As MPs debated the budget, Stephen Twigg, newly elected MP for Liverpool West Derby, hosted a reception for the Co-operative and Workers’ Education Association (WEA) to launch a new partnership to ‘help strengthen civil society, empower citizenship and strengthen democracy.’ John Hayes, MP for South Holland and The Deepings in Lincoln, and Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, proudly displayed his Co-op; membership card and spoke passionately about the importance of learning for a just and cohesive society. He spoke about a ladder of learning, for self-improvement and social mobility, and also for its own sake, enriching the fabric of life. “Community earning is at the heart of what this government is about.” Hayes pointed to a picture of Wilberforce, reminding us of his mission to abolish slavery, and said that he too was on a great mission to spread social justice through learning, and to help everyone fulfil their potential and be the best they can be. John Hayes recently responded to a letter from Democracy Matters and invited us to meet with him in mid-July, so we are hopeful about finding ways of strengthening learning for citizenship, despite the difficult financial times.
The WEA is a democratic membership organisation and the UK’s largest voluntary sector adult education provider, run through a voluntary movement of 450 branches as well as professional staff. The Co-op is also active in education, through the Co-operative College and numerous cooperative schools, as well as online resources for teaching citizenship, which I was not aware of. Many years ago I wrote a book on how to create ‘citizenship schools’, which included activities and ideas for making schools more democratic and empowering. I would love to work with schools on these issues again.
Events like these are perhaps more important for informal conversations and connections, so I came away with several opportunities for promoting learning for democracy and bringing people together round issues as diverse as monetary reform, economic democracy and citizesnhip.
Several people remarked – with a nod to the green screens and budget debate - that financial austerity will make closer cooperation and sharing of resources even more important. Coincidently, in today’s Education Guardian Michael Bichard writes about the obstacles to cooperation between local agencies – inflexible frameworks and funding, narrow targets, costly auditing procedures, and over-cautious governance. His point was that if cuts are to be fair, they need to involve people at the front line and that agencies need to work together to ensure that services are tailored to local and individual needs.
The renewed partnership between the Coop and WEA is long overdue and should lead to many fruitful and perhaps unexpected innovations to meet the needs of the diverse communities they work with. And significantly, both organisations have positioned themselves to make a positive contribution to the ‘Big Society’ philosophy of the Coalition Government. That’s political skill and astute understanding of what their members and customers want.
Titus Alexander
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Sunday, 20 June 2010
A vision for practical political education
A few people make things happen, many watch what happens, and the rest don’t know what hit them: my vision for practical political education is that one day most people understand how the system works and make things happen to the solve political and social problems they face.
Political events like the budget, elections and party conferences involve intense lobbying by business, professions, major charities and other interests because they know the difference politics makes to them. Firms pay good money for lobbyists so that politicians and civil servants understand their industry and interests. Likewise, large charities, unions and pressure groups employ campaigners to make sure that their concerns are taken into account. They don’t always get their way – consider the cancellation of Heathrow’s third airport or the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters foundery – but their case will have been considered at a high level.
But many people barely know what’s happening until too late. Jobs come or go; local services improve, struggle or disappear; anti-social behaviour may be intolerable or invisible, but most people feel they can’t do much about anything.
People can, in fact, have more influence about issues than they realise. But it does take knowledge, skill and, above all, contacts. Being part of an organisation that shares your interests is often the key to making a difference. A lot of the information is fairly easy to find, and the skills can be learnt as you engage with the issue. But it takes organisation to involve people, engage your MP, the media and the people who decide what is to be done about your issue. It may not be easy, but taking action often means that your concerns are taken into account in some way, even if you don’t win everything you want.
My main point is that the more organised, powerful interests have more influence on what happens than the majority. In practice we do not live in a democracy, because most people did not vote for the Government (that’s just they way the electoral arithmetic works nowadays) and between elections people feel they have little effective power about anything.
But even without reform of the political system, there are many ways in which appropriate practical political education could help people have a more effective say. They need not be powerless.
So what would it look like?
1st, every community association, civic society, faith community, school governing body, housing association, parish council, local authority, chamber of commerce, trades council, Womens' Institute and other civic body sees the benefits of better political understanding and is not afraid to hold political discussions or even short courses about issues that affect their members and community and what to do about them;
2nd, learning providers, such as adult and community education services, the WEA, learndirect, unionlearn, further and higher education colleges, as well as libraries , museums , the Parliamentary Outreach service and even public services are willing to run practical workshops for people to understand what’s happening and how to influence decisions if they want. People can also find courses and tutors through The School of Everything.
3rd, government and the media encourage people to take part in practical political education, just as they have done for adult literacy or support for enterprise skills over the past 30 years. This would mean, for example, that government websites have a “Citizens Action" link:to advice and support on how to make a difference, including mysociety webtools to help them influence their elected representatives, just as many sites have “Business Advice: For business advice and support services visit Business Link. There would be media campaigns, like On The Move for adult literacy in the 1970s or the annual Adult Learners’ Week now.
To support this provision, every parish, town or district would have an independent “democracy hub” or “social action network” to support and promote this provision at a local level; university politics departments and organizations like the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, Citizens Organising Foundation, ACRE, WEA or NAVCA would train and support facilitators (tutors); and there would be conferences and fairs like Charity Week or Business Start Up at Earls Court where political education providers meet, promote new methods or materials, and develop their craft.
This provision would be paid for through a mixed economy, just as adult and community learning is today – part subsidized by local and national government, part funded through fees, and some sponsored by foundations, charities or companies. Public funding would play a significant role for people on low incomes, through Individual Learning Accounts and mainstream education provision.
Although practical political education is challenging for local and national governments, they support it because effective citizens can help to make better decisions and solve social problems faster. Community action could enable the political system get to grips with persistent problems like drug abuse, domestic violence, run-down estates, gross inequality, family breakdown and more. It would bring issues into the open sooner and test assumptions behind major decisions. And it would help to ensure that the poorest and most included in society could learn how to have and use their voice, so that political decisions take account of all citizens, not just those who can employ lobbyists.
This is an achievable vision: 30 years ago, adult literacy courses wre far and few between, often run by voluntary organisations or even taught by volunteers; now they are part of mainstream provision, available almost everywhere. Business training and support is almost unniversal, so that anyone who wants to set up a business can get advice, training and support to increase their chances of success.
Ten years from now anyone who wants to campaing about something, has an idea about how a public service can be improved, or is concerned about an injustice, or sees a threat to their community, should be able to get expertise adivce and learning to understand the issue, how the political system works, and what to do to make a diference.
Titus Alexander
Political events like the budget, elections and party conferences involve intense lobbying by business, professions, major charities and other interests because they know the difference politics makes to them. Firms pay good money for lobbyists so that politicians and civil servants understand their industry and interests. Likewise, large charities, unions and pressure groups employ campaigners to make sure that their concerns are taken into account. They don’t always get their way – consider the cancellation of Heathrow’s third airport or the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters foundery – but their case will have been considered at a high level.
But many people barely know what’s happening until too late. Jobs come or go; local services improve, struggle or disappear; anti-social behaviour may be intolerable or invisible, but most people feel they can’t do much about anything.
People can, in fact, have more influence about issues than they realise. But it does take knowledge, skill and, above all, contacts. Being part of an organisation that shares your interests is often the key to making a difference. A lot of the information is fairly easy to find, and the skills can be learnt as you engage with the issue. But it takes organisation to involve people, engage your MP, the media and the people who decide what is to be done about your issue. It may not be easy, but taking action often means that your concerns are taken into account in some way, even if you don’t win everything you want.
My main point is that the more organised, powerful interests have more influence on what happens than the majority. In practice we do not live in a democracy, because most people did not vote for the Government (that’s just they way the electoral arithmetic works nowadays) and between elections people feel they have little effective power about anything.
But even without reform of the political system, there are many ways in which appropriate practical political education could help people have a more effective say. They need not be powerless.
So what would it look like?
1st, every community association, civic society, faith community, school governing body, housing association, parish council, local authority, chamber of commerce, trades council, Womens' Institute and other civic body sees the benefits of better political understanding and is not afraid to hold political discussions or even short courses about issues that affect their members and community and what to do about them;
2nd, learning providers, such as adult and community education services, the WEA, learndirect, unionlearn, further and higher education colleges, as well as libraries , museums , the Parliamentary Outreach service and even public services are willing to run practical workshops for people to understand what’s happening and how to influence decisions if they want. People can also find courses and tutors through The School of Everything.
3rd, government and the media encourage people to take part in practical political education, just as they have done for adult literacy or support for enterprise skills over the past 30 years. This would mean, for example, that government websites have a “Citizens Action" link:to advice and support on how to make a difference, including mysociety webtools to help them influence their elected representatives, just as many sites have “Business Advice: For business advice and support services visit Business Link. There would be media campaigns, like On The Move for adult literacy in the 1970s or the annual Adult Learners’ Week now.
To support this provision, every parish, town or district would have an independent “democracy hub” or “social action network” to support and promote this provision at a local level; university politics departments and organizations like the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, Citizens Organising Foundation, ACRE, WEA or NAVCA would train and support facilitators (tutors); and there would be conferences and fairs like Charity Week or Business Start Up at Earls Court where political education providers meet, promote new methods or materials, and develop their craft.
This provision would be paid for through a mixed economy, just as adult and community learning is today – part subsidized by local and national government, part funded through fees, and some sponsored by foundations, charities or companies. Public funding would play a significant role for people on low incomes, through Individual Learning Accounts and mainstream education provision.
Although practical political education is challenging for local and national governments, they support it because effective citizens can help to make better decisions and solve social problems faster. Community action could enable the political system get to grips with persistent problems like drug abuse, domestic violence, run-down estates, gross inequality, family breakdown and more. It would bring issues into the open sooner and test assumptions behind major decisions. And it would help to ensure that the poorest and most included in society could learn how to have and use their voice, so that political decisions take account of all citizens, not just those who can employ lobbyists.
This is an achievable vision: 30 years ago, adult literacy courses wre far and few between, often run by voluntary organisations or even taught by volunteers; now they are part of mainstream provision, available almost everywhere. Business training and support is almost unniversal, so that anyone who wants to set up a business can get advice, training and support to increase their chances of success.
Ten years from now anyone who wants to campaing about something, has an idea about how a public service can be improved, or is concerned about an injustice, or sees a threat to their community, should be able to get expertise adivce and learning to understand the issue, how the political system works, and what to do to make a diference.
Titus Alexander
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Lessons from Young UpRising
UpRising is an inspiring leadership programme for young people aged 19 – 25 from diverse backgrounds in East London run by the Young Foundation. Last night about 50 young people celebrated a year of learning and campaigning at a reception on the 30th floor of Clifford Chance, overlooking the East End and Docklands. Bonnie Greer gave a passionate speech and a panel of young people reflected on their experiences, which were uplifting – read more about what they did here.
The UpRising programme develops practical political skills through seven elements:
• monthly learning sessions
• a weekend residential at Roffey Park www.roffeypark.com
• support and advice to set up a community campaign
• one-to-one mentoring
• learning visits
• networking events
• placements
Input is provided by a wide range of partners (I contributed a learning session earlier this year). The UpRising leadership programme was initiated by Rushanara Ali, then Associate Director of the Young Foundation and now MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.
Reflecting on the programme, one participant said one of the most valuable elements was mutual support and making contacts within centres of power - "The high walls of the establishment are soft and ready for change."
The programme is recruiting for next year: to learn more email uprising@youngfoundation.org or call 020 8709 9029. A new programme is also being set up in Birmingham.
The UpRising programme develops practical political skills through seven elements:
• monthly learning sessions
• a weekend residential at Roffey Park www.roffeypark.com
• support and advice to set up a community campaign
• one-to-one mentoring
• learning visits
• networking events
• placements
Input is provided by a wide range of partners (I contributed a learning session earlier this year). The UpRising leadership programme was initiated by Rushanara Ali, then Associate Director of the Young Foundation and now MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.
Reflecting on the programme, one participant said one of the most valuable elements was mutual support and making contacts within centres of power - "The high walls of the establishment are soft and ready for change."
The programme is recruiting for next year: to learn more email uprising@youngfoundation.org or call 020 8709 9029. A new programme is also being set up in Birmingham.
Monday, 7 June 2010
Open source national budgets: put a spot light onto the Star Chamber
The Prime Minister wants to carry out spending cuts (“deficit reduction”) in a way that “strengthens and unites the country” while the Treasury team promise to give the public a role in the process online and through public meetings. This could dramatically change the way Britain is run, so before the suggestion is smothered by cynicism, stifled by official caution or trampled on by the tough old boots of political realism, let’s encourage the Coalition to be bold and trust people to see the power struggles between the Treasury and spending departments.
So I have three suggestions:
The British Government was top of the league for financial transparency in 2008, according to the Open Budget Initiative, but may be over taken by President Obama’s commitment to “transparency, public participation, and collaboration", while the US Congress subjects Departmental budgets to more detailed scrutiny than the UK Parliament.
Titus Alexander
So I have three suggestions:
- let cameras into the Star Chamber: it would make riveting viewing and transform people's understanding of politics.
- allow MPs to discuss the plans and budgets for each Department, through Select Committees and a substantial debate in the Commons Chamber
- encourage schools, colleges, local media and civil society associations of all kinds to involve people in the budget process.
The British Government was top of the league for financial transparency in 2008, according to the Open Budget Initiative, but may be over taken by President Obama’s commitment to “transparency, public participation, and collaboration", while the US Congress subjects Departmental budgets to more detailed scrutiny than the UK Parliament.
The Government’s commitment to online consultation, public meetings and putting information into the public domain is welcome but not enough. We need active engagement of people in poor and marginalised communities, the users of public services as well as its staff. The Institute of Directors (IoD) and Confederation of British Industry (CBI) are actively lobbying on capital gains tax and pensions tax relief, while public sector unions are preparing to battle for their jobs, but many local communities will only notice when their taxes rise (probably through VAT), services disappear or charges increase. In many cases there may be cost-effective solutions, where local ingenuity, cooperation and haggling could create better way of doing things. Let government, business and the unions put their case to the people about the detail of spending, taxes and charges, and perhaps people can re-invent government for themselves.
Putting the Star Chamber under the spotlight of cameras will provoke public interest; providing detailed information online will enable greater understanding; scrutiny of Departmental budgets by Parliament increases opportunities to have a say; while encouraging discussion in the places where people meet could bring deeper, lasting change – and a powerful example of practical political education.
Titus Alexander
Sunday, 6 June 2010
The politics of footpaths
Most of us take footpaths for granted – unless we are disabled, or want to go on forbidden routes. My mother had a stroke last year and is totally dependent on others. This weekend we went to Bowhill Country Park near Selkirk so that she could see the magnificent rhododendron blossoms and my six-year old son could enjoy the adventure playground with the longest scariest slide I’ve ever seen.
Pushing her wheel chair round the loch among magnificent trees, reminded me of the campaigns for the Disability Discrimination Acts of 1995 and 2005 which mean that all service providers must take reasonable steps to give disabled people access to facilities, including the countryside. In many cases this would not be commercially viable, particularly as many wheelchair users like my mother only pay a concessionary rate, but the law overrides commercial considerations and has opened up many places, buses and trains to wheelchair users as well as baby buggies. We could get my mother's wheelchair into a taxi, take her to the circus and enjoy the countryside in a way that would have been almost impossible ten or 20 years ago.
Thirty years ago I visited Berkley California and was stuck by how many wheelchair users there were in the streets. I wondered where they came from, until someone told me about the Independent Living movement started by Edward Roberts and other wheelchair-dependent people in the 1960s. In Britain wheelchair users were almost prisoners in their own homes, barred by steep steps, narrow doors and inaccessible loos, and you hardly saw them.
Anyone who thinks politics is unimportant should consider the difference which campaigning has made to basic things like wheelchair access to facilities which able-bodied people take for granted.
Long campaigns for wheelchair access, for freedom to roam the open countryside, public footpaths and protection of rights of way are all part of the complex politics of footpaths which improve everyday life for all.
Pushing her wheel chair round the loch among magnificent trees, reminded me of the campaigns for the Disability Discrimination Acts of 1995 and 2005 which mean that all service providers must take reasonable steps to give disabled people access to facilities, including the countryside. In many cases this would not be commercially viable, particularly as many wheelchair users like my mother only pay a concessionary rate, but the law overrides commercial considerations and has opened up many places, buses and trains to wheelchair users as well as baby buggies. We could get my mother's wheelchair into a taxi, take her to the circus and enjoy the countryside in a way that would have been almost impossible ten or 20 years ago.
Thirty years ago I visited Berkley California and was stuck by how many wheelchair users there were in the streets. I wondered where they came from, until someone told me about the Independent Living movement started by Edward Roberts and other wheelchair-dependent people in the 1960s. In Britain wheelchair users were almost prisoners in their own homes, barred by steep steps, narrow doors and inaccessible loos, and you hardly saw them.
Anyone who thinks politics is unimportant should consider the difference which campaigning has made to basic things like wheelchair access to facilities which able-bodied people take for granted.
Long campaigns for wheelchair access, for freedom to roam the open countryside, public footpaths and protection of rights of way are all part of the complex politics of footpaths which improve everyday life for all.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
How to help politicians work for you
They come into office promising to be our servants, but soon the pressure of events, inertia of institutions and more powerful forces take over. They work for you, but they can’t read your mind and many others are also making demands. You need to get to know them, let them know what you want and show them how you can help them win bigger battles for a better society.
Now is the time for citizens, community groups and activists to connect with their elected representatives in the Town Hall and Parliament. All professional lobbyists, journalists, campaigners and interest groups will be doing the same, but constituents have one powerful advantage: the vote. Politicians are elected to represent you. Most want to do good for their constituents (it helps their career and gives them an independent base). If there are strong local feelings about an issue some politicians will even defy the party line to support their constituents.
Many years ago I was secretary of a community resources centre, in an old church hall near the centre of a Conservative-run town. We were seen as a hot-bed of radicals, hosting the Anti-Nazi League (ANL), Communist Party Jumble Sales, lesbian discos and a thriving punk rock scene. In fact, most of what we did was to support a flourishing mainstream community sector - printing neighbourhood news letters, providing meeting space and encouraging self-help groups across town. Then one day a newly elected Conservative Councillor asked to rent our rather small, shabby little meeting room for surgeries. Some regarded the Council with deep suspicion and Conservatives as the enemy, but after much debate we agree that the Councillor had a democratic right to hire a room and be available to constituents. Not many came, so we had plenty of time to talk with him. We argued for pedestrianisation of the town centre, cycle lanes, gay rights, smoke-free rooms in pubs and much else. We rarely agreed, but it was a political education on both sides. So when fellow Councillors attacked the resource centre in the Council Chamber, he defended us on the grounds of freedom and when National Front supporters burnt the building down he was first on the scene to offer support.
Sine then I’ve worked with politicians from many parties. Most want the best for their area, people and the country, but with very different convictions about what that means. Most have been willing to listen to a well-made case, and some have changed their minds and even reversed a decision as a result of persistent, patient efforts. Those in power, of whatever party, are more likely to stick to their guns and defend the settled view of their government. But show and tell a politician something that makes a difference or solves a problem about which their view is not yet settled, and they will be your greatest champion. Indeed, if politicians see or hear something that fits their agenda, it may be trumpeted as government policy and rolled out before you know it. Then you watch your cherished project mangled by the political and civil service machine, puffed up in speeches and ground down in bureaucratic detail. So be careful what you wish for, because politicians are more pliable than you might think.
And these early days are the right time to make a good impression and create a warm, working relationship, whatever your polictical differences. Officials provide politicians with data and plans about how to carry out their manifesto commitments and respond to problems. But politicians also depend on the public, pressure groups and the media for information about what matters to people, what can be done about problems and additional information or different interpretations of the data.
So here are some questions and suggestions for things you can do to help them work for you:
Who matters most?
First, who matters most? If you are active in your community, a campaigner or you work for a voluntary organisation, you probably know where your most important political relationships are, but I only found out by accident after several years as a community activist, so here are a few questions to help find out who could help you most:
a) where do your funds come from, who decided what you get, and who makes the policy about how that is made available?
b) which departments or agencies influences the demand and nature of your work?
c) which departments or agencies may have an indirect influence on your work or concerns, such as the Treasury, health, welfare or education.
And d) who do you think might simply be sympathetic to what you do.
Sometimes it is obvious where the main relationship will be, but often you can get more leverage by working with another agency that is indirectly connected to your issue. For example, if you work on domestic violence you main point of contact my be Social Services, but the police, Primary Care Trust and Treasury could all have more influence on what happens. The big investment in Sure Start under the Labour government was a result of someone in the Treasury recognising the long-term benefits of investing in the early years.
Don’t under-estimate the role of chance and personal chemistry in changing a politician’s point of view: who would have thought that Iain Duncan Smith would become a champion of social justice as a result of visiting Easterhouse Estate with Christian Socialist Bob Holman?
Then think about specific ways in which local or national government may help or hinder your work (see 2nd point in previous post, on 17 May). Even if you have no current concerns, it is still useful to develop a relationship with your councillors, MPs and MSPs (Scotland), MLAs (Wales) or MEPs: see About Your Representative for the kind of things they can help you with.
These questions will help you decide who may be particularly useful, in terms of their position in the Council or Government, but don’t neglect your constituency MP, councillors, MSPs, MLA or AM
Find out who is who by looking at the membership of relevant council committees on your Council's website, who are the relevant government Ministers or membership of select committees in Parliament.
Find your Councillors, MP, MEPs, MSPs, or Northern Ireland, Welsh and London AMs at http://www.writetothem.com/ and find out more about your MPs interests, views, voting record and who funds them at They Work for You
Remember that it is also important to make constructive relationships with permanent officials and MP’s staff, including Special Advisers who act as sounding boards for Ministers.
Make your position clear
Second, look at how you communicate your core messages about who you are, why you exist, what do, what you offer and what want from others. Many groups and campaigns have lots so much information it overwhelms newcomers, so look at everything again through the eyes of an outsider and the new political class. Go through current leaflets, brochures, documents and your website, weeding out jargon, unnecessary words and language addressed to the previous political regime.
If you don’t have a campaign summary, create a page or two to tell people where you are coming from and where you are going, including:
• why you exist: the problems you address and/or opportunities you create
• what you do, illustrated by a story or picture as well as relevant numbers if possible
• evidence of benefits: what you have achieved and any costed benefits to society
• where you work or who you work with, particularly if you cover a well-defined area or group
• how you came about: your story as a campaign or organisation
• who you are: people, including volunteers, prominent supporters and head person, governing body or executive
• how you are resourced, including funding, voluntary effort and gifts in kind
• what you want: a short specific statement of what you want from government or others: be specific about who has the power and what you want them to do
• potential benefits: what could be achieved as a result of getting what you want
• endorsements: quotes from supporters and beneficiaries
Include in it a one-line summary or slogan to communicate your main purpose or create curiosity.
A short campaign brief or position statement like this is as important for your own people and supporters as for politicians, but it should be seen as a reminder of your main messages, rather than as a means communication – for that you need to speak in person with whoever you want to influence.
Build on common ground – particularly if you are far apart
Third, think about the most positive way to start a relationship with politicians, particularly if you think they have very different views or oppose what you feel strongly about: they work for you and can represent your views, even when they disagree with them (and you could even win them round). You would never start a relationship with an employee by attacking them or making aggressive demands before you meet.
It is almost always more effective to show people something, where they can see, hear and speak with people involved in the issues you care about, so if you can organise a visit, tour or event to which they can come, so much the better. Politicians like to be useful, so give them something to do, like cut a ribbon, launch a project or book, give prizes, give a talk, debate with young people, plant a tree – the more memorable and distinctive the better, but it has to be a positive memory, with a photo opportunity if possible.
Thinks about what you can offer them: every organisations has unique insights and experience which can help a politicians understand an issue. Human stories are often more powerful than dry facts, but back up your stories with powerful, memorable evidence. Many MPs rely on voluntary organisations or even pressure groups for information on specific issues – but you must be reliable, or they will never trust you again. Once they trust you, they will ask you for evidence or arguments when your issues come up, invite you to meetings or advisory groups, all of which can help further your cause. You may also be able to help them speak with constituents they would otherwise have difficulty reaching – think of the popularity of mumsnet before the election.
Don’t be dishonest, flatter to deceive or conceal your views if you have genuine differences, but start by seeking common ground and building bridges rather than barricades. If Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists can work together in a coalition government, then anything is possible in practical politics.
Even for a relatively small organisation, it is worth creating up a database of contacts with politicians and officials you deal with. Keep them informed of what you do, invite them to functions, tell them when you agree with something they’ve said or done, and they will be much more likely to hear when you disagree with them and take action for you when you need them.
But above all, keep sight of your purpose and the reason why you want to politicians to understand what you are about, and empower your members and supporters by sharing this information with them.
Now is the time for citizens, community groups and activists to connect with their elected representatives in the Town Hall and Parliament. All professional lobbyists, journalists, campaigners and interest groups will be doing the same, but constituents have one powerful advantage: the vote. Politicians are elected to represent you. Most want to do good for their constituents (it helps their career and gives them an independent base). If there are strong local feelings about an issue some politicians will even defy the party line to support their constituents.
Many years ago I was secretary of a community resources centre, in an old church hall near the centre of a Conservative-run town. We were seen as a hot-bed of radicals, hosting the Anti-Nazi League (ANL), Communist Party Jumble Sales, lesbian discos and a thriving punk rock scene. In fact, most of what we did was to support a flourishing mainstream community sector - printing neighbourhood news letters, providing meeting space and encouraging self-help groups across town. Then one day a newly elected Conservative Councillor asked to rent our rather small, shabby little meeting room for surgeries. Some regarded the Council with deep suspicion and Conservatives as the enemy, but after much debate we agree that the Councillor had a democratic right to hire a room and be available to constituents. Not many came, so we had plenty of time to talk with him. We argued for pedestrianisation of the town centre, cycle lanes, gay rights, smoke-free rooms in pubs and much else. We rarely agreed, but it was a political education on both sides. So when fellow Councillors attacked the resource centre in the Council Chamber, he defended us on the grounds of freedom and when National Front supporters burnt the building down he was first on the scene to offer support.
Sine then I’ve worked with politicians from many parties. Most want the best for their area, people and the country, but with very different convictions about what that means. Most have been willing to listen to a well-made case, and some have changed their minds and even reversed a decision as a result of persistent, patient efforts. Those in power, of whatever party, are more likely to stick to their guns and defend the settled view of their government. But show and tell a politician something that makes a difference or solves a problem about which their view is not yet settled, and they will be your greatest champion. Indeed, if politicians see or hear something that fits their agenda, it may be trumpeted as government policy and rolled out before you know it. Then you watch your cherished project mangled by the political and civil service machine, puffed up in speeches and ground down in bureaucratic detail. So be careful what you wish for, because politicians are more pliable than you might think.
And these early days are the right time to make a good impression and create a warm, working relationship, whatever your polictical differences. Officials provide politicians with data and plans about how to carry out their manifesto commitments and respond to problems. But politicians also depend on the public, pressure groups and the media for information about what matters to people, what can be done about problems and additional information or different interpretations of the data.
So here are some questions and suggestions for things you can do to help them work for you:
Who matters most?
First, who matters most? If you are active in your community, a campaigner or you work for a voluntary organisation, you probably know where your most important political relationships are, but I only found out by accident after several years as a community activist, so here are a few questions to help find out who could help you most:
a) where do your funds come from, who decided what you get, and who makes the policy about how that is made available?
b) which departments or agencies influences the demand and nature of your work?
c) which departments or agencies may have an indirect influence on your work or concerns, such as the Treasury, health, welfare or education.
And d) who do you think might simply be sympathetic to what you do.
Sometimes it is obvious where the main relationship will be, but often you can get more leverage by working with another agency that is indirectly connected to your issue. For example, if you work on domestic violence you main point of contact my be Social Services, but the police, Primary Care Trust and Treasury could all have more influence on what happens. The big investment in Sure Start under the Labour government was a result of someone in the Treasury recognising the long-term benefits of investing in the early years.
Don’t under-estimate the role of chance and personal chemistry in changing a politician’s point of view: who would have thought that Iain Duncan Smith would become a champion of social justice as a result of visiting Easterhouse Estate with Christian Socialist Bob Holman?
Then think about specific ways in which local or national government may help or hinder your work (see 2nd point in previous post, on 17 May). Even if you have no current concerns, it is still useful to develop a relationship with your councillors, MPs and MSPs (Scotland), MLAs (Wales) or MEPs: see About Your Representative for the kind of things they can help you with.
These questions will help you decide who may be particularly useful, in terms of their position in the Council or Government, but don’t neglect your constituency MP, councillors, MSPs, MLA or AM
Find out who is who by looking at the membership of relevant council committees on your Council's website, who are the relevant government Ministers or membership of select committees in Parliament.
Find your Councillors, MP, MEPs, MSPs, or Northern Ireland, Welsh and London AMs at http://www.writetothem.com/ and find out more about your MPs interests, views, voting record and who funds them at They Work for You
Remember that it is also important to make constructive relationships with permanent officials and MP’s staff, including Special Advisers who act as sounding boards for Ministers.
Make your position clear
Second, look at how you communicate your core messages about who you are, why you exist, what do, what you offer and what want from others. Many groups and campaigns have lots so much information it overwhelms newcomers, so look at everything again through the eyes of an outsider and the new political class. Go through current leaflets, brochures, documents and your website, weeding out jargon, unnecessary words and language addressed to the previous political regime.
If you don’t have a campaign summary, create a page or two to tell people where you are coming from and where you are going, including:
• why you exist: the problems you address and/or opportunities you create
• what you do, illustrated by a story or picture as well as relevant numbers if possible
• evidence of benefits: what you have achieved and any costed benefits to society
• where you work or who you work with, particularly if you cover a well-defined area or group
• how you came about: your story as a campaign or organisation
• who you are: people, including volunteers, prominent supporters and head person, governing body or executive
• how you are resourced, including funding, voluntary effort and gifts in kind
• what you want: a short specific statement of what you want from government or others: be specific about who has the power and what you want them to do
• potential benefits: what could be achieved as a result of getting what you want
• endorsements: quotes from supporters and beneficiaries
Include in it a one-line summary or slogan to communicate your main purpose or create curiosity.
A short campaign brief or position statement like this is as important for your own people and supporters as for politicians, but it should be seen as a reminder of your main messages, rather than as a means communication – for that you need to speak in person with whoever you want to influence.
Build on common ground – particularly if you are far apart
Third, think about the most positive way to start a relationship with politicians, particularly if you think they have very different views or oppose what you feel strongly about: they work for you and can represent your views, even when they disagree with them (and you could even win them round). You would never start a relationship with an employee by attacking them or making aggressive demands before you meet.
It is almost always more effective to show people something, where they can see, hear and speak with people involved in the issues you care about, so if you can organise a visit, tour or event to which they can come, so much the better. Politicians like to be useful, so give them something to do, like cut a ribbon, launch a project or book, give prizes, give a talk, debate with young people, plant a tree – the more memorable and distinctive the better, but it has to be a positive memory, with a photo opportunity if possible.
Thinks about what you can offer them: every organisations has unique insights and experience which can help a politicians understand an issue. Human stories are often more powerful than dry facts, but back up your stories with powerful, memorable evidence. Many MPs rely on voluntary organisations or even pressure groups for information on specific issues – but you must be reliable, or they will never trust you again. Once they trust you, they will ask you for evidence or arguments when your issues come up, invite you to meetings or advisory groups, all of which can help further your cause. You may also be able to help them speak with constituents they would otherwise have difficulty reaching – think of the popularity of mumsnet before the election.
Don’t be dishonest, flatter to deceive or conceal your views if you have genuine differences, but start by seeking common ground and building bridges rather than barricades. If Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists can work together in a coalition government, then anything is possible in practical politics.
Even for a relatively small organisation, it is worth creating up a database of contacts with politicians and officials you deal with. Keep them informed of what you do, invite them to functions, tell them when you agree with something they’ve said or done, and they will be much more likely to hear when you disagree with them and take action for you when you need them.
But above all, keep sight of your purpose and the reason why you want to politicians to understand what you are about, and empower your members and supporters by sharing this information with them.
Monday, 17 May 2010
Responding creatively to the deficit
Some people make things happen, some watch what happens, while many just don't know what hit them. Community groups and campaigns are about making things happen, which is what practical political education and this blog are about.
One urgent issue facing many communities and learning providers now are the coming cuts in public spending. I've been through many rounds of sharp cuts in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, on both sides of the cutting table, so here are a few hard-won survival tips that may be useful now.
My experience of cuts goes back to the mid 1970s when the IMF imposed spending cuts and I was a young, part-time adult / community education tutor and member of the university trade union anti-cuts committee. The cuts united blue and white collar workers on campus for the first time and we met with Shirley Williams, Secretary of State for Education, to stop cuts to the university budget. She listened intensely and described her dilemma of choosing between schools, colleges and universities. The universities won back some cash, but £1m went to the famous adult literacy campaign, On the Move: which goes to show that in the midst of cuts there can be creativity.
In the early 1980s, I lived and worked in the privatising borough of Wandsworth. Comrades on the Trades Council observed that those unions which engaged with the Council over cuts and contracts often gained more than those who went for outright opposition. I was also part of a community study group which compared spending and services in Wandsworth and Lambeth, looking at the complexity of the issues behind the headlines: more money did not always mean more or better services, but small p politics made a big difference in who got what.
After 1986, I was on the other side, as a senior manager for adult education in the ILEA, making deep cuts year after year. It was a terrible, shameful time. Endless large meetings of numerous full-time staff hammered out the criteria and processes for cutting classes by part-time tutors. Looking back, we could have cut management jobs without reducing services for the community. This was one of many times I’ve seen public sector managers subtract value when greater creativity and closer involvement of the community could have aaded value, despite the cuts. It is not easy to see what matters from the inside, when you are working flat out, doing what you believe is right. But self-interest is a powerful distorting lense. Professionals naturally believe they know what's best for people (and sometimes they do), but spending cuts should not be decided by a battle between professionals (managers and tutors in this case). In a democracy we are accountable to the people and a strong, independent Board representing learners and the community could have done a better job, but they relied on us as managers for advice on what to do.
Then in the 1990s I shared responsibility for community education in a London borough. Every year we had to offer up cuts of 10, 20 or even 25%. Then my whole team was made redundant. A few survived by creatively changing what they offered and how it was funded, but most went on to do other things. We all flourished in different ways. It wasn’t the end of the world. Although my income dropped by more than half, the freedom of self-employment brought its own rewards so that in real terms I was better off.
Throughout this time I was involved in community projects or campaigns, at different times seeking funds for new projects and trying to get services to address race equality, the needs of parents, the environment, international development or other issues.
So the following points draw on wide experience of public spending cuts.
A tale of cuts foretold
We’ve known cuts are coming for over a year. In March Alistair Darling warned that Labour’s cuts will be "deeper and tougher" than Margaret Thatcher's in the 1980s. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said Britain faces "two parliaments of pain" to repair the state's finances, with hefty tax rises and spending cuts of 25% until 2017.
Now we know there at least £6bn will be cut this year, an emergency Budget in June and deeper cuts from 1 April 2011. We have been well and truly warned, so now we can prepare.
So what to do?
Spending cuts redistribute roles and responsibilities as well as resources within organisations and sectors as well as between services. Whether this is good or bad depends on how they’re done. Usually some groups suffer while others prosper. During the 1980s, unemployment soared, inequality widened, public services crumbled and almost a generation of young and old were hit particularly hard. But that doesn’t have to happen.
Britain is the world’s sixth richest country. We waste a lot, including many talents of our people, energy, food and the environment by mis-using resources. We need to be more frugal and equitable to live responsibly on this finite planet, where most people live on less than €2 a day, thirty times less than in the UK. We have room for manover.
All public spending decisions are political battles about how to create and distribute income. At times of financial constraint we all need to look more deeply at what, why and how the state does things. This is a chance to stop doing things that cause harm and find better ways of doing good. Defending the status quo is not an option, because saving one thing means sacrificing something else. With an annual short-fall of £163bn, some taxes have to rise, some spending has to go, and many things have to be done differently or not at all. We can choose whether to be part of the decision-making process and promote our priorities, or leave it to someone else and cope with the consequences.
The following tips and questions may help you respond to the deficit. The questions are most relevant for community and voluntary organisations which get some public funds, but they may also be useful for public service users, staff and governing bodies.
1st, Be very clear and precise about your own purpose and priorities:
- What is most important to you, as a person, for your organisation, and as a citizen?
- Does everything your organisation does meet your purpose and priorities, or are there things it could stop doing?
- What do you want from state spending, for yourself, your organisation, the people you serve and the country? Are there things which could benefit from being done differently (or not being done at all)?
2nd, How could spending cuts, tax rises or innovation affect your purpose and priorities?
Speding cuts could affect communities and the voluntary sector in many different ways, such as:
- increased demand for help, if more people loose their jobs, get into debt, loose their home, become depressed, turn to crime, get into drugs, families break up, etc;
- an increase or reduction in volunteers or activists able to do something;
- a cut the income available from public or private sources;
- or an increase in income for grants or contracts to meet specific needs in your community or area of work;
- greater competition or cooperation between individuals or organisations;
- they may stimulate innovation, so that new organisations or technologies emerge which do what you do better, more easily or more cheaply;
Look carefully at what is actually happening in your area of work and how spending cuts could affect it; what are the threats and opportunities for your priorities? Tax rises may also have negative or positive effects on what you do, so you need to look at these as well.
3rd, Be pro-active: don’t wait – find out what might happen, prepare thoroughly and take the initiative.
- Study the thinking and planning in government and agencies that affect your work, purpose and priorities, including the manifestos of the political parties locally and nationally, influential think-tanks, and national pressure groups.
- If you get and want to continue getting public funding, look at which public spending priorities it meets (these are currently expressed by local priorities of the Council, Local Strategic Plan, and Primary Care Trust or national priorities, as set out in the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement, and Public Service Agreements (PSA) indicators (bearing in mind they could be modified or scrapped).
- Join or form coalitions with others who share your purpose and priorities, both locally and nationally;
- Build links across sectors, with trade unions as well as local business, grassroots community activists as well as public services: although you have different interests, priorities and ways of doing things, you probably have a shared interest in wanting the best for your area and may find creative ways of doing things better;
- Get to know and stay in touch with your local councillors, officials and Members of Parliament, make sure they know, understand and support what you do (Contact your Councillors, MP, MEPs, MSPs, or Northern Ireland, Welsh and London AMs through Write to Them)
- Identify possible spending cuts or tax rises which would help your cause, because this could relieve pressure to cut or raise taxes elsewhere: for example, cutting subsidies or increasing taxes on pollution or anti-social behaviour could raise revenue and create benefits.
- Look for ways you could do more for less and meet needs more creatively.
- If you represent a coalition or people who could be seriously affectived by the budget, prepare a detailed budget submission to make your case for specific areas of spending, cuts tax rises, tax cuts or innovation, and get it to the people making the decisions which affect you (see next point) as soon as possible.
- Don't get sucked into competition with the public sector: co-operation can serve the public better if we focus on meeting needs, using resources better and enabling people to take control over their lives.
- Campaign for your specific aims and priorities, not against cuts: be specific about its benefits and how it contributes to the objectives of the government, department or agency the funding comes from.
The coalition government has made a lot of progressive commitments, which you
4th, Get as close as you can to the cutting table: for every budget line there is an official and politician responsible who will make the incision. Find out who they are, what pressures are on them, what are their interests and priorities, and how could you help: they may welcome pressure to defend things they also believe in.
All spending cuts involve a twin track - the big, broad headline decisions at a national or town-hall level, or the specific details which affect your area. It is worth keeping an eye on both, but focusing on the one which will have most effect on what you do. National alliances and pressure groups can focus on the big picture, but they are also stronger when they draw on local activists and examples. At a local level it is often easier to know who is actually making decisions and to be creative about where the money comes from. For example, if health spending is ring-fenced, then look at the health benefits of your work and you could get extra funding from the Primary Care Trust. For example, during the 1980s, local authorities cut youth services but some police forces funded activities for young people because they helped with crime prevention. Be creative.
Several sets of officials and politicians are usually involved in any specific decision:
- a service manager, politicians or a voluntary board directly involved, usually cutting under pressure from above;
- senior figures locally or nationally who set the budget for services, including the one that concerns you
- Finance Department or Treasury which imposes the overall budget on everyone and tries to balance the books, and the new Office of Budget Responsibility which will provide independent analysis of public spending..
5th, be creative: there are many different ways of meeting the threat of cuts – fight, flight or insight:
you can
- defend the status quo
- propose alternative cuts and or tax rises
- diversify or seek alternative funding
- do things differently
A ‘whole systems’ approach to improving public services while often reducing costs by putting users at the centre and empowering staff to respond to demand. For more details visit The Systems Thinking Review or read John Seddon's book, Systems Thinking in the Public Sector, or The Illusion of Control from SOLACE.
6th, always have a fall back (or two): when seas are rough, fisher folk mend their nets
What’s your contingency plan if your budget is cut completely? Do you seek a merger, go completely voluntary, pull back to a tiny core of self-funding activities or develop new, income-generating activities?
If you re-trench, how can you retain and develop the skills, tacit knowledge, relationships and potential to grow again when things improve.
7th, take people with you: when you have difficult choices to make, let people know what’s happening, set out the options and criteria for making difficult decisions (whether it is to a fight a particular cut or to pass it on), and invite innovation.
Austerity is often a time of innovation. Now is the time to find new, better, smarter ways of doing things. Even without the deficit, demand for public spending is rising – decent pensions for all, support for carers, health care and many tough social problems urgently need more attention. Ultimately the only way to make the money go round is to use it smarter. That's how we make things happen, even at a time of spending cuts.
One urgent issue facing many communities and learning providers now are the coming cuts in public spending. I've been through many rounds of sharp cuts in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, on both sides of the cutting table, so here are a few hard-won survival tips that may be useful now.
My experience of cuts goes back to the mid 1970s when the IMF imposed spending cuts and I was a young, part-time adult / community education tutor and member of the university trade union anti-cuts committee. The cuts united blue and white collar workers on campus for the first time and we met with Shirley Williams, Secretary of State for Education, to stop cuts to the university budget. She listened intensely and described her dilemma of choosing between schools, colleges and universities. The universities won back some cash, but £1m went to the famous adult literacy campaign, On the Move: which goes to show that in the midst of cuts there can be creativity.
In the early 1980s, I lived and worked in the privatising borough of Wandsworth. Comrades on the Trades Council observed that those unions which engaged with the Council over cuts and contracts often gained more than those who went for outright opposition. I was also part of a community study group which compared spending and services in Wandsworth and Lambeth, looking at the complexity of the issues behind the headlines: more money did not always mean more or better services, but small p politics made a big difference in who got what.
After 1986, I was on the other side, as a senior manager for adult education in the ILEA, making deep cuts year after year. It was a terrible, shameful time. Endless large meetings of numerous full-time staff hammered out the criteria and processes for cutting classes by part-time tutors. Looking back, we could have cut management jobs without reducing services for the community. This was one of many times I’ve seen public sector managers subtract value when greater creativity and closer involvement of the community could have aaded value, despite the cuts. It is not easy to see what matters from the inside, when you are working flat out, doing what you believe is right. But self-interest is a powerful distorting lense. Professionals naturally believe they know what's best for people (and sometimes they do), but spending cuts should not be decided by a battle between professionals (managers and tutors in this case). In a democracy we are accountable to the people and a strong, independent Board representing learners and the community could have done a better job, but they relied on us as managers for advice on what to do.
Then in the 1990s I shared responsibility for community education in a London borough. Every year we had to offer up cuts of 10, 20 or even 25%. Then my whole team was made redundant. A few survived by creatively changing what they offered and how it was funded, but most went on to do other things. We all flourished in different ways. It wasn’t the end of the world. Although my income dropped by more than half, the freedom of self-employment brought its own rewards so that in real terms I was better off.
Throughout this time I was involved in community projects or campaigns, at different times seeking funds for new projects and trying to get services to address race equality, the needs of parents, the environment, international development or other issues.
So the following points draw on wide experience of public spending cuts.
A tale of cuts foretold
We’ve known cuts are coming for over a year. In March Alistair Darling warned that Labour’s cuts will be "deeper and tougher" than Margaret Thatcher's in the 1980s. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said Britain faces "two parliaments of pain" to repair the state's finances, with hefty tax rises and spending cuts of 25% until 2017.
Now we know there at least £6bn will be cut this year, an emergency Budget in June and deeper cuts from 1 April 2011. We have been well and truly warned, so now we can prepare.
So what to do?
Spending cuts redistribute roles and responsibilities as well as resources within organisations and sectors as well as between services. Whether this is good or bad depends on how they’re done. Usually some groups suffer while others prosper. During the 1980s, unemployment soared, inequality widened, public services crumbled and almost a generation of young and old were hit particularly hard. But that doesn’t have to happen.
Britain is the world’s sixth richest country. We waste a lot, including many talents of our people, energy, food and the environment by mis-using resources. We need to be more frugal and equitable to live responsibly on this finite planet, where most people live on less than €2 a day, thirty times less than in the UK. We have room for manover.
All public spending decisions are political battles about how to create and distribute income. At times of financial constraint we all need to look more deeply at what, why and how the state does things. This is a chance to stop doing things that cause harm and find better ways of doing good. Defending the status quo is not an option, because saving one thing means sacrificing something else. With an annual short-fall of £163bn, some taxes have to rise, some spending has to go, and many things have to be done differently or not at all. We can choose whether to be part of the decision-making process and promote our priorities, or leave it to someone else and cope with the consequences.
The following tips and questions may help you respond to the deficit. The questions are most relevant for community and voluntary organisations which get some public funds, but they may also be useful for public service users, staff and governing bodies.
1st, Be very clear and precise about your own purpose and priorities:
- What is most important to you, as a person, for your organisation, and as a citizen?
- Does everything your organisation does meet your purpose and priorities, or are there things it could stop doing?
- What do you want from state spending, for yourself, your organisation, the people you serve and the country? Are there things which could benefit from being done differently (or not being done at all)?
2nd, How could spending cuts, tax rises or innovation affect your purpose and priorities?
Speding cuts could affect communities and the voluntary sector in many different ways, such as:
- increased demand for help, if more people loose their jobs, get into debt, loose their home, become depressed, turn to crime, get into drugs, families break up, etc;
- an increase or reduction in volunteers or activists able to do something;
- a cut the income available from public or private sources;
- or an increase in income for grants or contracts to meet specific needs in your community or area of work;
- greater competition or cooperation between individuals or organisations;
- they may stimulate innovation, so that new organisations or technologies emerge which do what you do better, more easily or more cheaply;
Look carefully at what is actually happening in your area of work and how spending cuts could affect it; what are the threats and opportunities for your priorities? Tax rises may also have negative or positive effects on what you do, so you need to look at these as well.
3rd, Be pro-active: don’t wait – find out what might happen, prepare thoroughly and take the initiative.
- Study the thinking and planning in government and agencies that affect your work, purpose and priorities, including the manifestos of the political parties locally and nationally, influential think-tanks, and national pressure groups.
- If you get and want to continue getting public funding, look at which public spending priorities it meets (these are currently expressed by local priorities of the Council, Local Strategic Plan, and Primary Care Trust or national priorities, as set out in the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement, and Public Service Agreements (PSA) indicators (bearing in mind they could be modified or scrapped).
- Join or form coalitions with others who share your purpose and priorities, both locally and nationally;
- Build links across sectors, with trade unions as well as local business, grassroots community activists as well as public services: although you have different interests, priorities and ways of doing things, you probably have a shared interest in wanting the best for your area and may find creative ways of doing things better;
- Get to know and stay in touch with your local councillors, officials and Members of Parliament, make sure they know, understand and support what you do (Contact your Councillors, MP, MEPs, MSPs, or Northern Ireland, Welsh and London AMs through Write to Them)
- Identify possible spending cuts or tax rises which would help your cause, because this could relieve pressure to cut or raise taxes elsewhere: for example, cutting subsidies or increasing taxes on pollution or anti-social behaviour could raise revenue and create benefits.
- Look for ways you could do more for less and meet needs more creatively.
- If you represent a coalition or people who could be seriously affectived by the budget, prepare a detailed budget submission to make your case for specific areas of spending, cuts tax rises, tax cuts or innovation, and get it to the people making the decisions which affect you (see next point) as soon as possible.
- Don't get sucked into competition with the public sector: co-operation can serve the public better if we focus on meeting needs, using resources better and enabling people to take control over their lives.
- Campaign for your specific aims and priorities, not against cuts: be specific about its benefits and how it contributes to the objectives of the government, department or agency the funding comes from.
The coalition government has made a lot of progressive commitments, which you
4th, Get as close as you can to the cutting table: for every budget line there is an official and politician responsible who will make the incision. Find out who they are, what pressures are on them, what are their interests and priorities, and how could you help: they may welcome pressure to defend things they also believe in.
All spending cuts involve a twin track - the big, broad headline decisions at a national or town-hall level, or the specific details which affect your area. It is worth keeping an eye on both, but focusing on the one which will have most effect on what you do. National alliances and pressure groups can focus on the big picture, but they are also stronger when they draw on local activists and examples. At a local level it is often easier to know who is actually making decisions and to be creative about where the money comes from. For example, if health spending is ring-fenced, then look at the health benefits of your work and you could get extra funding from the Primary Care Trust. For example, during the 1980s, local authorities cut youth services but some police forces funded activities for young people because they helped with crime prevention. Be creative.
Several sets of officials and politicians are usually involved in any specific decision:
- a service manager, politicians or a voluntary board directly involved, usually cutting under pressure from above;
- senior figures locally or nationally who set the budget for services, including the one that concerns you
- Finance Department or Treasury which imposes the overall budget on everyone and tries to balance the books, and the new Office of Budget Responsibility which will provide independent analysis of public spending..
5th, be creative: there are many different ways of meeting the threat of cuts – fight, flight or insight:
you can
- defend the status quo
- propose alternative cuts and or tax rises
- diversify or seek alternative funding
- do things differently
A ‘whole systems’ approach to improving public services while often reducing costs by putting users at the centre and empowering staff to respond to demand. For more details visit The Systems Thinking Review or read John Seddon's book, Systems Thinking in the Public Sector, or The Illusion of Control from SOLACE.
6th, always have a fall back (or two): when seas are rough, fisher folk mend their nets
What’s your contingency plan if your budget is cut completely? Do you seek a merger, go completely voluntary, pull back to a tiny core of self-funding activities or develop new, income-generating activities?
If you re-trench, how can you retain and develop the skills, tacit knowledge, relationships and potential to grow again when things improve.
7th, take people with you: when you have difficult choices to make, let people know what’s happening, set out the options and criteria for making difficult decisions (whether it is to a fight a particular cut or to pass it on), and invite innovation.
Austerity is often a time of innovation. Now is the time to find new, better, smarter ways of doing things. Even without the deficit, demand for public spending is rising – decent pensions for all, support for carers, health care and many tough social problems urgently need more attention. Ultimately the only way to make the money go round is to use it smarter. That's how we make things happen, even at a time of spending cuts.
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