This document discusses the development of CLEAR, a database created by the National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) to share information about community legal education, law reform and advocacy projects undertaken by community legal centres and related organizations. It outlines how NACLC received initial funding in 2008 to develop coordination mechanisms for this work. A report in 2009 identified a lack of systems for sharing information between centres. In 2010, NACLC received funding to employ a project worker to develop the CLEAR database, which launched in 2011 with 180 initial projects. Since then, over 270 projects have been contributed by 68 organizations. The database aims to reduce unnecessary duplication of work and promote information sharing across the sector.

1. Steve Womersley (National Assoc. CLCs)

2.  CLE database - first suggested?

3. 2008 - AGD one-off grant to NACLC to
strengthen sector support and coordination.
NACLC to develop proposal for improved
mechanisms or procedures for coordinating
CLE and law reform work undertaken by
CLCs.

4. 2009 - Rachna Muddagouni prepared report for
NACLC

5. 8.3 Lack of systems and process
... At the best the worker may make time to send a
copy or inform colleagues working in the same area
that an activity has been completed. Staff know many
other CLC workers who work in a particular area, but
they do not know all the people who encounter these
matters, whose clients have these same issues, who
may be looking to address those same legal needs or
issues. Even more rarely is there time for reflection
and analysis afterwards, and a mechanism to
communicate what is learned to others and learn from
them what they have been doing, how and what they
have learned.

6. 8.6 Potential for unnecessary duplication of CLC work
Too often, centres have much to learn from each other in
relation to CLE or community empowerment activities,
law reform submissions, or campaign development.
Currently the sector lacks a uniform way of sharing
information about what they do and how they do it. When
commencing a new strategy, although the local or
specialist community is the first and foremost guide for
the work to be done, similar work may already have been
done by another CLC, and the opportunity to leverage off
that work may be missed... unnecessary duplication
(caused by centres being simply unaware of similar work)
is a waste of the sector’s limited resources.

7. 2010 - NACLC funded to employ 0.4 Project
Worker to develop database

8. February 2011 - Project Worker employed

9. October 2011 - CLEAR launched at NACLC
Conference with 180 projects

10. January 2012 - 0.2 EFT Project Worker position
extended until December 2012.

11.  Promote CLEAR
 Source projects
 Moderate submitted projects
 Promote projects via Twitter, e-newsletter
 Review uploaded projects
 Liaise with site developers re fixes etc
 Monitor and report on site usage
 Evaluate site

12. CLEAR homepage
Introduction to CLEAR

13. 270 projects contributed by approx. 68 CLCs etc
33 Community Development, 194 Community Legal Education, 58
Law Reform
Projects by Jurisdiction
 89 VIC
 72 Commonwealth
 69 NSW
 19 SA
 16 WA
 12 QLD
 8 TAS
 2 ACT
 0 NT

14. NACLC Website
 Page Views (Oct 11- Feb 12): 855
 Page Ranking: 14th (out of 1835)

15. @NACLCBruce on Twitter
 191 tweets
 281 followers
E-newsletter
 431 on mailing list
 February newsletter
 Law Week newsletter (new projects, updates,

16.  January 2011: VLF and the NSW Law and
Justice Foundation - submission to CLEAR a
mandatory funding acquittal item for funded
CLC projects.
 February 2011 CLEAR opened to Non-CLCs
(What’s the Law? Best for Kids, Progressive
Law Network)

17.  Project Worker funding ends Dec 2012
 Resourcing/link with National CLEWS?

18.  Meets annually at NACLC Conference (share
information/projects; assess CLE Guidelines;
professional development)
 Vic, NSW CLEWS, WA (Oct)
 PLUs intermittent
 CLEWS Resources (inc Guidelines for the
management of community legal education)
 Opportunity for joint session in October

19.  Monthly lunchtime discussions
 2010 (Get Smart – credit and debt CLE for
young people ), 2012 (Sex and the Law with
VLA)
 CLE Worker 0.4 EFT