Equalities Forum
Corporate Plan 2009/10
Report by:
Doug Flight
Date:
13 January 2009
Contact
Officer:
Doug Flight
Telephone:
020 7934 9805
Summary
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Recommendations
Item no: 5
Job title:
Head of Safer Stronger Communities
Email:
[email protected]
This report sets out a draft set of strategic themes for the London
Councils Corporate plan (2009/10), which have been drawn up as
a basis for consultation with members.
It also outlines a ‘long list’ of potential strategic projects that will
need to be honed down as part of the planning process.
Promoting equality of opportunity through initiatives that address
the needs of groups who face discrimination, exclusion and
disadvantage is a mainstream function of London Councils and is
built into the business planning process.
A matrix will be developed as part of the planning process,
drawing out the key areas of London Councils mainstream work
that will promote equality of opportunity.
Following consideration by the Executive of the draft strategic
themes and projects, in November 2008, the Chairman has
embarked on a series of bilateral discussions with individual
portfolio holders.
The Forum is asked to:
1. Note the ongoing work to deliver a more strategic approach to
business planning in 2009/10;
2. Consider and comment on the draft strategic themes and projects;
3. Note that the Chairman will be discussing the proposed strategic
themes and projects with portfolio holders, including the Equalities
Lead Member in early 2009.
Corporate Plan 2009/10
Background
1. London Councils Executive has agreed that we should pursue an approach to raising the
organisation’s impact and better connect more ambitious high level strategic goals to the
day to day work of staff.
2. At the top level the plan will set out a simple explanation of our purpose and the key
strategic themes that underpinned that purpose. This will be supported by an
intermediate level of cross-cutting strategic projects which will involve contributions from
across the organisation. Finally, there will be a foundation level which represents other
core activities undertaken by the organisation. This is represented in the diagram at
Appendix 1.
3. Given the need to ensure greater focus, the number of strategic projects will be kept
quite tight in number1 and, over time, will be reduced, recognising, that there is a range of
important activity that will always continue and will sit outside the strategic project level;
4. The Chairman will be discussing the proposed strategic themes and projects with
portfolio holders, including the Equalities Lead Member in early 2009, prior to final
decisions in March 2009.
Equalities
5. Promoting equality of opportunity through initiatives that address the needs of groups
who face discrimination, exclusion and disadvantage is a mainstream function of London
Councils and is built into the business planning process. The strategic projects are
consequently being designed to be inclusive and respond to these needs.
6. A matrix will be developed as part of the planning process, drawing out the key areas of
London Councils mainstream work that will promote equality of opportunity. This will
highlight work ranging form tackling child poverty, reducing worklessness through to
empowering communities.
1
a figure of eight was discussed at the October 2008 Executive meeting
Draft Outline of Corporate Plan
7. An outline of the draft Corporate Plan is set out below, but still needs further refinement
and development.
Overall Purpose
8. The purpose of London Councils, as set out in the Fundamental Review, is to help
London local government successfully to shape both London as a world class capital city
and the individual localities that made it up.
9. In order to achieve that purpose, Leaders agreed that London Councils needed to be:
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a highly respected and influential advocate and lobbyist on behalf of London
Boroughs and their leadership of local communities, arguing for the tools that they
need to play that role;
-
a provider of a range of high quality, responsive and cost-effective services to
Londoners and London organisations on behalf of the London Boroughs;
-
a catalyst for effective sharing between boroughs and instrumental in helping
challenge and support London local government and public service to improve
performance and efficiency.
Strategic Themes
10. A draft set of strategic themes has been proposed by officers, to shape the focus for our
activity. Individual activities can be related to one or more of these strategic themes,
which should help us explain our work to external audiences. The final set of themes will
reflect further work and also discussion with members.
-
Devolution (Devolution to London Boroughs ensures delivery for Londoners)
-
Clarity in governance (Clarity in the operation of London’s governance promotes
greater accountability, efficiency and effectiveness)
-
Partnership (London local government’s partnerships can help retain local feel,
achieve London scale and lead the way on efficiency and innovation)
-
Voice (London local government is central to planning the infrastructure of a
world city and strengthening the communities that make it up)
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Risk and resourcing (London local government has the confidence and capacity
to handle the transfer of risk from Whitehall as part of securing the resources
necessary to serve London)
-
Democracy and trust (Londoners can trust local democratic leadership to
engage with local communities in ways that help improve lives)
The final set is likely to encompass the above but needs further refinement.
Strategic Projects
11. A long list of twenty two strategic projects – projects that cut across the work of the
organisation and are of importance to London and London Councils has been generated
as part of the work so far. It is intended that they form part of the discussion between
officers, portfolio holders and the Chairman.
12. Examples of some of these possible projects are set out below:
Tackling Child Poverty – including more flexible working opportunities, more affordable
childcare, links to Child Poverty Commission, City Charter, work of London Collaborative
and policy activity on worklessness.
Youth Aspiration and Achievement – including follow up to ‘Time for Action’, work of
the Serious Youth Violence Group. Helping Boroughs and partners to celebrate
achievement among young people as well as building safe communities for all young
people. Links to City Charter work.
Reducing Worklessness – including transfer of resource from DWP and London Job
Centre Plus. Aligning with work of London Collaborative.
Enabling Independent Living – including work on personalisation and individual
budgets.
Cutting Crime and Fear of Crime – including work on shared information, local
commissioning of level 1 policing etc. Links to City Charter work.
Delivering Homes for Londoners – including new ideas for mixed tenure and
supporting development.
London’s Economy – including joint work with partners on weathering the recession and
equipping more Londoners to take advantages of economic opportunities in the capital.
Align with work on 16-19, skills, apprenticeships and grants programme. Links to City
Charter work.
Public Realm and Behaviour – including work on influencing programmes and
behaviour that keep London safe and green. Potential links to London Collaborative and
City Charter work.
Population Flows in Global City – including work on how population flows in London
impact on boroughs. Includes lobbying on resourcing for inflows and churn, support to
boroughs in assessing and planning for impact and potential for joint work. Will align with
work of London Collaborative.
Funding London local government – including securing the best possible settlement
for London and London Boroughs. Involves making the case for Boroughs to retain more
of the proceeds of additional revenue that they have helped generate and taking more
risk from Whitehall as part of this.
Transport in London – including how London, collectively, needs to manage the future
movement of its population. Links to direct services in transport and policy work. Links
to City Charter work.
Checking on Progress – including ensuring that we have the best, integrated set of data
about performance in London by public services to help diagnose where further support
is required –individually and collectively. Links to work on City Charter.
Empowering Communities – including work with our partners to show how London local
government, without external direction, is able to work to identify ways to give
communities a strong voice in shaping responses to local issues and challenges.
Healthy Londoners – including work to identify how London’s elected local government
can have greater influence in joining local primary health and social care together and
shape better health outcomes for Londoners. Links to City Charter.
Foundation Level Activities
13. The current corporate plan has more than eighty separate activities listed which would fall
under the proposed definition of the foundation level. These will be mapped against the
strategic projects for use in discussions with portfolio holders. A number of these will
continue to be very important elements in London Councils’ work and while some may
not form part of broader strategic projects, they will remain critical parts of our business.
Consideration will also be given to a long list of possible foundation level projects has
been generated by officers. (These will need to be reduced significantly over the coming
months).
14. The final decisions on the make up of these activities and the plan will be determined by
the statutory committees and Executive in the first quarter of 2009.
Financial Implications for London Councils
There are no financial implications for London Councils arising from this report
Legal Implications for London Councils
There are no legal implications for London Councils arising from this report
Equalities Implications for London Councils
15. Promoting equality of opportunity through initiatives that address the needs of groups
who face discrimination, exclusion and disadvantage is a mainstream function of London
Councils and is built into the business planning process. The strategic projects are
consequently being designed to be inclusive and respond to these needs.
16. A matrix will be developed as part of the planning process, drawing out the key areas of
London Councils mainstream work that will promote equality of opportunity. This will
highlight work ranging form tackling child poverty, reducing worklessness through to
empowering communities.
List of Appendices
None.