16 June 2006
Community planning partnerships in the public sector are finding it difficult to improve services because of their complex remit, Audit Scotland has found.
In a report published on June 16, the public spending watchdog suggested that progress is being impeded by factors including different geographical boundaries, accountabilities and financial regulations.
A lack of integration and priorities of a large number of national policy initiatives are also causing difficulties, the report stated.
Community planning is the process through which public sector organisations work together and with local communities, the business and voluntary sectors to identify and solve local problems, improve services and share resources.
It began on a voluntary basis in Scotland but now has statutory backing through the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003.
Councils have a duty to initiate and facilitate community planning, while bodies such as NHS boards, enterprise networks, the police and fire and rescue services are required to participate.
When they work well together, there can be real benefits to service users, communities and the organisations themselves, Audit Scotland stated. It said the system could add value to existing joint working by providing a local strategic framework and building a culture of co-operation and trust.
However, the watchdog found that improving services through partnerships is difficult because organisations have different geographic boundaries, accountabilities and financial regulations.
'This limits the flexibility of some partners to respond to local needs and creates administrative difficulties,' the report stated.
It added that a lack of integration and prioritisation of the large number of national policy initiatives, each with their own funding arrangements, made it difficult for community planning partnerships to meet local needs and created a further administrative burden.
It called on the Scottish Executive and partner organisations to agree priorities for community planning.
Alastair McNish, chair of the Accounts Commission, which is responsible for the audit of local authorities, said it was imperative that councils and other public sector organisations made community planning work, despite the complexities of the current system.
He said: 'The Scottish Executive needs to help them to overcome the problems they face, such as by agreeing a limited number of policy priorities and reviewing the number of funding streams and partnerships required.'
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