Strategic ownership
and accountability
Overall
responsibility for the Compact for Leeds rests with the VCFS Partnership Group,
which reports to the Leeds Initiative Narrowing the Gap Board.
Public Sector
signatories to the Compact will be invited to identify a lead person from
within their organisation with responsibility for Compact.
Third Sector Leeds
will lead and promote implementation within the third sector.
How Partners will
be encouraged to adopt and put the Compact into practice:
Whilst Partners are
expected to work together at all times within the spirit of the Compact,
Compact leads will work within their respective organisation or sector to:
- use appropriate approaches and
opportunities to assess compliance
- identify development priorities and
agree a set of specific actions which their organisation will aim to implement
within an annual plan
- integrate specific and relevant
principles and commitments into existing performance, audit and assessment
arrangements.
- develop appropriate mechanisms for
promoting the Compact, including integrating Compact awareness into staff
induction
An annual cycle of
reporting on Compact implementation to the VCFS Partnership Group is proposed, which
will include organisations / sectors action plans, their developments and
challenges.
Support to make
Compact work:
Simple Compact Self
Assessment tools will be developed and made available for all partners. Practical
tools and guidance will be developed to aid delivery e.g. the Volunteer
Management Toolkit Colleagues will be encouraged to share and cascade their
experience and effective practice.
Information about
the Compact for Leeds and the resources will be available on the website: www.leedsinitiative.org/compactforleeds
A new approach to
Compact:
There has been much
enthusiasm for the potential of the Compact, but concern that its profile and ‘leverage’
are weak. A pragmatic approach to Compact implementation has been agreed. The objective
is for the Compact to take account of:
- the frequently changing policy context;
- the differing and rapidly changing
operating context of partners;
- the regular turnover in personnel who
need to be aware of the Compact;
- partners existing performance
management and quality assurance requirements and other audit and reporting
arrangements.
Compact Mediation
There is the
potential for differences of understanding or opinion about the implementation
of the Compact. Disagreements over meeting the Compact commitments should
ideally be resolved, amicably and informally, between partners through open
dialogue and negotiation.
The VCFS
Partnership Group will develop arrangements for mediating and moderating conflicts,
that cannot be resolved informally.
The Compact
Mediation and Dispute Resolution procedure exists to support the positive
resolution of issues between the statutory partners and third sector.
Compact mediation
should ideally be referenced in the terms and conditions of agreements and contracts
with third sector organisations. This route supports resolution where partners
have not complied with Compact processes and practice that they have undertaken
to implement.
Glossary
We have included a glossary of terms contained
in this document. It is designed to be used as a guide only and by no
means claims to be comprehensive nor does it
attempt to override any alternative definitions used in other contexts.
See www.leedsinitiative.org/compact/glossary