• About us
• Contact us
• Subscribe
• Advertising
• Accessibility
• Bulletins
• Newsfeeds

• Register
• Login

Compact in action: Local Area Agreements

By John Plummer, Third Sector, 31 January 2007

Compact Voice says that indifference could threaten the success of local Compacts

The success of local Compacts could be undermined unless the new Local Area Agreements take them more seriously, according to Paul Barasi, development officer at Compact Voice.

Local Area Agreements are accords between local authorities and other key partners, including voluntary sector organisations, setting out local priorities for three years ahead.

But many pay scant regard to the Compact, even though it is supposed to be the 'golden thread' that binds groups from different sectors together.

Local government minister Phil Woolas has recognised the importance of a healthy relationship between LAAs and Compacts. In the Local Compact Implementation Workbook, he is quoted as saying: "Local Compacts, Local Strategic Partnerships and LAAs are fundamental to achieving service delivery reform and engaging the communities agenda."

It appears the message is not getting through. At the Compact annual meeting in November, it was revealed that half of all the statements of community involvement from LAAs do not mention their local Compacts, let alone set aside money for them.

Barasi says: "The Department for Communities and Local Government is giving no meaningful leadership on the Compact. It missed a big trick in the local government white paper because it didn't pull the two together.

"The department's guidance on the link is feeble, despite local authorities wanting to have clear and specific guidance from government on how to use local Compacts in their LAAs."

Many Local Strategic Partnerships, the bodies that bring organisations from different sectors together to achieve the aims set out in LAAs, have signed up to local Compacts. But Barasi says their support will mean little in practical terms if LAAs don't take the Compact seriously. Compact Voice will be putting pressure on leading figures involved in LAAs to show more enthusiasm for the Compact in 2007. Its plans include asking leaders in Cheshire for a policy audit to find out why its LAA ignores the Compact.

Barasi says: "We will also look at why government offices are letting through both LAAs with strong Compact links and those with little or none at all."