MEA Community Planning Partnership - 3rd Statement of Progress p4
Review of Putting People First Community Plan
The review of Mid and East Antrim’s community plan was the main focus of the partnership for the 2-year period covering this Statement of Progress (November 2021-November 2023).
Putting People First is an ambitious document which accurately reflects the context of Community Planning in 2014-2017 when plans were being developed.
Partnerships were new, the task in hand was unclear, corporate, and operational plans were already in place within partner organisations and yet community planning partnerships were tasked with developing plans and actions to transform the quality of life in communities.
Whilst across all of Northern Ireland’s local authorities every effort was made to develop collaborative plans and to try to avoid the inclusion of business as usual it was impossible to disregard existing strategies, plans and programmes which were already in place and seeking to address many of the very same issues which were highlighted as priorities for community plans.
Unsurprisingly the first iteration of community plans, Putting People First included, have an abundance of outcomes, indicators and actions.
At the time, with partnerships in their infancy, this was the only way to ensure that all partners had a stake in the success of community planning.
The review of Putting People First in 2021/2022 was timely.
Not only have the partnership structures developed and solidified, but the global pandemic along with the cost of living rise has changed the landscape in which community planning is delivered.
In focus groups conducted as part of the audit and review process, it was commented that the response to the Covid 19 crisis was community planning as it should be.
It was a range of agencies working together to address a common and pressing concern.
It involved the reallocation of human resources, the redirection of financial resources and the concentration of effort on a single issue.
In addition to taking on board the feedback from the audit, this review was also cognisant of the learning from what happened during the pandemic and the opportunities that exist to build on the success of the response made.
Having reviewed Putting People First, the Statement of Progress and the implementation plan, it was clear that the plan offers a comprehensive approach to addressing some of the starkest needs and potentially fruitful opportunities facing the borough.
Whilst it may appear nuanced, the review led to the consolidation of some of the themes and outcomes, to move what have previously been identified as outcomes into actions and indicators and reprioritised the proposed actions.
The aim of this reshuffling of the plan content is twofold – to streamline a complex process to enable delivery of actions which make an impact; and for that impact to be tangible in local communities and for the residents of Mid and East Antrim.
The review was approached from a people-centred perspective, intending to highlight where community planning can really make a difference to people living in the borough.
Measuring and evidencing the answers to “what did we do?” and “how well did we do it?” is significantly more straightforward than answering “is anybody better off?” however we know that people are, and that more people could be.