This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Community planning conference
11/03/2003
A draft progress report was tabled at the Community
Planning Task Force Conference today.
Finance and Public Services Minister Andy Kerr said that
those involved in the delivery of local services were
working hand in hand with local communities to deliver a
shared vision to ensure services are built around the
people who use them.
The conference was organised to allow a wide range of
agencies and organisations to hear about the work of the
task force, to share ideas and to gain feedback on its
findings and their future development. A final report will
be published shortly.
Community Planning provides a framework for shaping
public services around the needs of the people who use
them. The
Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 and associated
guidance comes into force on April 1.
Mr Kerr said:
"Community Planning is a genuine priority for the
Executive. The Local Government in Scotland Act will give
new impetus to the initiative and put in place a framework
to ensure the delivery of customer-focused services, on a
more consistent basis across Scotland.
"We have signalled our commitment to Community Planning
- not only by bringing forward this important piece of
legislation, but also by placing a duty on Ministers to
promote and encourage Community Planning.
"It is clear from this draft report that significant
progress is being made in delivering Community Planning in
Scotland, but there is room for improvement in areas such
as capacity building, joining-up policies and identifying
priorities and in mainstreaming awareness of Community
Planning within organisations. I look forward to reading
the final report from the Task Force.
"I believe there is always room for improvement and we
must always be aspiring to deliver better public services
that are focused on the needs of the customer."
The Community Planning Task Force was set up by
Ministers in March 2001 to provide independent and
authoritative advice on community planning issues.
Members of the Community Planning Task
Force
Willie Rae, Chair (from October 1, 2002), Chief
Constable, Strathclyde Police
(Former Chair - Professor Alice Brown, up to September
30, 2002 - now Scottish Public Services Ombudsman)
Samantha Barber, Chief Executive, Scottish Business in
the Community
Stuart Black, Director of Strengthening Communities,
Highlands and Island Enterprise
Ann Clark, Head of Policy, Highland Council
Tom Divers, Chief Executive, Greater Glasgow Health
Board
Leslie Evans, Head of Local Government Division,
Scottish Executive
David Fletcher, Partnership Manager, Greater Easterhouse
Partnership
Caroline Gardner, Deputy Auditor General, Audit
Scotland
Jon Harris, Director of Policy and Legislation,
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Chris Huxham, Director of Research, Strathclyde
University Business School
Lynne Main, Voluntary Worker, Wester Hailes
Representative Council
Stephen Maxwell, Assistant Director Development,
Scottish Council for Voluntary organisations
Ros Micklem, Principal, Cardonald College
Stuart Nichol, former Regional Managing Director,
Scottish Homes, now with Fife Council
Douglas Paterson, Chief Executive, Aberdeen City
Council
David Pigott, Chief Executive, Lothian Primary NHS
Trust
Selma Raham, former Director, Fife Racial Equality
Council, now with Children in Scotland.
Martyn Rendle, Business Director, Communities
Scotland.
Douglas Sinclair, Chief Executive, Fife Council
John Thomson, Director of Strategy, Scottish Natural
Heritage
Charlie Woods, Senior Director, Scottish Enterprise.