‘Sector roles still not understood’

The specific role of public, voluntary and private sector
partnerships in driving forward neighbourhood renewal is still not
fully understood, according to a leading figure in
regeneration.

Jon Bright, head of implementation at the Neighbourhood Renewal
Unit, said that it was essential that local strategic partnerships,
which make decisions on how regeneration money is spent, took on a
“delivery driver” or a “managerial role”.

Speaking at a conference on neighbourhood renewal last week, Bright
said that, although the LSPs did not deliver services themselves,
it was their job to strengthen and focus service delivery.

However, preliminary findings from a national evaluation show that
LSPs are still working out appropriate styles of governance due to
a lack of protocols and uncertainty among partners about
roles.

The study, which is the first of three stages of
government-sponsored research looking at nine in-depth case studies
in England between 2002 and 2005, also says that LSPs need
clarification on what can be expected from government departments
and agencies.

– Local Strategic Partnerships Evaluation and Action Research
Programme available from www.odpm.gov.uk