2009 News: April to June

The economic downturn and the Compact

Compact Voice has put together a 2-page practical guide on Key Compact Principles for the Economic Downturn. This quick reference will help you identify the Compact commitments you need to be aware of in these times of economic instability.

Key Compact Principles for the Economic Downturn

Champion research released and Compact champion workshops held

Compact Voice and the Commission for the Compact have released a new guide entitled "They are the Champions: the role and impact of local champions". The publication is based on research conducted throughout England, into the valuable contribution Compact champions can make to local communities through successful Compact implementation.

Six regional workshops exploring the important role of Compact Champions and promoting the findings from research capturing good practice and approaches took place during June and July 2009.

Compact champions have an important role to play in ensuring the effectiveness of
Local Compacts. They can promote awareness of the Compact, encourage colleagues to use their local or national compact, and can collect information about how the Compact is being used and any associated issues.

This useful 60-page guide, They are the Champions: the role and impact of local champions, offers practical advice to further the contribution that Compact champions can make, and to support their further development, and covers recruitment, skills and training and how to overcome typical challenges.

Earlier research, published as What makes a successful Local Compact, found that Local Compact Champions can help organisations to work in a "Compact way", that is collaboration and two-way, timely communication, leading in turn to better outcomes for local communities.

More free publications are available for download in the Resources section of this site.

Poll gives combined site the go-ahead

Compact Voice has merged its two most popular discussion forums for members, to stimulate discussion between the government and voluntary sectors on Compact-related issues to to enable knowledge-sharing.

Polling carried out on the Local Compact Voice Network and Friends of Local Compact Voice forums, has supported the proposal to merge the two sites with an absolute majority. The combined vote was 45 in favour to 13 against, with 9 undecided.

The change reflects the success of Local Compacts in improving relations. Although good practice has still to become commonplace, increasingly partners are on the same wavelength. The combined site will facilitate discussion within and between the sector and public bodies across England on Local Compact implementation issues. The move fits with plans for Compact Voice to enhance support for local partners.

People from public bodies can now join the Local Compact Voice Network forum.

Compact Voice will be progressing the merger from September to encourage Friends to transfer across to this site. Discussions from their old site will be included in the archive.

To discuss the merger, register now and use the discussion thread opened for this purpose.

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