Local Strategic Partnerships
An effective Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) is at the heart of achieving positive change on the ground, through delivery of an area's Sustainable Community Strategy and its Local Area Agreement.
We have a wealth of experience in working with local authorities and their partners on LSP reviews and development, and on the development and refresh of Sustainable Community Strategies.
This experience, encompassing over forty LSPs as past clients, ensures we provide services which are pragmatic, focused and lead to tangible outcomes.
Our services include:
LSP review & development: helping build robust, mature partnerships, capable of both strategic thinking and delivery of change on the ground.
For example, we worked with Reading, Watford and West Wiltshire LSPs, to help undertake a review of their own processes and performance. For Reading, this culminated, in the formation of a new LSP, with an entirely new make up and partnership agreement in place.
Important development work can also be at a micro-level, for example helping an LSP improve how it runs its own meetings, (Forest of Dean LSP) and other processes, eg induction of new members, communications materials, (West Cornwall Together).
Sustainable Community Strategy Reviews: ‘light touch’ feedback or a full review to ensure your Sustainable Community Strategy document is linked to the Local Area Agreement process and to wider strategic planning in the area.
Local authority leadership: a range of services to help local authorities meet the challenge of leading the Community Planning process, from facilitating internal dialogues to seminars and training. For example, we provided a coaching and consultancy support package for a local authority Chief Executive and Leader, who wanted to consider a fresh approach to their area’s LSP
Stakeholder processes & events: planning and facilitating meetings, events and consultations for LSPs. For example, away days and workshops to engage with challenging issues, (Rushmoor, West Berkshire, Reading, Test Valley, Torfaen, Bridgend, Exeter, Cambridge, South Somerset, Hertsmere).
Training, action learning & mentoring: capacity building on topics which support the Community Planning process eg. building partnerships, conflict resolution, facilitation, planning and running participative meetings, strategic planning. In Cornwall, we pioneered a joint training programme for all of the county’s LSP officers.
LSP health check: a time and resource efficient way to obtain an independent analysis of your LSP's main strengths and weaknesses, and its developmental needs . Click here to find out more about Local Strategic Partnership Health Checks.
Partnership development: focusing on building a strong, functional LSP capable of delivering results.