Cultural Planning and Entitlements Working Group
Remit
The group's remit has been agreed as follows:
- Develop guidance for local authorities and advice for Community Planning Partnerships on approaches to local cultural planning, demonstrating how they can inform the Community Planning process
- Develop guidance for local authorities (can be part of the above) on developing and monitoring cultural entitlements in full consultation and engagement with local people, helping to expand and broaden the local cultural opportunities available
- Develop guidance for local authorities (can be part of the above) on self-monitoring/quality assurance activity, embracing ongoing developments within the public service reform agenda relating to outcome-focused performance measures
- Consider and advise on options for some pathfinder projects to examine cultural entitlement-setting in a range of scenarios to address the needs of specific, priority sections of the population. Once support for selected pathfinders has been approved by the Minister, the group will monitor and support their progress. Separately, an evaluation tool will be developed, aimed at supporting and monitoring the pathfinders
- Develop guidance (can be part of the above) on good practice in local cultural provision in relation to planning and delivery, informed by entitlements pathfinders and agreed examples
- Explore opportunities for incentivising local cultural provision
Membership
The following will form the core membership of the group:
Leslie Evans - Executive Education Department (Tourism, Culture and Sport Group) Chair
Steve Grimmond - VOCAL (Fife Council)
Ian Hooper - VOCAL (Glasgow City Council)
Rod Stone - VOCAL (Aberdeenshire Council)
Councillor Graham Garvie - CoSLA (Scottish Borders Council)
Lindsay McGregor - CoSLA (HQ)
Caroline Docherty - Scottish Arts Council
Joanne Orr - Scottish Museums Council
Elaine Fulton - Scottish Library and Information Council
Douglas Paterson - SOLACE (Aberdeen City Council)
John Travers - ADES (North Ayrshire Council)
Angela Saunders - Executive Education Department (Cultural Policy) Secretariat
Gillian Miller - Executive Education Department (Cultural Policy) Secretariat
To keep numbers tight and business focused, other stakeholders and experts will be invited to contribute their knowledge and experience as appropriate. In particular, this includes bodies whose interests will be affected by the product of the group's activity - including Community Planning Partnerships and relevant cultural and sports bodies - who will be consulted on drafts and proposals as appropriate. Scottish Executive officials handling e.g. local government, Community Planning and regeneration policy, will also be consulted.
Secondee
The Scottish Executive, CoSLA and VOCAL invited expressions of interest from all Scotland's local authorities, in a secondee post located with the Executive's Cultural Policy Division. Following an application and appointments process, Sue Selwyn, Head of Culture and Lifelong Learning at Falkirk Council, has accepted the part-time position. Sue will work on drafting the guidance and contributing to the development of practically-based, effective, local responses to the new policy agenda. (For the rest of her time during the secondment period, Sue will continue in post at Falkirk.)
Timescale
The preparation of guidance needs to progress in step with the Executive's work to produce clauses for a draft Parliamentary Bill. The Executive plans to issue the draft Bill and the guidance for consultation by the end of this calendar year. Initially, a lifespan of c. 8 months is anticipated for the group; this does not preclude subsequent engagement.
Core Script
The Working Group will take an open and inclusive approach to its work, with members disseminating advice about the project to their sectors, and to others they encounter who may have an interest. Other key bodies, experts and those whose interests are affected will be consulted in the course of the project. These include Community Planning Partnerships and a wide range of relevant cultural and sports bodies.
The Scottish Executive plans to issue the draft Culture Bill - that will provide a statutory framework for cultural entitlements - for consultation by the end of this calendar year. The group's work will progress in step with that activity. Ideally, the draft guidance will issue with the draft Bill.
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
CULTURAL PLANNING AND ENTITLEMENTS WORKING GROUP SECRETARIAT
AUGUST 2006
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