esp. at start
◦ Be prepared to vote against, require objections noted
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Allocate time for meetings
◦ The after process important too, checking things are done.
◦ Get to all meetings. Complain if they are changed and you
can’t go.
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Need for combination of:
◦ Personal skills
◦ Knowledge, policy, ‘book’ skills
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Accountability:
◦ Minutes of meetings
◦ Regular written communications (mailing list)
◦ Regular face-to-face meetings
 Reporting, checking back, making oneself open to challenge
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Effective engagement likely to depend on:
◦ Knowledge of key documentation
◦ Making yourselves experts issues brought through by voluntary,
community organizations, solutions, what-can-be-done within local
framework
◦ Working with councillors, officials: person-to-person skills
◦ Meeting skills, being prepared to challenge and complain
◦ Attention to detail: mailing lists, records, how to write letters, ‘sweat
the small stuff’
◦ Complementary strategies with councillors, local media
◦ Changing our behaviour too: finding the time for getting, reading
and sharing information, meeting officials, representatives,
attending committees
◦ Systems of accountability
◦ Thank you for your attention!