New Blog post from Aiden Lloyd

The evaluation of the Platform’s PPN experience in South Dublin will be presented by Brian Harvey at a seminar on Monday 24^th November in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel. All are welcome. (see registration details below)

Aiden Lloyd is chair of the South Dublin Community Platform and a member of the EAPN Board

‘So, you’re either in or you’re out’ – Implementation of the Public Participation Network Process in South Dublin

In common with community organisations in many other areas, South Dublin Community Platform has been struggling with the application of the Public Participation Network (PPN) in the South Dublin County Council area. Although the PPN appeared to be a negative process for the social inclusion community sector the Platform decided to engage on the basis that, because South Dublin was a pilot area, it was an opportunity to develop a model of application that would overcome the apparent negativity of the model outlined in the PPN guidelines. The Platform subsequently received some funding from the Community Foundation to undertake an evaluation project to document the learning with a view to disseminating the learning to community organisations and local authorities in other areas and to department staff.

Putting People First?

The PPN is one of a set of changes affecting community development and local development structures currently being implemented by government through the local authorities. The purpose and general shape of the proposed changes are outlined in the White Paper ‘Putting People First: Action Programme for Effective Local Government’ – which, according to government, sets out to improve accountability, transparency and efficiency.

For organisations involved in social inclusion anti-poverty work at local level the key changes are:

• The creation of the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), which will have management oversight of the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and the Rural Development/Leader Programme, formerly managed directly by the Local Development Partnerships/Leader Companies.
• Secondly, The LCDC will undertake the development of a 6 year Community Plan which together with an Economic Plan will constitute a development plan for the county.
• Thirdly, the creation of the county wide Public Participation Network which will serve as a forum through which community priorities will be identified and representation sought for local authority committees, including the LCDC.

These changes supplant the existing City/County Development Board structure and are meant to be part of a reform of local government process. Whatever about the stated intent, there is nothing in the package of reforms that is particularly ground breaking – Ireland will continue to have the most centralised state in Europe – however, the potential of the changes to undermine the existence and functioning of community organisations and local development companies is immense.

Engaging with the PPN process

The PPN process as outlined in the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government implementation guidelines gives no recognition to existing forms of organisation that interface with the local authority through its strategic policy committees and associated structures. Thus the various social inclusion networks, platforms etc. set up by community organisations at local level, and the community forums created by the local authorities, are not intended to be part of the new PPN process. This is akin to setting up new structures for farming organisations, business interests or trade unions without any consultation with the local trade council, chamber of commerce or Irish Farmers Association branch – except it wouldn’t be tolerated.

An additional factor is that the small core funding made available to the existing platforms or forums has been discontinued and new funding will only be available to the new PPN. So, effectively this undermines the South Dublin Community Platform and by extension the organised voice of the most marginalised.

All of this takes place against a backdrop of previously good relations over some 16 years between South Dublin County Council and the Platform. So, for historical reasons, and because of the lack of any alternative, the Platform engaged with the local authority, together with the Community Forum and environmental interests, to agree a plan to implement the PPN in the South Dublin area. All appeared to be going well when it was agreed that the Platform, Forum and Environmental group would in effect be the PPN. Unfortunately, this was not permitted by the Department and the Council felt obliged to revert to the blueprint set down in the guidelines. So much for the ‘practical application’ indicated in the guidelines!

In order to circumvent this barrier the Platform requested consideration of the following key points and sought the support of the elected councillors:

1. That recognition be afforded the Community Platform by titling the social inclusion pillar as ‘The Social Inclusion Pillar/Community Platform. This is not just about optics, but a recognition of the social inclusion sector’s own structure, which has been in operation for over a decade and a half.
2. That the Community Platform draft a set of principles (see below*) as criteria for membership of the Pillar/Platform. This was already granted to the environmental interest.
3. That assurances be given that any staff allocation to the PPN be independently recruited and managed. Clearly the independence of the PPN cannot be guaranteed unless it has control of its resources

Under the PPN process groups are obliged to register under one of 3 headings – social inclusion, community/voluntary and environment. The Community Platform took the position that member groups should desist from registering until the above issues were resolved.

On point 3, the Council subsequently confirmed that any staff resource available to the PPN would neither be employed nor managed by SDCC, this matter being left to the PPN Secretariat. The incorporation (and recognition) of the Platform as effectively the social inclusion sector is still under consideration. The Council indicated that they would have difficulty with the guiding criteria drafted by the Platform, although they didn’t specify which ones were problematic.

The criteria suggested for groups registering under the social inclusion pillar

• Community or voluntary organisations whose primary focus is social inclusion, which is reflected in their actions

• Committed to work in a collective way

• Represent the interest of groups experiencing poverty and social exclusion either directly through advocacy or indirectly through policy work

• Inclusive of those experiencing social exclusion and inequality at all levels of the organisation, including at management structure

• Committed to openness, transparency and accountability

• Committed to achieving equality for all in society

• Be located or active within the administrative area of South County Dublin

Notwithstanding the failure to advance some of the points proposed to the Council, the Platform recommended that member groups register with the local for the PPN so that the social inclusion sector can be a force within the PPN, for whatever its worth may be. Negotiations are ongoing and we are hopeful that a practical application will take place in South Dublin.

Conclusion

The changes coming from Putting People First and the preceding alignment process presents a dilemma for the community sector across the country. These changes come on top of years of disproportionate cuts imposed on the sector over the past 6 years of austerity.

In South Dublin, as elsewhere, the PPN process moves the organising structure of community organisations from the community sector’s own organisation to the state’s chosen structure. This arrangement will also move funding from the community’s structure to the secretariat of the PPN. This makes it very difficult for the community sector to maintain its role as a key player in setting social inclusion priorities and influencing decisions in important areas of social concern. Without either funding or recognition it will be extremely difficult for the Platform to have a meaningful impact on matters of policy and implementation in South Dublin.

Notwithstanding these difficulties the social inclusion sector in South Dublin will continue to engage through the PPN and to challenge the process from within. It will do so by taking its own authority as the independent mandated organisation of the community groups combating social exclusion in the County and it will continue to act in their interest.

The evaluation of the Platform’s PPN experience in South Dublin will be presented by Brian Harvey at a seminar on Monday 24^th November in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel. All are welcome*.

Aiden Lloyd is chair of the South Dublin Community Platform and a member of the EAPN Board www.sdcp.ie

*To ensure your place: info@sdcp.ie or contact Dermot or Grainne