Peak Directions - Main Conference Report ::

Pathfinder Main Conference Outout Report

Peak District Rural Delivery Pathfinder

Learning the Lessons

Output Report from the workshop held on 17 September

Agricultural Business Centre, Bakewell, Derbyshire

Introduction

This report presents the main issues and working conclusions of the workshop held at Bakewell to report on and discuss the achievement of the Peak District Rural Action Zone (RAZ) Rural Delivery Pathfinder. The RAZ was one of 8 National Pathfinders that have been exploring new and innovative ways of delivering more effective rural services.

The workshop at Bakewell was designed to present and discuss the results of the Pathfinders work with key stakeholders and to share views about lessons learned. Most importantly, the workshop encouraged discussion about how to move forward in ways that would widen dissemination of examples of good practice and encourage the mainstreaming of rural issues in the policies and strategies of local authorities and other bodies.

Programme

The workshop began with an introductory presentation on the purposes of the Pathfinder programme by Councillor Lewis Rose, Chairman, Peak District Rural Action Zone. Rob Jones, Rural Pathfinder Officer then provided a summary of the headline achievements of the programme to date, focusing on what has been learned as well as what has been achieved.

Delegates, in three groups, then took part in three keynote theme sessions. During each of these a session leader introduced the theme and opened debate with delegates on key issues within each theme - focusing on what delegates felt were the main challenges and opportunities within each theme, based on the evidence of RDP activity.

-         Cross Boundary Working - Giles Dann and Helena Muskett

-         Effective Partnership Working - Dr Steve Capes and Amanda Brown

-         Better business service access - Rob Jones and Paul Stuart

Notes on delegate’s views were taken during each session and these are presented in this report.

David Pirnie, consultant and facilitator of the workshop, presented a summary of key issues identified during the National Pathfinder Discussion Forum held at Lancaster and Hornby on 20-21 June. This was followed by an Open Forum and Panel Session during which delegates debated the main conclusions of the key themes session and ideas. Councillor Lewis Rose closed the workshop.

In this report

This report is presented in four main sections, together with an Annex. In summary, the contents of these sections are as follows:

Headline messages

A summary of five main messages emerging from the workshop.

Comment on headline achievements

A brief summary of points raised by delegates following Rob Jones’s presentation on the RDP’s achievements.

Keynote Themes

This section presents the main conclusions reached by delegates during the three keynote theme sessions; each of the three delegate groups attended, in turn, all three sessions. These conclusions are taken - as written - from notes taken by session note takers, using a worksheet template specially prepared for the workshop. Some additional notes by individual delegates were submitted and these have been included under the sub-heading ‘Additional contributions.’

Points of View

Before leaving the workshop, delegates were invited to complete an individual Points of View worksheet on which they asked to record their personal comments and views on three topics. These are recorded - as submitted - in the final section of the main report.

1.       What are the main messages you will take away from today’s event that you will most want to discuss with colleagues in your own organisation?

2.       What do you regard as the priority issue / opportunity / area for action to have emerged from the Pathfinder project that you (your organisation) are most likely to follow-up on?

3.       Can you recommend any other ways in which the lessons of the Pathfinder project can be more widely disseminated?

Annex

The keynote theme leaders for the Cross Boundary Working theme used a flip chart in addition to the worksheet template, to capture discussion points during their three sessions with delegates. The content of these flip charts are presented - as submitted - in the annex to this report.

Headline messages from the workshop

Overall, there were five main policy messages emerging from this workshop.

1. The Peak District Rural Delivery Pathfinder has been successful.

By most standards, this Pathfinder has been successful. By focusing on practical actions, testing ideas and piloting mechanisms it has gained widespread approval for its approach and commendation for the results it has achieved. There is a general sense of goodwill towards this Pathfinder.

2. Structural change and its implications: boundaries, LAA’s, City Regions and governance

The field of structural change, cross boundary working, Local Area Agreements and the implications of city regions, was a recurrent topic of interest and some concern throughout the workshop: being seen as both potentially threatening future advances on the rural agenda, and also offering potential opportunities. A change in emphasis away from local areas towards counties or city regions could on the one hand complicate future relationships while at the same time offering opportunities for improving links between partners and expanding partnership opportunities and future clusters of action-orientated organisations. On the downside there is real concern that (some) local authorities may attempt to shift the focus and funding away from the RAZ. Equality of opportunity across boundaries is viewed as a significant challenge in the Peak District.

3. Partnership

There is unanimous recognition of the critically important role of partnership working to sustain and develop the good practice that has been demonstrated by this Pathfinder. In addition to practical actions, the role of partnerships is regarded as essential to effective lobbying on behalf of the rural agenda: to local authorities and RDAs - and to the attraction of funding into the area. It will be important to ensure the buy-in of all partners to embed the learning gained from the Pathfinder - regardless of whose individual targets they might meet; generosity and common purpose are key to this objective. The nature of the RAZ as ‘a partnership of choice’ makes it well placed to rise to these challenges.

4. Simplify, streamline and standardise

Increasing access to services generally, and to specific forms of support - including funding - is a key priority for continuing practical efforts and future post-Pathfinder strategy. Simplification of messages, processes and procedures is essential to raising awareness and understanding, both generally and also in relation to specific ‘hard to reach’ groups, among whom farmers were identified. Greater advantage should be taken of the social enterprise network to promote and engage in this agenda. ‘Pathfinder has not completely succeeded in its objective to simplify communication and access to rural services’

          5. Promotion

Peak Directions website has proved an invaluable tool and portal to wider sources of information and services - but there is need to maintain it, and provide an appropriate level of quality assurance, over time. There may be scope to develop the existing facility and to expand its geographic reach - for example to other areas, such as the East Midlands. Some feel that the present website is aimed more at businesses than at the wider community - amongst which there are community groups and individuals who would benefit from an equivalent level of service. Raising awareness and promoting good / best practice remain ‘high priorities’ for the existing Pathfinder and whatever succeeds it.

For further information please see the following full report on the Pathfinder Dissemination Conference.

Pathfinder Workshop Output Report 548Kb