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Here you'll find a resource for keeping up-to-date on the highlights of the ideas, programs and controversies surrounding British Prime Minister David Cameron's "Big Society" agenda. His plan to de-centralize services to the local level of government and supplement government service provision with citizen engagement activities is ambitious. Can it also be successful? What does the success or failure of the Big Society in Great Britain imply for civic engagement efforts and local government programs in the USA?

These questions are of particular interest to the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership as we seek to help solve public problems by promoting self governance.

New to Big Society? Check out our foundational documents »

Partnership to Support Contract Collaboration

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Davenport Institute

One aspect of the Big Society project that Cameron’s government has emphasized is the potential for civil society organizations to bid on projects that have previously been undertaken by governments and established contractors.  This process can be a bit difficult to navigate, however:

The Big Society Co-operative (BSC), which will officially launch in April, was awarded £600,000 by the Office for Civil Societies to help with its mission to “assist and promote civil society organisations and act as a conduit to share and promote best practice in innovative working between civil society, pubic and private sector organisations”.

It plans to act as a national umbrella body for civil society support, giving access to a wide range of information, advice and support via a new ‘one stop shop’ web platform, which is already live.

You can read more here.

Posted in Local, National, News & Events, Support | Leave a comment

More Support for Councillors

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Davenport Institute

Christina Dykes argues that the Public Administration Select Committees Big Society report overlooks the role of local councillors in delivering the Big Society and the support they need to make the project successful:

A small forest has been chopped down to produce literature on the Big Society and its bedfellow localism. There has been comparatively little concentration on the part that local government plays in the implementation of Big Society and localism.

Although the Government will need many different implementation methods if it wants to ensure that Big Society succeeds, the involvement of councillors is fundamental. Councillors have a legitimate vox publicus through being elected. They also overwhelmingly live and work within their neighbourhoods. Crucially they hold local purse-strings and historically they have been the arbiter of who get what in local services.

You can read more here.

Posted in Local, Philosophy | Leave a comment

Welland Park Community Centre

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Davenport Institute

A new community centre in Welland Park in Harborough will be partially funded by the Liecestershire County Council Big Society grant fund:

Martin Hill, Harborough Improvement Team, said: “I think this is an exciting project with the potential to develop an attractive building and sustainable business in Welland Park that benefits all of the community.”

The consultation at the market will take place today between 10am and 4pm. Afterwards the plans will be on display at Sainsbury’s foyer between 5pm and 6.30pm.

 

Posted in Local, News & Events | Leave a comment