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APPENDIX 1: PROJECT CASE STUDIES

1 ABERDEEN AND ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL

Project Background and Rationale

Background

1.1 Cultural provision in Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire is planned, resourced and delivered in different ways by the two Councils, and each has different strategic priorities and levels of resources. However, given the geographic areas that the Councils cover, it was recognised that local people typically access cultural experiences and employment opportunities provided by both authorities.

1.2 In light of this, the two Councils sought Pathfinder funding to test a collaborative and co-ordinated approach to cultural activity.

Aims and Objectives

1.3 The project was originally designed to identify ways in which the two Councils could work together to develop a joined-up programme of creative community engagement activities to inform and deliver a set of common aspirations for culture.

1.4 The initial aims of the project were to pilot a creative engagement programme and develop an action plan of delivery of opportunities to address the needs of each target group, to be embedded in a Community Planning framework. More specifically, as outlined in the Evaluation Plan, the project aimed to:

• carry out an audit to assess the effectiveness of current cultural activities in Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire;
• carry out research into improving marketing and information services;
• develop an action plan for the integration of cultural plans and strategies between the Cultural Services Departments of the two Councils;
• deliver and review pilot projects targeting rural communities, people living in the most deprived areas, community networks and the Scotland's Learning Partnership ( SLP) group of older people - it is understood from the project proposal that the project would seek to consult with people from rural/periphery communities; areas of social deprivation; artists/creative individuals; and older people; and
• identify barriers to participation such as transport, access to venues and cost.

1.5 At an early stage, the project explored a possible connection with SLP's "older people" Pathfinder project, but it was agreed with the Scottish Government that this sector of the community was already well represented in other Pathfinder projects. As a result, the Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire project did not progress with this target group.

1.6 The Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Cultural Pathfinder project focused largely, but not exclusively, on exploring the structures and processes which could deliver more effective regional provision. However, creative intervention with communities did remain a feature, and several creative consultation projects were commissioned. During the period of the Pathfinder project, a number of artist-led arts development projects were also run in Aberdeen City.

Funding

1.7 The final budget for the project has not yet been reported. The initial £53,000 contribution from the Cultural Pathfinder Programme was matched with £17,000 from Aberdeenshire Council in (2007/08) to support the creative projects and revised officer support and £12,000 for arts development projects from Aberdeen City which supported the initiative.

Strategic Fit

1.8 The project was developed in line with national cultural policy guidance at the time (eg Scotland's Culture). In particular, the project was developed with a strong focus on cultural entitlements and cultural planning. With the shift in policy emphasis to widening access to cultural provision, the project continued to be aligned with policy concerns and pursued the concept of 'community priorities for culture' instead of cultural entitlements. However, the policy shift away from the notion of local cultural entitlements re-focused many of the activities of the Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Pathfinder to concentrate on the structures and approaches to planning for culture across the two authority areas.

1.9 The project fits with both Aberdeen City Cultural Strategy and Aberdeenshire Arts Strategy. Both documents outline commitments to increase participation and maximise opportunities to access and participate in arts and cultural activities. While the two organisations are independent in terms of culture and planning for cultural provision, the aspiration was that the Pathfinder project would produce an overarching joint 'statement of intent' which would then inform the development of new Cultural Strategies for each Council.

1.10 Culture does not feature explicitly in the Community Plans in either area, although it is implied within several themes. A key objective of the Cultural Pathfinder project was to ensure that planning for cultural provision is considered in Community Planning in the future. Both Council areas have different structures for Community Planning and both were engaged throughout the Pathfinder. The extent to which this has been achieved in Aberdeen City will form part of the review of Challenge Forums in 2009. ¹

Activities and Processes

1.11 The Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire project was led by a steering group comprising representatives from both authorities. The project activities were delivered by external consultants and artists, and included:

• consultations with communities in Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire using 'open space' sessions;
• community consultation projects led by artists;
• an audit of cultural activities; and
• a marketing review.

1.12 Consultations with communities in Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire were designed to explore citizens' views on culture, and their levels of cultural awareness and participation. In total, ten consultation events were carried out by contracted consultants. These took place in urban and rural settings in order to establish any differences in cultural awareness and cultural participation (including barriers).

1.13 The community engagement events were held in venues throughout Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire. The original target groups for the consultation events were:

• people living in areas of social deprivation;
• older people;
• rural/peripheral communities (socially and/or geographically); and
• artists/creative individuals.

1.14 Despite efforts taken by Council officers to encourage participation of the target groups in the community engagement meetings, there was limited success in attracting these groups to participate. Feedback from project partners suggests that these events attracted people within communities that normally engage with the Council and that 'hard to reach' groups were not represented. As a result, the steering group decided that the community engagement events should be integrated and geographically spread. In other words, it was decided that the events should invite participants from the whole community and be carried out in various locations across the City and Shire areas to ensure a range of communities had the opportunity to participate.

1.15 From information provided, approximately 130 community members, artists and cultural professionals participated in the 'open space' consultation events. A more detailed breakdown of participants across each group (community, artists, and professionals) was not available. Feedback from project partners suggests that there were difficulties in co-ordinating consultation events due to availability of the consultants and people from the target groups and limited timescales.

1.16 Further events co-ordinated by the Aberdeen City Arts Development Team and Aberdeenshire's Arts Development Team were also held, and these contributed to the Pathfinder work. Aberdeenshire's Arts Development Team commissioned three creative consultation projects which involved 557 participants in rural communities.

1.17 A number of creative projects were also delivered during the Pathfinder and these contributed to the project objectives. Two films were commissioned to investigate support/infrastructure for visual arts and the cultural role of village halls. A sound commission exploring the links between music and farming communities and a community consultation project, Fly Cup, was also devised and delivered. The 'Fly Cup' project was made up of three strands of activity - Fly Cup Pit Stops, Fly Cup Competition and Fly Cup Families. Each strand involved different types of activities for adults, children and families and sought to engage with people within local communities. The 'Fly Cup' project report indicates that each activity was successful in engaging people and gathering their views.

1.18 Consultations with CPP representatives also informed the Pathfinder, and focus group meetings were facilitated by the consultant team.

1.19 An audit of cultural provision in Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire was carried out in order to establish the types and number of cultural events and activities, organisations and services across the region. In carrying out this audit, the steering group hoped to gain a better insight into cultural provision across the region including, for example, the venues used and types of activity.

1.20 A marketing review related to cultural activities across the region was a key activity in the project. This review, carried out by the consultants, identified areas of strength and areas for improvement. It was designed to establish a baseline of marketing activity in both Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire and to identify areas for future joint activities.

1.21 The focus of this Pathfinder project was largely on the structures and processes for planning for cultural provision and in examining the potential to join up across the two authorities. However, the consultation events, audit and marketing review helped to inform this examination of structures and processes and influenced recommendations.

Achievements and Impacts

1.22 In line with the Evaluation Toolkit, the Evaluation Plan for the project identified indicators in relation to Activities, Participation, Satisfaction, Impacts and Value for Money. The information used in this assessment includes the consultant's report, consultation feedback and the evaluation report/update.

1.23 Given the shift of this Pathfinder following the change in policy emphasis, the project team has argued that many of the original indicators are no longer appropriate or relevant in evaluating the overall success of the pathfinder.

Activities

1.24 In the Evaluation Plan, a number of activity indicators were identified and the project has achieved most of these.

1.25 The audit and assessment of cultural provision in Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire has been achieved. The audit established a baseline of current cultural provision in the region and covered: venues where cultural activity does and could take place; cultural organisations and services and their location; and details of when and where activities take place including key contact information.

1.26 Marketing and information systems have been reviewed and work is now underway to develop a joined-up marketing campaign and information provision across the two Council areas. Feedback from project partners indicated that the findings from the marketing review will be taken forward by the North East Audience Development Initiative. Feedback also indicated that the marketing review has been mutually beneficial to both Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Councils. In December 2008, an independent application to the Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund was successfully awarded and £130,000 was allocated to support the creation of an Audience Development/Arts Marketing Agency for the area.

1.27 To date, a shared database of the findings from the audit of cultural provision has not yet been developed, and a static spreadsheet has been prepared instead. Over the longer term it is envisaged that a database will be developed with decisions over maintenance and management to be made. This was highlighted as a key issue by the consultants in their final report. This report provides an overview of the work done by the consultants for the Pathfinder and provides recommendations for new structures and initiatives.

Participation

1.28 The Pathfinder project set out specific indicators in terms of participation with target levels set as follows:

• five 'open space' workshops to be carried out covering: areas of deprivation, rural community, and city, together with artist and creative sessions;
• workshops to involve 120 participants;
• series of joint focus groups of 60 citizens;
• involvement of artists in delivering a number of pilot projects to demonstrate how the agreed entitlements might be delivered; and
• engagement of community members in the programme.

1.29 A number of target groups were identified at the start of the Pathfinder. These were: people living in the most deprived areas; older people; rural/peripheral communities (socially and/or geographically); and artists/creative individuals. As indicated, older people were dropped as a target group, given the focus on this group by the SLP and other Pathfinder projects.

1.30 From the information available, it is clear that the target number of participants has been achieved. However, the breakdown of participants in terms of geography (urban/rural) and target group is not clear. Whilst the project shifted to engage a wide range of participants from across the City and Shire areas, no information was collected at the engagement workshops to indicate where participants came from or whether they fell into a particular target group.

1.31 The interim report, feedback from project partners and the consultants' report indicated that a number of consultation workshops took place. Ten 'open space' events were held across Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire and 130 people attended. It is reported that there were difficulties in engaging specific target groups in these events and a decision was made to integrate the events and hold them across the geographic area. It was also reported that one of the open space events focused on engaging a group of young Muslims in Aberdeen and attracted 40 participants. Engaging people in the open space events was difficult due to the short notice for some events. It was also suggested that without someone working within the communities to encourage attendance it was challenging to reach and encourage people to attend.

1.32 Additional engagement events were held in Aberdeenshire and these were led by commissioned artists and focused on: music development (36 participants); arts development (350 participants); and cultural provision (177 participants). These engagement events and activities were additional to the 'open space' events and were run by commissioned artists.

1.33 A number of pilot projects were delivered by the project and these were discussed in the interim report. However, it is not clear from the information supplied how many projects were delivered or the different nature of each.

1.34 Initially, these projects were intended to inform the development of cultural entitlements and their delivery. With the change of policy emphasis away from cultural entitlements to widening access to culture, the project changed the language used, but continued with the concept of entitlement using the term 'community priorities' during consultations. The consultation exercises found that the terminology of 'entitlement' or 'priorities' was not important to those who were consulted.

Satisfaction

1.35 At this stage, it is unclear whether achievements have been made against the satisfaction indicators identified in the Evaluation Plan:

• community members will be satisfied with an agreed set of joint programmes and initiatives measured through the city voice panel;
• community members will be satisfied that the agreed plans will be embedded in local community plans measured through Community Planning networks and fora;
• local arts practitioners will be satisfied with the plan of the project (measured through the cultural forum);
• funders and sponsors will be satisfied with the outcomes of their investments.

1.36 The new structures and processes are in the stages of being formally agreed and adopted by the relevant Councils and CPPs in Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire. The feedback to participants on the results of the process will be undertaken in March 2009 and it is therefore not possible to assess this aspect of the Pathfinder at this stage. The satisfaction of community members with an agreed set of programmes and initiatives and agreed plans is not known at this stage. As the project progressed, the focus shifted to strategic issues of structures and processes in relation to planning for cultural provision.

1.37 The community engagement sessions informed both Councils about community priorities although it is not clear at this stage how these will be reflected in joint plans and whether community members will be consulted on these plans to measure their satisfaction.

Impact

1.38 A number of achievements have been reported against the impact indicators identified for the project.

1.39 The Pathfinder has, to an extent, achieved an improvement in the levels of joint working across the two Councils. Networking and co-ordinated marketing approaches are clear achievements which, through the steering group, have helped to facilitate joint working. The marketing review has been carried out and has provided recommendations for future joint activity. It is clear from project partners' feedback and the evaluation report, that the Pathfinder has had an impact on joint planning and joint funding of projects.

1.40 The priorities identified through the Pathfinder consultation process have been grouped into key themes - places, people, information, richness and diversity - and are informing the Cultural Strategies for each Council and the Joint Cultural Strategy.

1.41 Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Councils are now in the process of developing new individual cultural strategies and in December 2008 both authorities agreed a set of shared Cultural Objectives which will provide the cornerstone for future joint planning. The extent to which culture will be reflected in a set of local outcomes will vary in each Council; however, a common set of high level shared objectives will inform and influence local strategies.

1.42 Aberdeenshire's CPP scheduled a discussion regarding the proposed joint planning structure for culture and its links to Community Planning in February 2009. Elected members in Aberdeen City contributed to these discussions as part of the consultation work being undertaken on the Cultural Strategy for Aberdeen City 2009-14, which utilises the same framework as the Aberdeenshire Cultural strategy. The groundwork for developing a joint strategy and joint structure is underway although it is not clear at this stage when a Joint Strategy is expected to be published.

1.43 Greater inclusion of culture in the strategic Community Planning process for each local authority area was identified as a performance indicator. However, it is unclear whether this has yet been achieved although discussions with stakeholders did suggest that the Pathfinder has facilitated improved engagement with Community Planning at the strategic level, particularly in Aberdeen City which has the established Cultural Challenge Forum embedded in its CPP structure. From information available it is not clear whether the following have been achieved:

• greater participation rate in community arts activity take up;
• greater collaboration of the voluntary arts groups working with venues on joint projects; and
• new audiences attracted to a more diverse cultural menu.
• Project partners felt that these impacts can only be fully measured once the new approach is in place.

Value for Money

1.44 From the information available it is unclear whether the project has achieved the following:

• projects and programmes taken forward more cost effectively through joint funding;
• joint marketing initiatives introduced have greater penetration rates;
• action plan to identify new resources for joint delivery in short, medium and long term;
• develop e-based marketing system to replace traditional print;
• pilot projects cost effective at managing risk factors with target groups.

1.45 These value for money indicators refer to the value for money that would be achieved by the Pathfinder legacies, and so do not relate directly to the value for money of the Pathfinder project.

Contribution to Strategic Objectives

1.46 We have identified a number of key strategic objectives to which each of the projects would be expected to contribute. Here we provide an assessment of the extent to which the Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Pathfinder project has successfully:

• engaged under-represented groups in arts/cultural activities;
• encouraged collaborative working within and/or across authorities;
• engaged Community Planning Partnerships and other partners/stakeholders;
• delivered effective consultation with communities;
• delivered something that is truly new and additional; and
• considered and ensured the sustainability of its impacts.

1.47 This section draws on the feedback from the evaluation fieldwork as well as lessons reported by the project through interim and final reports and associated documentation.

Engaged Under-Represented Communities

1.48 The original focus of the Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Pathfinder was to engage with specific groups living in communities across the two local authority areas in the consultation process. These target groups were described as under-represented due to being 'hard to reach'. The focus of the Pathfinder shifted to focus more on structures and processes than on consultation and engagement.

1.49 Following initial low participation, the consultation events focused on engaging participants from across the various communities. A number of consultation events took place across communities in the City/Shire areas although, as noted, it is not clear whether the original target groups were engaged in the events or to what level.

1.50 The Pathfinder engaged people living in rural and peripheral communities through the 'open space' consultation events and through the commissioned artist-led events held in Aberdeenshire. From the evidence provided, it was not reported whether people from areas of social deprivation were engaged in the Pathfinder.

1.51 Engaging under-represented communities was an original aim of the Pathfinder, and the project did engage with a large number of people living across the two local authority areas. However, feedback from project partners suggested that the consultation events tended to attract people who regularly participate and there was little engagement with 'hard to reach' groups. The consultation events were led by commissioned consultants and in some areas, local officers worked hard to encourage people to attend. Project partners reported that short timescales and limited availability of the consultant team restricted some of the engagement activities.

1.52 The Evaluation Report states that the revised focus on establishing structures and processes rather than direct delivery of projects/services the pathfinder had less impact in terms of increasing participation levels within sectors of the community.

Collaborative Working

1.53 Collaborative working was central to this Pathfinder. The two Councils worked in partnership to plan and deliver the project. There was a recognition that the public in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire do not differentiate between the areas when accessing culture and the Pathfinder was viewed as an opportunity to explore how a collaborative approach to culture could work in practice.

1.54 A lead officer for the Pathfinder was appointed in each authority and a working group was set up involving cultural staff from both authorities. Feedback from project partners was that the collaborative approach worked particularly well at the strategic level. Partners felt that as a project working towards a shared agenda for culture the joint approach worked really well as it engaged those involved in shaping strategy.

1.55 Collaborative working was effective in this Pathfinder due to the appointment of project managers in each authority, a steering group and 'buy-in' from those in senior positions.

1.56 The Pathfinder has set the scene for future joint working across both authorities at the strategic and operational levels. The Pathfinder provided the authorities with an opportunity to assess their individual strategies for cultural provision and to work together to gather evidence to inform a shared strategy for the future. There is a history of joint working across the two authorities and the Pathfinder provided a means to move things forward and challenge current practice.

1.57 Overall, the joint approach to this Pathfinder has worked very well and has established a new way of working for cultural services across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire.

Engaged Community Planning Partners

1.58 The Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Pathfinder was based on a joint approach to project design, development and delivery. Engaging CPPs in the Pathfinder was fundamental to the project given its strong focus on structures and processes. From the outset, the Community Planning structures were seen as the key vehicles for cultural development across the two Council areas.

1.59 However, Community Planning structures are different in each authority. In Aberdeen City the CPP, The Aberdeen City Alliance ( TACA), has a Cultural Challenge Forum. In Aberdeenshire, the Community Planning structure is not topic-based and therefore, there is no specific platform or forum for culture. These different structures presented some difficulties in engaging CPPs and in understanding where culture and planning for culture can fit with Community Planning, particularly in Aberdeenshire.

1.60 CPPs were kept informed of the Pathfinder project and its progress. Workshops were facilitated with both CPPs as part of the engagement and consultation aspects of the project. In Aberdeenshire, Community Planning was involved fairly remotely and reports of Pathfinder activity were presented to the partners. The lead officer for the Pathfinder within Aberdeenshire attended meetings of the CPP and provided regular updates. However, there was little direct involvement of the CPP throughout the project and no formal links were established.

1.61 In addition to the CPP, there are two rural partnerships in Aberdeenshire that co-ordinate community development activity at a local level. There is no evidence to suggest that the rural partnerships were significantly engaged in the Pathfinder project.

1.62 In Aberdeen City, the Cultural Challenge Forum was kept informed of the Pathfinder project by the lead officer within Aberdeen City. The full CPP, TACA, was aware of the Pathfinder but was not significantly involved. TACA's role in the Pathfinder was limited due to the project being Council-led rather than led by the CPP and CP officers directly.

1.63 There was varying engagement with Community Planning throughout the Pathfinder, with Aberdeen City's Community Planning interests more engaged than Aberdeenshire's CPP. In developing a new approach for the future, the Community Planning structures in both authorities were considered in great detail. A Cultural Planning Framework has been proposed and a new Aberdeen City and Shire Cultural Forum is considered the best vehicle for joint planning for cultural activity. It is expected that this new Forum will help overcome the differences in structures at the individual Council level by engaging with the CPPs in each authority area.

Effective Consultation with Communities

1.64 The Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Pathfinder consulted with communities across the City and Shire areas. The consultations aimed to understand community priorities for culture and from the consultant's report, artist's reports and project partners feedback it is clear that this has been achieved.

1.65 The artist-led consultations used a variety of techniques and approaches to engage communities. Community arts exhibitions, a travelling gallery and arts cafe took consultation events into local community halls and the 'Fly Cup' project that involved local businesses, local artists and the community was an innovative and effective way of reaching community members.

1.66 The 'Fly Cup' project was delivered by a visual artist and the activities were linked to the inaugural COAST Festival of the Visual Arts. One of the drivers behind this project, based on local research, was to engage adults who work and do not have children and were therefore felt to be often unaware of cultural events in their own communities. The project was carried out over four months and the artist devised a series of 'Fly Cup Pit Stops', an art competition and a Family event. The 'Fly Cup' project offered an innovative and exciting way of engaging communities. The project is being evaluated by Aberdeenshire Council.

1.67 The consultations carried out during the Pathfinder have provided both authorities with an insight into the views of communities and have informed future project development and priorities for strategic planning. However, given the low levels of participation from hard to reach groups and a lack of evidence to indicate that specific groups within the communities participated in events, it is not clear that the needs of target groups have been reflected in these new plans.

Additionality

1.68 The Cultural Pathfinder Programme provided Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils with an opportunity to explore options for future joint working and to carry out consultations with community groups, artists and individuals living in the two areas. Feedback from project partners indicates that without the Pathfinder programme these activities would not have taken place. The Pathfinder provided the Councils with resources to carry out a strategic review of the structures associated with planning for culture including a marketing review and an audit of cultural provision.

1.69 The Pathfinder programme has raised awareness amongst strategic partners of the cultural activities and experiences of people living in the North East and has explored access to cultural activities in rural areas, discovering that a lack of transport is a particular barrier to access. The Pathfinder has also raised awareness about the role of village halls as cultural venues, discovering that village halls are an important resource, often used for cultural activities and events.

1.70 Finally, the Pathfinder provided project partners with an opportunity to reflect on the structures for planning for culture and Community Planning and has enabled partners to explore new options for joint planning and delivery.

Project Sustainability and Legacy

1.71 The Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Pathfinder has resulted in a joined-up and collaborative approach for planning for culture in both Councils. A shared set of Cultural Objectives have been agreed and will influence future joint planning.

1.72 The recommendation from this Pathfinder is that a joint cultural forum be established and this will now be considered. It is understood that a discussion has been scheduled that will explore this joint planning structure and its links with Community Planning and others including central Government and voluntary, public and private sector partners.

1.73 The marketing review work that was carried out will be taken forward by North East Audience Development Initiative and new proposals for an Audience Development Agency are being supported. The marketing review offered an opportunity to develop a single portal for information about cultural activities in the North East. The vision for the future is for a single agency to provide audience development and marketing support across the two Council areas and, given that members of the public do not distinguish between the areas in terms of culture and access to activities, there are significant gains to be made from having one agency taking on this role.

1.74 The audit of cultural provision provided an opportunity to look at venues, organisations and services and activities for culture across both areas. It provided an insight into the use of village halls in rural areas and their role in delivering cultural activities. At this stage it is not clear what the practical legacy will be of this activity The audit provided listings of the venues, organisations, services and activities and was carried out by both councils with support from the commissioned consultants. A venues and organisations database has not yet been prepared but a static spreadsheet is available. It is unclear at this stage whether the database will be developed and how it will be maintained over time.

1.75 Overall, the main legacy of the Pathfinder is the good working relationship and collaborative approach to planning for cultural activities across both authorities. Depending on the outcome of discussions at the strategic level, the long term legacy may be a new joint structure for culture. The success of the new Cultural Forum will depend on political support and support from Chief Executives within both authorities.

Overall Assessment and Lessons Learned

1.76 The Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire project was originally designed to identify ways in which the two Councils could work together to develop a joined-up programme of creative community engagement activities to inform and deliver a set of common aspirations for culture. The Pathfinder changed its focus following the shift in policy emphasis from the Scottish Government, and the language of 'entitlement' was replaced with 'community priorities'. The Pathfinder project largely achieved its aims in terms of joint working and in gathering views from communities living in the City and Shire areas.

1.77 The consultations with communities attracted a large number of participants, particularly the artist-led events within rural Aberdeenshire. The open-space events provided an opportunity to gather communities' views and this has informed both councils' Culture Strategies and the future Joint Strategy.

1.78 The other activities of the Pathfinder - the audit of cultural provision and the marketing review - have enabled both Councils to assess levels of cultural provision across the region and to examine the scale, co-ordination and resources available for marketing. Both of these activities have enabled the Councils to identify gains to be made in terms of joint working and from taking a regional rather than a local focus, particularly in relation to marketing. With a clear direction for the future through the work of North East Audience Development Initiative and a potential new agency, there are efficiency gains to be made for both Councils and, in addition, it will be easier for the public to clearly understand what activities are available and how to access them.

1.79 Collaborative working and developing a joint approach for future work lay at the heart of this Pathfinder. Both Councils have a history of working in partnership and the Pathfinder provided an opportunity to reflect on their joint working practices and consider new ways forward. The Pathfinder had the commitment of dedicated project managers and the steering group and feedback suggests that this was vital in terms of gaining 'buy in' at the strategic level. The involvement of the CPPs in each authority varied and this was due, in part, to the different structures for Community Planning. In Aberdeen City, the formal route for promoting cultural activity within Community Planning was established. In Aberdeenshire this vehicle did not exist.

1.80 The lack of involvement of rural partnerships is a weakness of the Pathfinder, particularly given problems of low engagement arising in relation to the consultation activities within rural areas and the specific issues relating to access to cultural activities by those in rural areas such as transport from rural areas to the City and across rural areas.

1.81 Lessons identified by the project suggest that having a 'Champion' would be beneficial, particularly an elected member. It is also recognised that local political and budgetary issues that arose in Aberdeen City during the lifetime of the project impacted on its success to a certain extent and although this was not anticipated it is suggested that in future, longer timescales would help to negate some of these impacts.

1.82 Reflecting on the consultation events, project partners felt that having more people working at the community level to encourage engagement would have helped reach a wider audience. Feedback also suggested that fairly traditional approaches were used in engaging with communities and the Pathfinder may have benefitted from a different, more flexible approach. Learning points provided in the project's Evaluation Plan suggest that a number of lessons have been learned about engaging communities. These learning points include: develop a more active, artist-led model for consultation; don't assume the public will want to debate priorities so build consultation meetings/events around local interest topics and provide feedback and evidence of action; and provide incentives to participants. Making better use of officer expertise to engage 'hard to reach' groups was also identified as a key lesson.

1.83 The Pathfinder has provided an opportunity to develop new structures for joint working across both authorities. The proposed joint Cultural Forum will provide an opportunity to engage more effectively with the CPPs in both authorities and is fundamental to raising planning for cultural activities at Community Planning level. A shared regional agenda with local priorities and strategy for culture presents a new way of working for both authorities and it is understood that this also offers an efficient way of working for the future.

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