Proposals for the Culture Mile BID go to the City’s Policy and Resources committee on October 20, and a ballot of businesses will be held in January. Discussion at a briefing by consultants for council ward members on September 5 highlighted the need to agree plans for resident engagement before proposals were developed to put to the ballot, and members were invited to make suggestions by September 23, for a Culture Mile Partnership Board on the 28th. I’m writing an article for the EC1 Echo edition early October.
The draft BID strategy proposes collaboration between businesses, residents and other interests in its development.
“Collaboration sits at the heart of the BID model. Understanding the value that each member of our community can contribute to projects is vital. We want to harness the potential of all the communities that make up the Culture Mile area, unlocking new opportunities for all.
“Culture and creativity can be transformative tools that bring businesses, visitors and residents together, developing a connected community that has a shared sense of pride. The Culture Mile BID will be able to do more, support area wide enhancement and amplify the significant assets we have throughout the Culture Mile area”.
Here are suggestions on what that might mean in practice. Timing is tight to agree on the processes and methods of engagement. One approach could be to propose a community or neighbourhood forum with responsibility to develop more detailed engagement plans, plus an interactive neighbourhood guide to provide a common basis for understanding the area. The key issue is whether or not the would have a statutory basis, linked to a neighbourhood plan.
Suggestion: the partnership board could propose to the Policy and Resource Committee that it should welcome an initiative to establish a Neighbourhood Forum. As these notes on +Neighbourhood forums and plans explain, 21+ people have to propose a forum - so it isn’t up to the Partnership Board or council to establish one, though the council does have to approve. The note on +Ideas for Culture Mile BID development include suggestions on further methods for engagement.
Engagement for collaboration
Here’s my general thought on resident engagement for collaboration. I suggest that plans for engagement should be guided by:
Agreed principles
A process that reflects the principles
Methods to support the process
The paragraph in the draft BID strategy, quoted above, is helpful:“Collaboration sits at the heart of the BID model. Understanding the value that each member of our community can contribute to projects is vital. We want to harness the potential of all the communities that make up the Culture Mile area, unlocking new opportunities for all”.
Principles
Appropriate level of engagement. There’s general agreement among engagement practitioners on the use of a ladder or spectrum, ranging from information giving to empowerment. See below(1). The BID strategy proposes collaboration.
Transparent and open. In line with a collaborative approach, plans for the BID and its operation should be publicly available, with opportunities to contribute.
Co-design. In order to ensure collaborative systems and operation, the structure and methods for engagement should be developed with stakeholders, including residents.
Process
So far the process of developing structure and methods for engagement have been internal to the BID consultants and steering groups, and more recently ward members. In order to follow the above principles I suggest that:
Documents should be publicly available, unless there is confidential content. For example, reports and minutes of steering groups, and recent briefing for ward members.
The process for engaging stakeholders should be designed with key interests. Ward members and consultants could come up with proposals to be agreed more widely. Starting collaboration early on will help build trust.
Businesses should be involved at the same time as residents, so that expectations are clear on all sides.
Methods
The methods used should reflect the level of engagement - collaboration. The organisation Community Places suggests different methods for different places on the spectrum(2). It is useful to distinguish between:
Structures like a neighbourhood or community forum
Infrastructure to support engagements processes, like maps and information systems
Methods for specific projects
Collaboration requires all three.
On possibility - a forum, plan and guide
Proposals for the BID have to go to the City’s Policy and Resources committee for approval on October 20. Ward members have been asked to submit their ideas by September 23.
That doesn’t leave time for wider engagement with residents and businesses. One option - depending on the views of members - would be to propose a structural solution, together with some infrastructure, leaving more detailed methods until later. E.g.
A neighbourhood forum, with responsibility for designing further engagement.
Commitment to develop a neighbourhood plan or strategy for the area, with appropriate engagement of all interests
An interactive neighbourhood guide. That could be developed through participatory mapping, with information system about the BID and local activities. Work for the Barbican Arts Centre Communities and Neighbourhoods team on a physical and virtual community hub could be useful(3)
Briefing on neighbourhood forums and plans
I’m pulling together some notes here on neighbourhood forums and plans, with London examples.
Summary
Resource Committee that it should welcome an initiative to establish a Neighbourhood Forum. As these notes on +Neighbourhood forums and plans explain, 21+ people have to propose a forum - so it isn’t up to the Partnership Board or council to establish one, though the council does have to approve. The note on +Ideas for Culture Mile BID development include suggestions on further methods for engagement.Engagement for collaboration
Principles
Process
Methods
On possibility - a forum, plan and guide