Northern Ireland Community Relations Council - About Us - Council Minutes

19 December 2006

MINUTES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL ON 19^TH DECEMBER 2006 AT CRC OFFICES, 6 MURRAY STREET, BELFAST

01 PRESENT:

Dr David Stevens (Chair), Paul Smyth, Colin Neilands, Maggie Bryson, Colin Craig, Eileen Gallagher, Cathy Gormley Heenan

02 APOLOGIES

Pauline Morgan (CRU), Libby Smit

03 IN ATTENDANCE:

Jim Dennison, Claudine McGuigan, Elizabeth McCann, Duncan Morrow, Vanessa McGeown, Patricia Armstrong

04 GENERAL BUSINESS

Members were welcomed and apologies noted. Minutes were approved from the last committee meeting, 15^th November 2006. Patricia Armstrong was welcomed back after her maternity leave. Eileen Gallagher and Colin Craig were not there at the commencement of the meeting but had telephoned to say that they would arrive slightly later.

05 MATTERS ARISING

None

06 Stage 2 Assessments – Outward and Forward and Research.

07 Budget Available/Slippage

Jim Dennison informed that there was a budget of £900k available comprised of: - £400k for the Outward and Forward applications and £500k for the Research applications. He further informed that Vanessa McGeown has recently been closing all Peace II projects and there is a £350k slippage amount. In addition to this there is a £150k under spend within a Capital Build project – namely Youth Link as they were unable to accept the award and a further £58k from ‘Migrant Information Education Unit’ as they had to decline their Peace II Extension revenue award offer.

Jim further informed that there should not be a problem in committing this under spend as the call for application was vastly oversubscribed.

Duncan Morrow raised the question: - would money need to be set aside for Omagh Community House if they were successful in their review appeal for Capital Build finding. Jim Dennison replied in stating that Shaun Henry (SEUPB) had advised that Committee should commit all funding today.
Jim Dennison asked Committee for a preferential order reserve list to be formulated in case the current Capital Build groups have to decline their award offer.
Slippage: - Jim Dennison and David Stevens in advance of the meeting had discussed how slippage funding could be committed. There were 2 options and Committee decided to avail of the second option:-

Option 1 Half in half in favour of both Outward and Forward and the Research applications.

Option 2 Decisions based on quality.

Declaration of Interests

Dr David Stevens Tides Training, Public Achievement

Colin Craig Tides Training

Paul Smyth Public Achievement, UNESCO, NIPPA

Outward and Forwards Looking Region

Budget - £400k

Members considered all of the Stage 2 applications presented and the following decisions were agreed:

THEME:-COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION/COMMUNITY RELATIONS

TIDES

Colin Craig declared a conflict of interest and left the room.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed that the indicative score presented was slightly low at 70 and subsequently agreed a revised score of 71 as the application displayed a coordinated approach which would involve all of the stakeholders. The application therefore achieved a score which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £93,595.00 was awarded.

CFNI

Duncan Morrow declared a conflict of interest and left the room.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (68) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £128,176.00 was awarded.

* NORTH SOUTH RURAL VOICE

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it.Committee agreed that this application merited an acceptable score (68) but given the quantum of applications achieving a higher score and the limited funds available, an award could not be made on this occasion. This project was put on the reserve list. If another project does not accept the award offer, NSRV will be offered an award up to (and no more than) £129,399.68 with some changes to the initially identified objectives.

CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed that the indicative score presented was slightly low at 66 and subsequently agreed a revised score of 68. The application therefore achieved a score which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £35,000.00 was awarded.

MEDIATION NI

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (65) which would warrant it eligible for grant aid but given the quantum of applications achieving a higher score and the limited funds available, an award could not be made on this occasion.

UNIVERSITYOF ULSTER

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Committee agreed with the assessing officer’s comments
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application did not achieve a score (62) which would warrant it eligible for grant aid.

THEME:-FACILITATING PEACE AND RECONCILIATION WORK

PUBLIC ACHEIVEMENT

Paul Smyth and David Stevens declared a conflict of interest and left the room.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (71.5) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £124,467.00 was awarded. As a condition of grant aid it was agreed that PA must provide evidence which demonstrates that they have match funding in place?

UNESCO SCHOOLOF EDUCATION

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (71) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £169,000.00 was awarded. Committee agreed that staff would need to carefully consider the costs and ensure salary costings are not in excess of the Measure 2:1 salary cap.

NIPPA

Paul Smyth declared a conflict of interest and left the room.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application did not achieve a score which would warrant it eligible for grant aid - 64.

THEME:-RACE RELATIONS

NICEM

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (73.5) that warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £103,000.00 was awarded.
As a condition of grant aid it was agreed that NICEM must provide evidence which demonstrates that they have a European Partner in place. Committee were also in agreement that in order to be awarded grant aid their target areas should encompass Dungannon and Cookstown.

Research

Budget - £500k

Members considered all of the Stage 2 applications presented and the following decisions were agreed:

THEME 1:-THE IMPACT AND ROLE OF SECTARIANISM IN EVERYDAY LIFE; THE DYNAMIC AND STRUCTURE OF SEGREGATION

INSTITUTE FOR CONFLICT RESEARCH

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (73) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £156,943.00 was awarded. The amount awarded is subject to change as the figure needs to be revised to ensure the salary budget heading is within the Measure 2:1 salary cap.

DR. ROSELLEN ROCHE – QUB

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (71) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £90,000.00 was awarded.

SCHOOL OF SOCIOLOGY – QUB

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (71) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £12,699.00 was awarded.

UU – DAVID DICKSON

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (71) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £69,619.00 was awarded. As a condition of grant aid/stipulation within their Letter of Offer it was agreed that the project must establish a liaison group to oversee the workings of the research project. Furthermore as a pre-condition they also must provide evidence which demonstrates that they will work in conjunction/liaise with the Department of Employment and Learning. Salary caps?

HOLYWELL TRUST

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (67) which would warrant it eligible for grant aid but given the quantum of applications achieving a higher score and the limited funds available, an award could not be made on this occasion.

YOUTH ACTION NI

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (66) which would warrant it eligible for grant aid but given the quantum of applications achieving a higher score and the limited funds available, an award could not be made on this occasion.

INTERACTION BELFAST

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application did not achieve a score which would warrant it eligible for grant aid - 63. They further added in support of their decision that the application/project was ‘Methodologically flawed and lacked critical distance.’

THEME 2:- RULES, RIGHTS AND CODES OF CONDUCT FOR A DIVERSE SOCIETY – PROTECTING MINORITY PARTICIPATION

CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (71) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £90,533.00 was awarded.

ST COLUMBS PARK HOUSE

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (71) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £52,029.00 was awarded. As a condition of grant aid/stipulation within their Letter of Offer Committee agreed that the project must clarify which civic space they intend working within i.e. the Bogside or the Waterside and who are their public institution connections that they spoke of in their application?

RURAL COMMUNITY NETWORK

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application did not achieve a score which would warrant it eligible for grant aid - 63. They further added in support of their decision that the application/project was more of a community development project in nature with a research element as an afterthought.

THEME 3:- PRACTICALLY IMPLEMENTING A SHARED FUTURE

ARTS

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (71) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £65,000.00 was awarded. The amount awarded is subject to change as the amount needs to be revised to ensure the salary budget heading is within the Measure 2:1 salary cap.

DEMOCRATIC DIALOGUE / QUB EDUCATION DEPT

No conflicts of interest were declared.

Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (69) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £85,706.00 was awarded. As a condition of grant aid/stipulation within their Letter of Offer; Committee agreed that the grant recipients must clearly demonstrate that they have a sufficient, dedicated management structure in place (within Queens’s) in order to successfully roll out the research project. Clarification on the governance arrangements will be required prior to the granting of Measure 2:1 funding as this project was applied for under DD and has since been taken over by QUB.

ST COLUMBS PARK HOUSE

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed that the indicative score presented was slightly high and subsequently agreed a revised reduced score of 67 from 69. Committee agreed with the comments and concluded that this application achieved a score (67) which would warrant it eligible for grant aid but given the quantum of applications achieving a higher score and the limited funds available, an award could not be made on this occasion. They further added in support of their decision that the application/project was in some ways a duplication of the aforementioned second application by SCPH which was awarded funding under theme 2.

SPACE

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (68) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £114,419.00 (option 3 of their proposal as outlined within their application – ‘Minimum Version’) could be awarded under certain circumstances. As a condition of grant aid it was agreed that SPACE must provide evidence which demonstrates that the contribution made by Measure 2:1 towards the cost of implementing this research project does not result in double funding (as they may have been awarded duplicate funds from Belfast Local Strategy Partnership).

INSTITUTE FOR CONFLICT RESEARCH

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (67) which would warrant it eligible for grant aid but given the quantum of applications achieving a higher score and the limited funds available, an award could not be made on this occasion. They further added in support of their decision that the outcome of the application/project was to make recommendations to BCC and if that were the case then BCC should be funding the project.

PREPARING FOR POST CONFLICT TRUST

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application did not achieve a score which would warrant it eligible for grant aid. Committee agreed that the indicative score presented was slightly high and subsequently agreed a revised reduced score of 63 from 65.

THEME 4:- GIVING VOICE TO NEW VOICES – MINORITY ETHNIC REPRESENTATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND

*ACADEMY FOR IRISH CULTURAL HERITAGES - UU

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed that the indicative score presented was slightly high at 69 and subsequently agreed a revised score of 67. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (67) which would warrant it eligible for grant aid but given the quantum of applications achieving a higher score and the limited funds available, an award could not be made on this occasion. This group have been placed on the reserve list if further funding becomes available from Capital Build groups who may decline their award offer. If this is the case they shall be awardedup to (but no more than) £43,506.00.

UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER – DR. CHRIS GILLIGAN

No conflicts of interest were declared.
Members discussed this application and reviewed all materials that had been submitted in relation to it. Committee agreed with the comments and indicative scoring listed in the scoring matrix and concluded that this application achieved a score (69) which warranted it eligible for grant aid. Funding of up to (but no more than) £74.061.00 was awarded.

At the end of the meeting a total of £1,464,247.00 had been allocated/awarded, £653,238.00 for Outward and Forward and a total of £811,009.00 for Research.

RESERVE LIST:-

*ACADEMY FOR IRISH CULTURAL HERITAGES – UU (If in the case whereby a Capital Build Project declines/cannot accept their award offer).

*NORTH SOUTH RURAL VOICE (If ‘SPACE’ cannot accept their grant award – Option 3).

08 REALLOCATION REQUEST

The reallocation request for UCT was presented and approved however with certain stipulations. UCT had been awarded funding under Measure 2:1 Peace II Extension Tranche 1 in January 2006 for their ‘Common Ways’ project. They requested an extension to their project lifetime from the initial end date of December 2007 until a revised end date of June 2008. Whilst they intend to take the original aims and objectives forward they intend to re-focus them due to staffing and organisation changes. In seeking to utilise the balance of funding remaining UCT proposed the following:-

Level 1: to fund the contribution towards the Administrator at a half time level until the end of the financial year 2006-2007 (Jan-March 07) in order that all accounting and reporting procedures are in order and prepared for audit, that materials and resources are gathered and made available for wider access.

Associated Cost: £2,250.00

Level 2: to deliver 4 courses between April 2007 and June 2008, open to all working in EU Peace Programme initiatives. Emerging from the work of the Future Ways Programme, the themes of Equity, Diversity and Interdependence and the models of Good Relations Practice developed to date in a wide variety of public, community and voluntary settings would be used and 4 x2 day courses (two courses using a residential model; two using a normal day model) would be made available for two groups of 30 people.

Associated Cost: £24,420.00

Level 3: would involve the additional piloting (between October 2007 and June 2008) of two modules at Masters Level, bearing 30 credit points each. The modules would be piloted with 30 students from diverse public and community sectors. An overview of the two modules: ‘Education for a Shared Future - Promoting Good Relations’ and Values for a Shared Future – Equity, Diversity and Interdependence’ has been provided. UCT has advised that the modules “have now been proposed, passed the initial validation process and are being considered” by the University of Ulster for introduction into a PG Dip and MSc in Education in Contemporary Society. Funding requested to support this strand of work (bursaries - £500/module) would cover course fees for participants from the community and voluntary sector.

Associated Cost: £20,000.00

All 3 levels were agreed and authorised by Committee however there were some stipulations regarding level 3. The requested bursaries were acceptable under the condition that the participant (from a voluntary or community sector) match funds the award (50%) in order to ensure an adequate buy-in and maintain retention rates on the course. The selection criteria set for the application to the course should be extremely rigorous as the course is of a high standard-masters level.

The reallocation request in its entirety came to a total of £46,670.00.

09 PEACE III

Jim Dennison offered information by way of an update on the Peace III situation. Peace III funding would be available under 4 strands:-

Victims (Legacy)
Capital Build
Shared Future and Regional Policies
?

Jim further informed that a meeting was held several weeks previously and from that it transpired that expenditure would be incurred as soon as 01/01/07. SEUPB intend rolling out the programme in June/July 2007. At the CORE/EU Committee meeting scheduled for 24/01/07 discussions will take place re: themes, calls, changes, commissions of work. Duncan Morrow further advised that applications may be requested via an open call.

10 ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Next meeting is in Dungannon on 24/01/07.
Staff and members were thanked for their contributions.