This document discusses the duty of local authorities in the UK to involve community representatives in decision making processes. It outlines that involvement should be accessible, proportional to the issue, coordinated across partners, and occur as early as possible. Five types of involvement are described, from direct participation to co-producing services. Evidence suggests that community involvement reduces costs, improves services, and strengthens communities. The document provides tools for planning and evaluating effective community involvement.

1. Community InvolvementThe duty to involveA summary of: Pitchford, M., Archer, T. with Ramsden, S. (2009) The Duty to Involve: Making it Work, London: Community Development Foundation

2. Policy sourcesLocal Government White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities (CLG, 2006a)Communities in Control: Real people, real power (CLG, 2008b).See also www.peopleandparticipation.net

3. The duty requires a best value authority where it considers appropriate to:(a) inform(b) consult(c) involve in another wayrepresentatives of local persons in the exercise of any of its functionsThis includes ‘routine functions’ as well as ‘significant one-off decisions’.

4. Opportunities for Involvement

5. Involvement: when and how much?Accessibility: engage representatives in a way that considers their needs and takes account of local circumstances. Proportionality: the approach to engage and resources required should be proportionate to the issue and likely benefits.Coordination: adopt a co-ordinated approach to information provision, consultation and involvement across the area.Partnership working: authorities should work with partners through their local strategic partnership to achieve this co-ordinated approach. Timing: inform, consult and involve as early as possible to ensure authority functions are shaped around the needs and aspirations of the community.

6. What is ‘good’ involvementDo you: “understand the interests and requirements of the local community”?Can you: “ensure information, consultation and involvement opportunities are provided on the right issues, targeted at the right people, and accessible to those you are trying to reach”?Will: “local people feel that you provides relevant and accessible engagement opportunities and will know how to get involved”?

7. Why?In 2003/04 the Devon and Cornwall Housing Association calculated it spent £1.77 a week per tenancy on community and resident involvement activities, while their weekly rents ranged from £47–60 (Audit Commission and Housing Corporation, 2004, p. 34).New Economics Foundation showed an initiative in Merseyside, aimed at getting young offenders into long-term employment, produced a social return of £10.50 for every pound invested (Involve, 2005, p. 58).of the 9,000 actions within 200 plans completed in the eastern region, 47% of the actions are being taken on by the community themselves (without any external support). Rural Action East PlanItdatabaseInvolvement reduces costs overall- better use of existing knowhowCo-production of value

8. ‘Services designed and delivered without community input risk wasting public money because they will be unused or underused if they are not what people need. Local people must have the opportunities to identify their needs and contribute to finding solutions, rather than feel powerless in the face of public authorities that deliver services on their behalf.’National Audit Office, 2004, p. 9

9. Other reasonsCost-efficient servicesTargeted services responsive to needInnovative service solutions meeting gapsSustained improvementsIncreased satisfactionCohesive communitiesStrengthened democracy and increased citizens’ influenceStrengthened local capacity, active citizenship and stronger communities

10. Five types (contexts) of involvementInfluence or directly participate in decision making (for example, citizen panels, service advisory panels, neighbourhood management, participatory budgeting; citizen juries).Provide feedback on decisions, services and policies (for example, a ‘have your say’ section on the authority’s website; service-user forums; providing feedback forms).Co-design/work with the authority in designing policies and services (for example, involvement in service commissioning).Co-produce/carry out some aspects of services for themselves (for example, having responsibility for the maintenance of a community centre; the transfer or management of assets; communities taking part in street clean up or environmental conservation work).Work with the authority in assessing services (for example, citizens acting as mystery shoppers and user evaluators).

11. CLEAR model: tests of your effectivenessCan do— have the resources and knowledge to participate;Like to— have a sense of attachment that reinforces participation;Enabled to— are provided with the opportunity for participation;Asked to— are mobilized through public agencies and civic channels;Responded to— see evidence that their views have been considered.It’s not just a one off- there has to be infrasructure to support the involvement and a ‘lead-in’ time to get 1-3 right before 4+5 happen(Lowndes et al, 2006)

12. Making sure involvement is broad and inclusiveTension between involving a broad range of individuals and groups and the convenience of hearing a single voice in order to arrive at a faster decision.In order to involve a broader range of people, existing structures and processes require a greater flexibility to adapt to local need and circumstance.Community involvement in formal governance structures will only ever engage a small number of people. The key is to connect these structures and those local people who are involved with the wider activities in communities“make more people’s everyday civic engagement count” (Skidmore et al, 2006, pp. xi-xii)

13. Making sure involvement harnesses the third sectorThere is a huge expectation that third sector organisations can ‘speak for’ the huge diversity of the sector – from small, community-based projects through to social enterprises, co-ops and large providers.You need to know who you have in your areaThey are not ‘representative of’ but ‘representatives from’

14. Planning to EvaluateOutcome – what difference do we want to make?Outcome indicators – how will we know we made a difference?Inputs, outputs and processes – how will we go about it?Output monitoring – how are we making sure it is happening?Evaluation – did we make a difference and what have we learned?

15. ReferencesAudit Commission and Housing Corporation (2004) Housing: Improving services through resident involvement [online]. Audit Commission and Housing Corporation. Available from www.audit-commission.gov.uk [accessed 20/02/09].CLG (2006a) Local Government White Paper: Strong and prosperous communities [online]. Communities and Local Government. Available from www.communities.gov.uk [accessed 13/02/09].CLG (2006b) Research Report 28: Neighbourhood management – an overview of the 2003 and 2006 Round 1 Pathfinder Household Surveys, London: Communities and Local GovernmentInvolve (2005) The True Costs of Public Participation – Full Report, London: Communities and Local GovernmentLowndes, V., Pratchett, L., Stoker, G. (2006) CLEAR: An auditing tool for citizen participation at the local level [online]. IPEG. Available from www.ipeg.org.uk [accessed 12/02/09].National Audit Office (2004) Getting Citizens Involved: Community participation in neighbourhood renewal, London: National Audit OfficeSkidmore, P., Bound, K. and Lownsbrough, H. (2006) Community Participation: Who benefits?, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation