PROTOCOL FOR PROGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT
Formal Operating Agreement between Dublin City Council and Dublin Inner City Local and Community Development Organisations.
Protocol for Progressive Engagement Between Dublin City Council and Dublin Inner City Local and Community Development Sector
This protocol for collaboration between Dublin City Council and the Dublin Inner City Local and Community Development sector has emerged from the discussion between these sectors and the realisation that the goals and objectives of both are broadly similar and, when the resources of each are utilized in an integrated way, will lead to real progress in combating social exclusion in the disadvantaged areas of the inner city.
The process was initiated by Dublin Inner City Partnership and the Dublin City Manager with the aim of reducing conflict and improving the impact and effectiveness of urban regeneration and public services to the residents of the most disadvantaged communities.
The protocol recognises the principle of active participation by residents and their representatives in the decisions that affect their lives and the valuable role played by community and voluntary organisations working in collaboration with DCC to support the social as well as the physical and economic regeneration of areas.
This protocol will provide a framework for communication between the different stakeholders and a means to build trust, confidence and understanding between residents, Dublin City Council and local and community development organisations.
This agreement is undertaken in the recognition that both the Dublin City Council with its statutory remit and Local and Community Development structures are operating in the inner city in the context of Government policy and programmes and as such are entitled to mutual respect and acknowledgement and require a coordinated approach.
Agreed Principles
- That there is mutual recognition and value of the professional work and statutory brief of Dublin City Council and Local and Community Development Organisations.
- That, while recognising the differences in each other’s remit, work practices and professional expertise, all officials from Dublin City Council and Local and Community Development Organisations will at all times endeavour to maintain a trusting and collaborative relationship.
- That, while respecting local differences, there is a need for consistency of approach across the inner city in the engagement between DCC and the Local and Community Development sectors.
- That Local and Community Development Organisations with their brief of anti- poverty and social inclusion have a valuable decision making and implementation role in the delivery of local integrated plans, provision of quality public services and urban regeneration. This involvement should be viewed as complementary to the statutory decision making powers of the elected representatives, recognising their specific electoral mandate, and the role of the Management Executive.
- That active community participation should be consistent with good practice guide- lines to ensure that residents have the skills, information, capacities and capabilities to enable them to deliberate on issues that affect them and their community and make informed decisions on appropriate actions.
- That, while recognising the need for flexibility, it is vital that the decisions in relation to the collection and distribution criteria of Community Gain are fair, transparent and involve the relevant residents and community organisations. As a priority, the distribution of Community Gain investments should benefit members of the community experiencing acute social and economic poverty and exclusion.
- That, in developing local plans and overcoming problems, where possible, the principle of localism should operate (i.e. local solutions to local problems).
- That the key community co-ordinating fora for local engagement in Dublin Inner City are the Community-Based Networks (i.e. NWICAN, ICON and SWICN). In the South East Inner City where at present no umbrella co-ordinating network operates there is an onus on the existing Local and Community Development Organisations to identify the most effective means to co-ordinate the inclusive representative engagement with the DCC.
- That in a situation where issues cannot be resolved locally the broader Dublin City Council and Local & Community Development Fora (through the Dublin Inner City Partnership), will be convened in an attempt to overcome the difficulties.
Commitments by DCC and L&CD sector
At the meetings between Senior Dublin City Council officials and representatives from the Inner City Local and Community Development sector it was agreed on the need to have consistent protocols across the inner city on five specific areas of co-operation. These included:
- Valuing each others’ brief and contribution to local social and economic development.
- Deployment of Community Gain funds from private regeneration in Integrated Area Developments.
- Consistency of approach inner citywide in the engagement between Dublin City Council and the Local and Community Development Sector.
- Promoting active community participation and the involvement of local residents/ tenants.
- Providing the mechanisms for co-operative engagement at local level.
Framework of Commitment for the Benefits of the people living in Public and Social Housing and other residential communities
Issues - Valuing each others’ brief and contribution to local social and economic development.
DCC commitments
- Valuing the anti-poverty and social inclusion brief of the Local & Community Development sector.
- Recognising the professional capacity and expertise of the local and community development workers.
- Recognising social development work of the L&CD organisations as complementary to the work of DCC
L&CD commitments
- Valuing the role and local government brief of DCC.
- Recognising the need to build collaborative relationships with DCC.
- Respecting the elected councillors’ political mandate and the role of the Executive officials.
- Develop working relationships as complementary to the work with DCC elected representatives.
- Recognising that DCC has a much broader brief than social inclusion.
Issues - Community Gain from private regeneration in Integrated Area Developments.
DCC commitments
- Provide clear and open criteria on the management of CG ensuring it contributes to anti- poverty and social exclusion.
- Establish transparent decision making structure for the management of CG.
- Involve the community in the planning and delivery of Community Gain.
- Agree aims, objectives and set priorities.
- Develop an Implementation Plan and establish robust mechanism for monitoring, evaluation and review.
L&CD commitments
- Support the DCC in the strategic management of Community Gain funds as additional and complementary rather than duplicating existing resources.
- Co-operate with DCC in the transparent and democratic management of CG.
- Identify areas of greatest social and economic need for the targeting of Community Gain.
- Enable the organised and co-ordinated involvement by socially excluded communities in the use of Community Gain.
- Support DCC in the monitoring of CG.
Issues - Consistency of approach inner citywide in the engagement between Dublin City Council and the Local and Community Development Sector.
DCC commitments
- That DCC develop a consistent approach in dealing with local and community development organisations in their different areas.
- To agree to operate through the established community infrastructure.
- Ensure that when local personnel are being replaced that the new officers are fully briefed in relation to the development context, issues and community infrastructure.
- Provide early information on policy and delivery changes that may impact and be in conflict with the work of the local and community development organisations.
L&CD commitments
- L&CD organisations co- ordinate and co-operate to ensure the DCC has a cohesive and representative community group to work with.
- L&CD organisations must remain focused on their social inclusion remit and ensure that their activity is complementary to, and avoids duplication with, the statutory remit of DCC.
- Where the work of DCC is in conflict and may undermine the brief and work of the L&CD organisations, where possible, dialogue should be established to understand the different perspectives to avoid further conflict.
Issues - Community participation and the involvement of local residents/tenants.
DCC commitments
- DCC recognises and reiterates that sustaining community regeneration and development requires real participation of the local residents and organisations working in their community.
- Community requires deliberative discussion and debate of the
issues. To do this the community needs:
- Relevant and timely Information/Knowledge
- Access to technical support
- The capabilities to participate
- The capacities to negotiate.
L&CD commitments
- Local and Community Development organisations will support an enabling and empowerment approach where local residents are involved as active participants of change rather than passive recipients of dispensed development solutions by external agencies.
- Local and community development organisations should avoid providing a representative role for local residents unless specifically and clearly mandated by the residents.
Issues - The mechanisms for co-operative engagement at local levels.
DCC commitments
- Dublin City Council operates through existing local and community development organisations.
- The Community Based Network as an umbrella of local, community and resident organisations is accepted as the key body to liaise between the City Council and the participation of local organisations.
- Where a Network does not exist, local and community organisations together with the Dublin city council will identify the most suitable, efficient and inclusive means to engage with local Council officials.
L&CD commitments
- Local and Community Development organisations agree an effective, representative, co-ordinated and collaborative means to engage with the City Council.
- Agreement that Community –Based Networks inclusive of local, community and residents organisations, act as a liaison between the Local and Community Development sector and the City Council.
- Be mindful of the democratic mandate of the elected City Councillors and make every effort to ensure they are informed of the rationale and endeavours of the work of the Local and Community Development organisations.
Implementation
Joint Fora to maintain communications, understanding and resolving issues
- Dublin City Council Area Managers will meet every three months with their Local Development counterparts through the Community Networks with an agreed agenda and programme for shared working and information exchange. Reports from these meetings to be provided to DICP and DCC senior management for monitoring purposes.
- Twice a year a joint meeting will be convened between senior Management in DCC and DICP to review progress, to resolve difficulties and to provide information on future developments in each sector.
- Annually, a joint one-day seminar will be convened for relevant staff from DCC and L&C development organisations to share experience, review progress, identify issues and discuss strategy documents from each perspective.
- An agreed structure will be put in place for local meetings between community development organisations and the relevant DCC staff, such as Projects Managers, Area Housing Managers and other Development Managers.
- A simple and clear means of communication and liaison procedure will be established, in each Network area, but also between DCC and the DICP. Each organisation will provide regular listings and contact numbers for local staff.
- The DICP and DCC will jointly present a progress report on the operation of the protocol, on an annual basis to the Elected Councillors through the relevant DCC Area Committee.
Endorsed by
John Tierney City Manager Dublin City Council, on behalf of Dublin City Council:
- Brendan Kenny Assistant City Manager Housing and Related Services
- Charlie Lowe Area Manager Dublin Central
- Eileen Brady Area Manager Dublin South East
- Anne Graham Area Manager Dublin South Central
- Martin Kavanagh Director of Community & Enterprise Dublin City Development Board
David Connolly Director Dublin Inner City Partnership, on behalf of Inner City Local & Community Development Organisations:
- Pat Gates Community Regeneration Officer/ DICP
- Seanie Lambe Manager Inner City Renewal Group
- Claire Casey Development Officer Ringsend Action Project
- Laura Hastings Coordinator Robert Emmet CDP
- Larry Byrne Co-ordinator MACRO CDP
Protocol for Progressive Engagement Between Dublin City Council and Dublin Inner City Local and Community Development Sector - Participating Organisations
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL
Civic Offices Woodquay Dublin 8
DUBLIN INNER CITY PARTNERSHIP
Equity House 16-17 Upper Ormond Quay Dublin 7
NORTH INNER CITY LOCAL DRUGS TASK FORCE
22 Lower Buckingham Street Dublin 1
SOUTH INNER CITY LOCAL DRUGS TASK FORCE
Addiction Services Bridge House Cherry Orchard Hospital Ballyfermot Dublin 12
COMMUNITY TECHNICAL AID
Unit One & Two Killarney Court Buckingham Street Dublin 1
NORTH EAST INNER CITY
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL
Central Area 51/53 Sean McDermott Street Dublin 1
INNER CITY ORGANISATIONS NETWORK ( ICON)
22 Lower Buckingham Street Dublin 1
INNER CITY RENEWAL GROUP (ICRG)
57 Amiens Street Dublin 1
LOURDES YOUTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES (LYCS)
Lourdes Day Care Centre Sean MacDermott Street Dublin 1
NORTH WALL WOMEN’S CENTRE (NWWC)
Sherriff Street Dublin 1
NASCADH CDP
34 Merchant’s Square East Wall Dublin 3
NORTH WEST INNER CITY
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL
Central Area 51/53 Sean McDermott Street Dublin 1
NORTH WEST INNER CITY AREA NETWORK (NWICAN)
Spade Enterprise Centre North King Street Dublin 7
MACRO CDP
1 Green Street Dublin 7
AN SIOL CDP
19 Manor Street Dublin 7
NORTH WEST INNER CITY WOMEN’S NETWORK (NWICWN)
91 Manor Street Dublin 7
O’DEVANEY GARDENS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FORUM
34 O’Devaney Gardens Off North Circular Road Dublin 7
GOOD NEIGHBOURS CLOSE TO TOWN
c/o St Vincent’s Trust 9 Henrietta Street Dublin 1
SOUTH EAST INNER CITY
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL
South East Area Civic Offices Block 2, Floor 2 Woodquay Dublin 8
RINGSEND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Thorncastle Street Ringsend Dublin 4
CHARLEMONT STREET COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE
97 Tom Kelly Road Charlemont Street Dublin 2
RINGSEND ACTION PROJECT (RAP)
Regal House 28 Fitzwilliam Street Ringsend Dublin 4
ST ANDREW’S RESOURCE CENTRE
112-114 Pearse Street Dublin 2
SOUTH WEST INNER CITY
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL
South Central Area The Maltings Business Park Marrowbone Lane Dublin 8
SOUTH WEST INNER CITY NETWORK (SWICN)
48 Hamilton Street Dublin 8
VISTA CDP
78B Donore Avenue Dublin 8
SOUTH INNER CITY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (SICCDA)
90 Meath Street Dublin 8
ROBERT EMMETT CDP
Mendicity Institution Island Street Dublin 8
ST TERESA’S GARDENS EMPLOYMENT & ENVIRONMENT PROJECT
133-134 St Teresa’s Gardens Donore Avenue Dublin 8
SCHOOL ST AND THOMAS COURT BAWN FRC
School Street Dublin 8
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