Regional Support Networks
Support in the regions
Support networks or Consortia as they are also known, are groups of support providers, some of whom responded to the Home Office Active Community Unit’s call in 2003 to unite and receive funds to improve support to frontline organisations - others were in existence before the Home Office's call to unite.
Some operate at regional level, some at sub-regional level, and some at local authority level – though there is no consistent pattern across the regions.
There are about 130 at present.
Evaluation and Development
In 2007, Capacitybuilders committed to reviewing the effectiveness of ChangeUp Consortia to inform its policy on funding for 2008-11.
This work has two distinct elements:
- Review of the ChangeUp Consortium model. This piece of work, which reported in September 2007, has provided answers to a series of questions about the effectiveness of the Consortium model. (for questions see below.)
- Consortia Development Fund. The Consortia Development Fund – launched at the start of March 2007 – has facilitated a self-managed improvement process for consortia and provide the means to assess excellent, average and below average performance of consortia.
Consortium Model Review
The Review of the ChangeUp Consortium Model ran between April and June 2007, led by a team of external consultants. The review reported back to Capacitybuilders’ board in September 2007.
The approach for the review included analysis of available data on the consortia – including that from the Destination 2014 consultation - and building on the work carried out by The Good Foundations Consultancy in 2006. Stakeholder interviews were also carried out with 20 selected consortia and there was an open opportunity for any other organisation to contribute evidence.
What did the review ask?
Throughout the review, we were looking to answer a number of questions:
- What is the evidence of the effectiveness of the consortia model, and what lessons can be learned from monitoring data, evaluative reports and the views of participants and stakeholders about terms of reference, membership and leadership?
- In what way do the core functions of consortia need to be changed, clarified and communicated in order for them to meet the challenge of developing high quality sustainable capacity-building infrastructure in their area?
- Can the regional, sub-regional and local division of roles and functions be clarified and improved in order to maximise effectiveness?
- Is the consortium model the best way to channel investment in the modernisation and rationalisation of capacity-building infrastructure for the Third Sector? Are there other options?
- How should Capacitybuilders more effectively invest in areas where consortia are seriously underperforming?
Public contributions / evidence for the review
In addition to interviews and workshops, we were interested to hear from anyone that felt they had evidence to contribute to the review.
Key Consortia Activity
- Activity: Review of ChangeUp consortia model
- Date: July 2007
- Publish: End September
- Progress/Milestones: Changes and improvements to the consortia model and remit; options to continue to fund infrastructure development where consortia are failing
- Activity: Review ChangeUp consortia fund management arrangements
- Date: October 2007
- Progress/Milestones: A clearer and more consistent approach to fund management and monitoring of consortia
- Activity: Funding decision on Consortia Development Fund and related programme
- Date: December 2007
- Progress/Milestones: Review and self development effort by all consortia to improve performance
- Activity: Announce funding for consortia/support networks 2008/11
- Date: January 2008
- Progress/Milestones: Publish funding decisions re consortia support at least three months before the next financial year; three year funding enables longer term planning.
