An implementation guide on how community groups and local public bodies can improve the way they work together has been published by the Commission for the Compact.
Based on the national Compact partnership working agreement, the guide presents examples of common situations where community groups and local public bodies come into contact with each other.
For each situation, the guide offers tailored advice on how each party can get the most out of the relationship and also looks at what local support organisations can do to help. An example would be where a community group holds its meetings in a space owned by the local council.
Sir Bert Massie CBE, Commissioner for the Compact, said: “Partnership working with community groups will become more important as the localism agenda of the coalition government moves forward. Local public bodies will want to engage with community groups. The principles and commitments of the Compact are relevant to these relationships.
Using this guide can help community groups and local public bodies to work better together through implementing Compact best practice in their partnerships with one another.”
This publication is part of a series of Compact implementation guidance with two further guides due to be published this autumn.
These additional guides will help:
• Black and minority ethnic voluntary and community organisations and public bodies to interpret their commitments under the Compact
• Local Compacts to understand how changes to the national Compact affect Local Compacts.
The future of the Commission of the Compact was put in doubt last month after a leaked government document suggested the quango would be scrapped.
