A briefing on the new ‘TSI Community Planning Improvement Programme’
Summary:
The ‘CPI’ programme is a partnership led by Voluntary Action Scotland (VAS), the Improvement
Service (IS), and the Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs). TSIs play an important development role with
regards to the third sector and volunteering locally. They are also charged by Scottish Government
with the task of “building the third sector relationship” with community planning and so together
these roles put them at the heart of building the bridge between sectors so that a growing range of
‘assets’ locally can contribute to better outcomes. The CPI programme therefore aims to help TSIs
to clarify and strengthen their role in community planning with a focus on delivering the vision of the
Statement of Ambition for Community Planning and ultimately “Delivering demonstrable
improvements in people’s lives”.
Background:
The TSI Impact Report for 2012/13 recognised that all but two TSIs were represented at the
community planning board level (now subsequently all TSIs). However the report also recognised;
“…the need to develop clearer evidence about outcomes and impact in key areas of work,
such as community planning.”
Of the four core roles of TSIs community planning is often recognised as challenging and requiring
clearer definition, measurement and support. TSIs also report a great deal of progress in building
good relationships and partnership working though significant barriers exist which require clearer
evidence and action for improvement.
The Improvement Service, as the lead improvement agency for local government, has extensive
experience in supporting local authorities and other public and third sector organisations with selfassessment, improvement planning and benchmarking. The IS is also supporting CPPs at Board,
Thematic and Neighbourhood level with facilitated self-assessment and improvement planning,
building the capacity of CPPs to embed improvement work into their operation. With VAS and other
third sector partners, such as the GIRFEC National Project, experience has been gained in developing
improvement focussed work designed to enhance the role of the third sector to support better
outcomes.
What we seek to achieve
The programme seeks to develop and share the knowledge of ‘what works’ in building the third
sector relationship with community planning. In so doing VAS and the IS will be able to highlight
good practice and its enabling factors be they concerned with factors in the control of the TSI,
community planning partners or wider structural and cultural aspects of community planning.
Consequently VAS, the IS and TSIs will be able with evidence to support a range of improvements
that create the best possible environment in which the third sector can contribute to achieving
better outcomes. VAS will also be in a better position to contribute an informed view on the reform
of community planning.
The first year of this programme is the start of the journey toward achieving this and specifically will
deliver;
- A collaboratively developed self-assessment and improvement planning model
- A benchmarking framework
- TSI led self-assessment
- TSI led improvement planning, with each pathfinder TSI developing its own improvement
plan
- Opportunities for TSIs to share learning and build confidence in improvement activity
- A clearer view from VAS on the reform of community planning
Together such measures will achieve greater clarity around the role of TSIs, greater knowledge of
‘what works’ and a stronger focus on how TSIs and the third sector support better outcomes.
Timescales
2014/15 is an important and challenging developmental year in which VAS, the IS and five pathfinder
TSIs will work closely together. All the partners intend though that this is a longer term programme
reaching all TSIs and CPPs and providing a rolling programme of improvement support.
Funding
Scottish Government have confirmed an investment in 2014/15 of £120,000 for the VAS / IS part of
the programme and £200,000 for the TSI involvement in the programme. The partners have agreed
that Phase 1 will involve five pathfinder TSIs funded to the extent of £40,000 each recognising the
important developmental role they will play. The first year will help us understand the resourcing
required for subsequent work.
In terms of the selection of the five pathfinder TSIs it has been agreed that these should represent
the diversity of operating contexts, operating models, financial circumstances across Scotland and
the range of improvement challenges TSIs face. The five pathfinders will be;
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Committed to sharing learning
Committed to delivering against the timescales for the programme
Working in a context which will ensure an improvement plan can be agreed with community
planning partners
Outcomes
The programme will contribute to the achievement of the following outcomes;
 Evidence of ‘what works’ and why is established
 TSIs and community planning partners understand their starting point
 TSIs and community planning partners are able to measure progress
 CP partners have clarity (via improvement plans) on how to improve third sector
engagement and involvement
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The task of ‘building a relationship with community planning’ becomes measurable and
outcomes are clarified
A clear and shared definition of the TSI role itself is established
The National Community Planning Review has greater clarity around the third sector role
and ways to enhance this
Good practice is shared and replicated
VAS and TSIs are better equipped to support improvement
Ultimately the best possible environment in which the third sector can contribute to better
outcomes is created.
Activity / how we fulfill the programme
IS are supporting VAS to establish the programme and VAS and IS are recruiting a joint team lead by
VAS to work across the organisations and with the TSIs. Importantly they will connect with other
work underway at the IS and within VAS and partners to ensure the work builds upon (amongst
others) the development of;
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The Quality Scotland led development of EFQM amongst TSIs
Common values, approaches and services for TSIs
The GIRFEC National Project
The Change Fund Enhancing the Role of the Third Sector project
The adoption and development of the Milo information management system amongst TSIs
The CPP self-assessment and improvement planning national project
The partners will select five pathfinder TSIs based on a set of criteria designed to ensure a diversity
of TSIs can take part in the development phase and work closely with them throughout phase 1 in
2014/15 to;
- Develop and apply a TSI self-assessment and improvement planning model
- Develop a benchmarking framework
- Develop a knowledge management system to share learning with all TSIs
- Develop better evidence to support the reform of community planning
The development of the self-assessment and improvement framework will also involve co-design
and collaboration with the wider TSI network and opportunities will be developed to share learning
as the programme develops so that a rolling programme of TSI involvement can be supported.