City Strategy Learning Network
Local partners and DWP have high ambitions for City Strategies – pushing the boundaries of flexibility and devolution to provide more and better opportunities for workless people.
City Strategies are a policy and delivery challenge to both local and national partners and DWP continue to encourage all partners to learn from each other and stimulate new thinking.
The Learning Network will:
- stimulate new thinking
- help build the capacity of local partners
- provide a challenge role to national and local partners
- promote best practice
- help communication and information needs between City Strategies and national government.
The Learning Network is for:
- City Strategy policy and decision-makers at all levels
- national and regional government
It is also for:
- all local partners involved in consortia
- providers
- non-City Strategy areas to understand activity and progress.
Learning Network news
DWP are in the process of putting together the specification for a new Learning Network following the recent announcement of the extension of the City Strategy Pathfinders for two years from April 2009.
In June 2008 we asked the Pathfinders for their comments on the Learning Network and how to take the Learning Network forward. Read their responses in Learning Network Evaluation (27KB)
Providing what’s needed
Our first step will be to survey City Strategies about what they need and on their preferred means of communications. The sorts of activities we are thinking about are:
- Themed seminars and think pieces – meetings and writing that will stimulate new thinking and better analysis, inviting contributions from a wide range of people and organisations with something to say.
- Quarterly meetings – promoting the exchange of views and information, and helping local partners and national government work together to plan and deliver City Strategies.
- Regular e-briefings – keeping people informed of the latest ideas, good practice, research, data and business matters.
- Study visits – seeing always helps understanding, which is why we’re proposing to organise study tours both as part of quarterly meetings and on demand.
- Training and technical assistance – building capacity of all partners will be an important function of the Network – delivering assistance and training that will improve analysis, planning, and delivery.