Locality

Year of publication: 2017

The report captures the work done in six local areas to explore how social challenges can be successfully met despite severe austerity, by commissioning local community organisations to provide local services. Headline findings were:

• Cuts are both enabling and preventing change
• There is an opportunity for community organisations but some scepticism about their capacity to seize it
• Local systems are fragmented
• Risk aversion and fear of ‘letting go’ are stubborn cultural barriers
• Social value hasn’t gone far enough, but it can go further

The report identifies four key things that need to happen for local commissioning to happen in practice:

1. Top-level leadership
2. More joined up systems
3. Greater ambitions for social value
4. Demonstrate that community organisations can deliver

The seven characteristics of a resilient local economy are defined as:

1. Positive flow of money and resources
2. Network of diverse, responsible businesses and enterprise
3. Inclusive finance system with stable financial institutions
4. Positive and productive use of local assets
5. Active and connected citizens
6. Clean and sustainable environment
7. Good quality services

Content type: Economy

Tags: Report

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