CES is working with the Embedding Wellbeing in Northern Ireland Project, where we are supporting three Community Planning Partnerships to deliver their community plans. The project was created by the Carnegie Trust, UK, building on its Roundtable on Measuring Wellbeing in Northern Ireland. CES and Community Places were both contracted to help the partnerships to deliver their plans and improve and enhance partnership working, over a period of two years.
Community Planning Partnerships were established in Northern Ireland following the introduction of legislation in 2014. They involve government departments, agencies and local authorities working in a spirit of co-production with local communities in Northern Ireland, to plan and deliver services together for better outcomes.
Sharing leadership to improve outcomes
The Partnerships identified two areas where they needed support - co-production and shared leadership. Earlier this year CES was contracted by the Carnegie Trust to support shared leadership. Shared leadership is fundamental to community planning. It is about how joint decision-making is undertaken, and how responsibilities are more commonly owned. CES is now working with three of the Partnerships which are based in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, Lisburn and Castlereagh, and Derry City and Strabane.
Co-designing a model of shared leadership
The work involves bringing the three Partnerships together to co-design a leadership approach that works for community planning in Northern Ireland. Following a Co-design workshop in November, CES will be rolling out a leadership programme to each partnership, involving team coaching. A joint leadership programme will bring the partnerships together to share their learning and expertise and build models of shared decision making and collaboration.
CES will be capturing the learning from this work and sharing it with other Community Planning Partnerships, and more widely.
