By Paul McGill from NICVA
Published on 09 Jul 2007
The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed a strategy for partnership with the voluntary and community sector. 'Partners for Change' sets out how government works with voluntary and community organisations to deliver services to those most in need in society.
Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie welcomed the Executive’s endorsement of the plan, which provides a detailed picture of how government engages with the voluntary and community sector to deliver services and develop policies.
Minister Ritchie said:
"The skills, knowledge and independent voice of the sector are vital to complement government services and policy-making. This leads to direct support for those most in need and helps us build stronger, more inclusive communities across the North."
Three key themes
The strategy, or action plan, is built round three themes:
- Building communities and promoting active citizenship
Encourage voluntary activity and the involvement of communities (both ‘geographic’ and ‘of interest’) in the planning and decision-making process about matters which affect them. - Shaping policy development
Working together to ensure that the knowledge and expertise of the sector informs policy development and that policies are sensitive to the needs of those who experience disadvantage. - Investment in the sector
Build the capacity of the sector and ensure sustainable resources necessary to enable the sector to make an effective, continued contribution to society in Northern Ireland.
Targeting disadvantage is a key objective that cuts across all three themes.
Examples of actions
According to the DSD, some examples of actions to promote these themes are:
- £60 million over three years for Neighbourhood Renewal;
- £120 million per year to help Housing Associations provide housing for people with special needs;
- the Department of the Environment funds Tidy NI, the organisation set up to run anti-litter campaigns;
- the Department for Regional Development is working with Shopmobility NI to introduce door-to-door transport services in 27 towns for people with disabilities.
Delivering real improvements for the most disadvantaged
Ms Ritchie continued:
"The voluntary and community sector has played an important role during difficult times.
I am confident that the partnership between government and the sector will continue to develop and that by working together, we can bring about real improvements for all of our people, particularly those most disadvantaged in our communities."
Both government and the sector can use this document to examine more closely the nature of relationships between them. Furthermore, the sector should be able to use it as a useful guide to departmental policies.
The report was drawn up in consultation with representatives of the voluntary and community sector but people are invited to respond to the document in general and to five specific questions.
Getting your copy
Download
Partners for Change
(990kb Word Document)
'Partners for Change' for download from the DSD site Department for Social Development's site; or you can get a hard copy by contacting:
Voluntary and Community Unit
Department for Social Development
Lighthouse Building
1 Cromac Place
Gasworks Business Park
Ormeau Road
Belfast BT7 2JB
t: 028 9082 9441
e: pfc@dsdni.gov.uk
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